Google Cloud Is ‘Turbocharging’ Its MSSP Sales Push

Google Cloud has announced the launch of a new “Chronicle MSSP Program,” a four-part initiative aimed at increasing sales of security products and services via its current and future channel partners.

Google Cloud is trying to boost its security business by building closer relationships with managed security service providers (MSSPs).

Acknowledging that its past outreach to MSSPs has been lacking, Google Cloud today announced the launch of a new “Chronicle MSSP Program,” a four-part initiative aimed at increasing sales of security products and services via its current and future channel partners.

The four program areas that Google is focusing on are sales, marketing, business investment and technical support – all ultimately aimed at making it more attractive and easier for MSSPs to sell products and their services on Google Cloud Platform’s marketplace site.

Google Cloud made the announcement via a blog post this morning by the company’s Sharat Ganesh, head of product marketing, and via an exclusive CRN interview with Jess Leroy, director of product management for Google Cloud Security.

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In his blog post, Ganesh wrote that Google’s goals is to “offer MSSPs around the world the ability to provide scalable, differentiated, and effective detection and response capabilities with our cloud-native SIEM product, Chronicle.”

Ganesh added: “We are turbocharging our MSSP partners with specialized services offerings, enabling branded portals and next-generation threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities.”

In an interview with CRN, Leroy said the new MSSP push is tied to Google’s announcement last year that it would invest more than $10 billion over five years to strengthen cybersecurity, following recent high-profile cyberattacks that have shaken both governments and corporations around the world.

The new initiative also comes after last month’s blockbuster announcement that Google plans to spend $5.4 billion to acquire threat intelligence and cybersecurity services superstar Mandiant. In January, Google’s cloud division moved to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup Siemplify for a reported $500 million.

Besides those takeover moves, Leroy also said end-user customers have become highly sensitive about security and are demanding more help in obtaining and managing their security needs.

Google Cloud has responded to growing calls for greater security via recent acquisitions and other steps.

But Leroy acknowledged that Google Cloud’s relationships with MSSPs has been lacking in recent years – and needed changing.

“There hasn‘t necessarily been a full program that gives MSSPs a sort of highly differentiated approach to leverage our tooling,” he told CRN.

Leroy said the goal of the new initiative is simple: onboarding more MSSPs and customers.

Google Cloud is “looking to broad participation” of MSSPs, he emphasized.

Eric Foster, president of CYDERES, a Kansas City-based MSSP specializing primarily in enterprise security, welcomed Google’s pledge to strengthen and broaden its relationships with MSSPs.

CYCERES is currently a major partner with Google Cloud – and Foster said he sees the partnership growing in scope in coming years

“We couldn’t be more excited,” said Foster of Google Cloud’s new MSSP initiatives. “We’re going all in in this relationship.”

He added he expects more MSSPs to start using Google Cloud’s security products. “It’s going to be good for the entire industry,” he said.