CRN Exclusive: Savvius Launches New Partner Program, Repositions Sales Strategy Around Channel

Savvius has launched a new partner program as the network visibility and security performance company looks to expand its business from the high-end data center to the small and medium enterprise markets.

The new Savvius PartnerONE program has two tiers, with dedicated discounts, deal registration, marketing funds, and partner portal. Partners will have access to the full portfolio of Savvius solutions, the company said.

The launch comes just six months after Savvius appointed new Vice President of Worldwide Sales Patrick Johnston. Johnston joined Savvius from Extreme Networks, where he was director of channel sales. In an interview with CRN, Johnston said one of the first things he put in place was a plan to grow the company by entering new markets and investing in the channel.

[Related: CRN Exclusive: DemistoLaunches First Partner Program As Market For Security Automation Heats Up]

Johnston said the push through partners will allow the Walnut Creek, Calif.-based company to expand its business from the high-end data center to the enterprise, small, and medium businesses. He said there is growing demand in those sectors for Savvius' real-time network monitoring, forensics, and long-term security visibility solutions as more companies move to the cloud and embrace IoT solutions.

"Our theme for the company is: growing together in 2017," Johnston said. "There is just no way that we can address that customer set without technology partners and high-end systems integrators and value-added resellers that have those relationships and put those systems integrations together. This is a shift the whole company is behind," he said.

Johnston said Savvius already did around a third of its product sales in the U.S. through the channel, but will now look to shift more sales indirect. The goal is to have 90 percent of sales through partners in the next 12 to 18 months, he said. To accomplish that, Johnston said Savvius will be in "heavy recruit and vetting mode," focusing on partners that already have partnerships with the company's technology integration partners.

Savvius has also signed on with distribution partner Global Convergence to help support and recruit partners. In an interview with CRN, Vice President of Revenue Performance Management Brandon Ledford said the new partner program makes it easier for partners to work with Savvius. "We have had a growing demand … As a part of that, we have tried to build out programs. Savvius is another key link in building a one-stop shop for security and visibility solutions and services," Ledford said. "Partners get it right away."

Ledford said he sees growing demand for network visibility and security performance solutions. Driving that is a growing threat landscape, increasing interest by corporate boards of directors in security, and a convergence of network and security IT personnel, he said.

Johnston said Savvius will continue to expand its partner program through recruiting and adding technology vendor partners. He said Savvius has already seen some early success from its channel push, with 10 percent of revenue from the quarter from newly developed partnerships in the channel.

"The message was laid, the results are immediate, and we see this doing nothing more than hockey sticking for our partnerships going forward," Johnston said.