Monday Morning Impact – April 8

Study: SMBs Will Leave MSPs Over Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity demands of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have become both a major risk and revenue opportunity to MSPs, according to research commissioned by Continuum through Vanson Bourne, an independent market research company based in the U.K.

Nearly nine in ten (89 percent) SMBs surveyed in the U.S. would consider hiring a new MSP if they offered the right cybersecurity solution, and nearly one in four SMBs (24 percent) has already changed MSPs in the aftermath of a cyberattack.

To make matters more challenging for MSPs, the report says that clients will hold providers accountable for security issues even if their MSP is not currently providing them with cybersecurity solutions. Three in four SMBs who do not currently outsource cybersecurity would still hold their provider accountable in the event of a cyber attack

MSPs that attempt to compete on price are likely to find that this will not be enough to retain clients that are concerned about cybersecurity, as SMBs planning to change providers are willing to pay 24 percent more on average for the right cybersecurity offering. Nearly half of all SMBs surveyed in the US (47 percent) would pay at least 20 percent more for the right cybersecurity solution from a new provider.

“We have seen first-hand that the number one reason MSPs lose business today is over concerns about cybersecurity, and this data now proves it,” said Michael George, CEO of Continuum. “Providers across North America and Europe should heed the clear warning presented by these findings. Businesses expect to be protected by their MSPs, and are ready to pay more for that protection – whether from their existing MSP, or by switching to a provider that promises a better solution.”

As for MSPs who specialize in the delivery of effective security, 77 percent of SMBs anticipate that at least half of their cybersecurity needs will be outsourced in five years’ time, and 78 percent are planning to invest more in cybersecurity in the next 12 months. SMBs also state they are willing to pay 27 percent more, on average, than they currently pay for the right cyber security offering.

Commissioned by Continuum, “Underserved and Unprepared: The 2019 State of SMB Cyber Security Report” was researched by Vanson Bourne between January and March 2019. Eight hundred fifty IT and business decision makers who have involvement in cyber security in their organization were surveyed in the US, UK, France, Germany and Belgium. Respondents’ organizations have between 10 and 1,000 employees and were selected across a number of core industry sectors.

Channel Impact^®
The best news here is not only that SMB leaders recognize the value of cybersecurity. They are also ready to invest more heavily in the protection of their businesses. Conversely, MSPs who can deliver effective protections are far more apt to prosper than those that do not.

Turbonomic Adds New Cloud Path to Partner Program

Turbonomic, a privately held Boston-based vendor specializing in workload automation for hybrid cloud, has revised its partner program to include a new designated certification for approved systems integrators who assess, plan, deploy, integrate, configure, and optimize cloud-based services. A deal registration program and an MDF program for SIs have also been rolled out.

With this announcement, the Turbonomic Partner Program now includes tracks for systems integrators, solution providers, alliances, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and distributors. The overall program also features additional certification options, enabling partners to highlight their specialties.

“Cloud delivers customers agility and elasticity – as well as exponential complexity,” said Chris Sullivan, Turbonomic’s SVP of Global Channel & Alliances. “Customers need help managing this complexity in order to avoid sacrificing performance, violating business policies, and overtaxing IT budgets,” he added. “By extending our partner program to SIs, we are closely aligning Turbonomic with the world’s leading cloud delivery specialists to provide the next level of support to their customers.”

The company’s AI-powered workload automation platform is designed to assure performance at the lowest cost while enforcing policy compliance and reducing overall risk in the delivery of cloud services in AWS and Azure environments.

Channel Impact^®
By aligning the partner program with the various cloud partner models, Turbonomic is attempting to position itself for further growth in channel sales. The new SI Program gives integrators the ability to expand their value by helping customers define and implement their journey to the cloud, backed by training, support, and joint go-to-market initiatives.

EfficientIP Updates North American Partner Program; Adds New Director of Channel Development

EfficientIP, which specializes in network security automation solutions and DDI, has enhanced its Smart Partner Program by simplifying the onboarding process and introducing a variety of other initiatives aimed at better enabling channel partners to address the challenges of business transformation projects such as data protection, mobility and cloud.

Elements include technical and sales training, a leads distribution program, access to sales, marketing and technical resources, and support services including hardware replacement and 24×7 TAC access.

The Philadelphia-based company has also appointed John Ricciardi as its new channel development director, developing and executing a regional channel strategy for North America. Ricciardi brings over 20 years of network technology and partner program experience beginning in the education sector working as a systems engineer, before moving to Lucent Technologies where he led development of their enterprise-focused solutions. He joins EfficientIP from Nokia where he held business development and global partner management roles for seventeen years.

“DDI is one of the most critical parts of an enterprise network and often overlooked,” said Ricciardi. “We are deeply complementary to partners’ offerings, helping them to address customer needs for modernizing their infrastructure. I see tremendous opportunity to grow the business through the channel, and I am looking forward to successfully developing the company’s presence in North America.”

Channel Impact^®
The partner program is designed to offer channel partners a broad range of features and integration capabilities within the network security and automation space. The company also claims a strategic alliance ecosystem with complementary technologies from Cisco, VMware, Microsoft, RedHat, and ServiceNow.