Monday Morning Impact – February 8

Study: Security for Remote Workforce, A Key Priority for 2021

Cato Networks, an Israeli security company, points to remote workforce security as a major priority for companies in 2021. That’s according to Cato’s recently released study entitled, “The Future of Enterprise Networking and Security,” which draws from a survey of more than 2,000 IT leaders.

The report indicates that IT teams struggled in the early days of the pandemic, rushing to meet the urgent need for widespread remote access. Connecting users often came at the expense of other factors, such as security, performance, and management. As most respondents (81%) expect to continue working-from-home (WFH), 2021 will likely be the time when enterprises address these remaining issues.

Only 7 percent of respondents indicated that everyone would move back to the office, while 80% indicated their companies will continue with a remote workforce in whole or in part. Enforcing corporate security policies on remote users was a major security challenge (58% of respondents) while 57% of respondents indicated they lacked the time and resources to implement recognized security best practices.

More than 90% of respondents expect SASE to simplify management and security. Half of respondents (52%) indicated that SASE would be very or extremely important to their businesses post COVID-19. Of those who’ve already adopted SASE, 86% of respondents reported increased security.

For many respondents, security is becoming too complicated. Most respondents (57% of respondents) felt they lacked the time and resources to implement recognized security best practices. Even something as basic as quickly patching software and systems poses a challenge for many enterprises (32% of respondents).

Channel Impact^®
The data outline key pain points through which channel partners can solidify customer relationships and propel higher revenues.

Sectigo Launches Secure Partner Program

Sectigo, a New Jersey-based digital identity management and web security company, has launched its new partner program for a network of more than 1,200 channel partners worldwide.

All partners registered in the new program also receive access to advanced training and accreditation programs to help drive sales and support capabilities. The company has also added financial incentives, such as a new partner pricing model and dedicated Marketing Development Funds.

A new partner portal has been added, providing access to MDF, webinars, onboarding materials, and other resources. The platform also delivers role-based curricula derived from 70 training courses for sales and technical individuals, delivered through interactive learning modules, with testing. Sectigo provides partners with automated tracking of each student’s progress as they work toward accreditation.

“The free training within Sectigo University provides pathways for partners to earn their Sectigo Secure Sales and Technical Accreditations,” said Michael Fowler, Sectigo’s president of channel partners. “By achieving an accreditation, Secure Partners will maximize their investment in Sectigo solutions by standing out as a true web security expert.”

Sectigo’s digital identity solutions, including TLS / SSL certificates, DevOps, IoT, and enterprise-grade PKI management, as well as multi-layered web security.

Channel Impact^®
The new program is designed to expand partner capabilities while providing greater flexibility, more support, improved training and higher profitability.

Lingo Announces New Distribution Alliance

Lingo Communications, an Atlanta-based cloud/UC and Managed Service provider, has announced the signing of new distribution agreements with several new agents and a master agent across the United States.

More specifically, the company has inked a deal with MicroCorp, a national master agent for telecommunications and cloud services. MicroCorp added Lingo’s selection of Cloud/UC, Managed Services and Legacy communications solutions to their service offerings in Q4 ’20.

“We are excited about Lingo’s amazing growth this past year and are very thrilled to partner with MicroCorp as a provider in their portfolio,” said Chris Ramsey, VP Sales and Marketing of Lingo. “They bring a large ecosystem of business solutions and experts and we look forward to mutual growth.”

Lingo provides Cloud/UC, Managed Services and Legacy communications solutions for small and mid to large-sized companies. In 2020, the company reported that new sales revenue from the partner channel increased by more than 335% compared to 2019. In addition, the number of active agents selling for Lingo increased by over 300% across more than a dozen new markets.

Channel Impact^®
The new alliance provides MicroCorp with a wider portfolio of cloud/UC services while Lingo gets increased access to the market.