Barracuda Can Quadruple Partner Reach With Tech Data Deal, Exec Says

Tech Data revealed Tuesday that it is now providing Barracuda Networks' full portfolio of security and networking products to solution providers in the U.S. -- potentially quadrupling the number of partners that have access to Barracuda’s products, company representatives said.

The agreement with Tech Data covers Barracuda's content security, network and application security and storage solutions.

The deal, according to Barracuda Senior Vice President and General Manager Ken Grohe, builds on changes initiated last month. In April, Barracuda revamped its partner levels and created an MSP program for its partners.

[Related: Barracuda Networks Revamps Partner Levels, Adds MSP Program]

The two previously announced initiatives allow channel partners to purchase Barracuda Backup and Barracuda NG Firewall products on behalf of their customers. Grohe said that the deal announced Tuesday with Tech Data will add fuel to the fire when it comes to the security firm’s channel momentum.

’This deal builds off the momentum we started in April,’ Grohe said. He added that it will help what Grohe said is one of Barracuda's biggest challenges: under-distribution.

Grohe said that in order to get Barracuda's products properly distributed, "we had to do something different. … We [already] have the major league cities; what we need now are the triple-A cities." He added, "The relationship with Tech Data will allow access to cities we don’t have right now."

Ken Griffin, vice president of product marketing, AIS Storage Solutions at Tech Data, said one of the reasons Tech Data is interested in carrying Barracuda products is because "Barracuda has been in the channel for a long time … [and is] looking towards expanding with broader channel sales. This agreement furthers their commitment to that."

Griffin added that he thinks the agreement will also be a good one for Barracuda because Tech Data "has a solid set of partners not yet exposed to Barracuda."

Steve Katsman, chief information officer and senior vice president at Philadelphia, Pa.-based Micro Technology Group, has been a Barracuda partner for nearly a decade. He said Barracuda has been a "channel-focused company" for a long time and does most of its business through the channel. However, he added, "this deal will make Barracuda's products much more accessible."

"I think it's a win-win," Katsman said. "They are reaching a broader number of partners with a much greater audience."

Grohe said that although he sees this agreement as a positive one for the company, he does not foresee the need for similar deals in the near future. "I think we have enough food in our mouth and we need to start chewing it," he said.

PUBLISHED MAY 21, 2015