CRN Exclusive: EventTracker Launches New Partner Program For MSPs

A historically direct sales company, EventTracker is now looking to pivot toward the channel, starting Tuesday with the launch of a new partner program.

EventTracker has worked with partners in the past, but Vice President of Alliances Guy Cunningham said it has never had a "real focus" on partners and worked primarily ad hoc with the channel. He said the company is now looking to change that with the launch of its new EventTracker Partner Program.

The shift also comes after EventTracker's October acquisition by managed security services provider Netsurion. The deal brought together Netsurion’s managed security services, which focus on multilocation businesses and include specialties in firewall and wireless access point management, with EventTracker’s SIEM, log management and correlation capabilities.

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The new program will have three levels: silver, gold and platinum. The tiers are broken down by revenue generation, as well as sales and technical certifications. Cunningham, who joined EventTracker in February after holding channel roles at Veritas and Symantec, said the new program is designed to be simple and provide a quick time to value for partners. It includes all products offered by EventTracker.

Cunningham said he had seen a significant uptick in partner interest since he joined the company earlier this year, particularly from traditional resellers and MSPs looking to take advantage of the growing market for cybersecurity. However, he said many MSPs and resellers are challenged getting into security, as it is very costly and demands a high level of expertise. He said EventTracker looks to fill that gap with its SIEM solution and SOC services to augment or build out a security practice.

"We're seeing a shift in the MSP community. With the evolving threat landscape, more and more SMB customers are looking for a SIEM solution to add that layer of protection they typically haven't been able to afford or didn't have the skill set to provide," Cunningham said.

Cunningham said VARs and MSPs have turned to SIEM vendors such as AlienVault and LogRhythm in the past, but have found them difficult to manage and scale out. He said EventTracker has price points targeted at the midmarket and the enterprise, so it is price competitive. He said half of the partners coming to talk to EventTracker have been former or current AlienVault or LogRhythm partners.

"As tech companies evaluate these types of solutions, obviously they are looking for something that is effective … The options out there traditionally today have had problems with complexity and scalability … EventTracker solves both of those problems," Cunningham said.

Jason Arabian, president of Cranston, R.I.-based CMIT Solutions of Central R.I., said he first started partnering with EventTracker because of the company's technology about a year ago. Now, he said he is excited to see the company "make some strides" around its approach to the channel. He said the partner program shows that EventTracker wants to be a "true partner" with companies like CMIT Solutions.

"I think they are starting to see the channel as a valuable way to get into the market, versus direct," Arabian said.

"I'm encouraged by the channel program. I think it shows they know where their attention needs to be and where their next growth will come from. I'm encouraged because when you start to invest in a channel partner program it shows you are in this to succeed and make money," he said.

That's important, Arabian said, because it is a significant monetary investment to partner with a vendor, including vetting the technology, training, and maintenance of the technology. CMIT Solutions incorporates EventTracker as part of its managed services offering, so it doesn't drive any direct additional streams of revenue. Arabian said the new partner program would benefit his business "tremendously" as EventTracker invests back more in its partners.

As EventTracker moves towards the channel, Arabian said he hopes the company won't stray away from its core competencies, which he said are key for today's MSPs. He said the partner program is a sign that EventTracker could look to remain focused, a worry he said he had after the company's recent acquisition.

"When a company gets acquired, a lot of time that’s death for a good product … In this case, it’s the opposite. They are making a huge commitment to a channel program which means they have to be prepared to invest in that infrastructure and make this product leaner and meaner. I think as long as they stay focused, this is going to be a good thing," Arabian said.

Cunningham said EventTracker would continue to build on its partner program going forward. A key area will be recruitment, he said, as the company looks to ramp from around three dozen partners today to more than 100 partners by the end of the year. He said the company had added a new partner portal with marketing resources, deal registration, order submission, and more to help support those new partners.