Quest Expands Channel Program, Products To Better Embrace MSP Partners

Quest Software is formally expanding the channel program for its data protection and management and security software to include MSPs for the first time.

The Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based company also added new capabilities to some of its flagship software targeted specifically at MSPs.

While Quest Software has been working with MSPs for years, MSPs were lumped together with more traditional solution providers when it came to channel program benefits, said John O'Boyle, director of channel and market for Quest's data protection line.

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"We're seeing a lot of resellers pivot to offering data protection as a service," O'Boyle told CRN. "We're not new to the MSP market. We've been working with MSPs for years, helping them build storage services. But partners want more MSP-tailored offerings."

Quest Software is expanding its established channel program, called the Quest Partner Circle, with a new dedicated license model designed specifically for MSPs, O'Boyle said.

"It's a subscription-based, pay-as-you-grow model," he said. "We're offering options for subscriptions on a per-socket or per-machine basis."

Quest Software is also offering its first MSP-focused rebates, as well as new dedicated support for MSP on-boarding and licensing, and backing them with dedicated technical support and training resources, said O'Boyle.

On the product side, the company is adding significant MSP-focused capabilities to its NetVault data protection software for complex storage environments, O'Boyle said.

Many of its other applications are also suited for MSPs, including its Rapid Recovery instant data recovery software with cloud-based management, its Qorestor deduplication and replication software for growing storage environments, and its Foglight for Virtualization software for managing virtualized and cloud environments, he said.

"All these things are designed to help MSPs," he said. "They don't need to invest a lot up front. But we're helping them ramp up faster. We're helping MSPs to move forward more confidently and grow faster in services."

Quest Software has proven to have a strong set of offerings for the MSP community, with reliable products that are easy to implement, said Joel Anacker, owner of Javis Industries, a Madison, Wis.-based MSP and Quest channel partner.

That includes Quest Rapid Recovery, which is part of Javis Industries' standard services packages, Anacker told CRN.

However, until recently, it was challenging to get the Quest Rapid Recovery offering with a smaller number of licenses, Anacker said.

"It seemed designed for larger organizations looking at about 200 licenses," he said. "But we may order five licenses. We felt like the square peg in the round hole. But we've seen real change and real gains recently from Quest."

The formal MSP program from Quest Software is still new, but it seems to be the right addition to what Quest is doing for MSPs, Anacker said.

"It's very applicable for what we do," he said. "I'm excited to see how this plays out. I really appreciate Quest's new MSP focus."

Quest Software currently has nearly 400 active MSP partners across the U.S. and Canada, and is expecting over 10 percent of its license sales to be from subscription licenses, O'Boyle said.

"We recognize the channel landscape is pretty broad," he said. "No two partners have the same size or business goals. We talk to partners in all stages, including those who are 100 percent services-focused, those who are just dipping their toes in services, and anywhere in between."