SonicWALL launches 'Managed Services channel program

SonicWALL has extended the 'Managed Services Program (MSP)' to its Indian channel as well. The program is intended to give SonicWALL partners a new framework for providing outsourced security services and solutions featuring SonicWALL products and software to organizations of all sizes.

Elaborating on the program, Shubhomoy Biswas, Country Manager, SonicWALL India, said, “After having successfully run the program across the UK, US, Australia and many other countries, we decided to launch it here. It is an essential outsourced service approach, where we partner with systems integrators to manage the entire security set up of our customers. This includes their firewalls, gateway antivirus, content filtering etc, by creating a NOC - which essentially means that the SI would install and mange the customer's security set up.”

Indicating that the program has been targeted at SMB customers, across the country, Shubhomoy said, “Our research shows that the SMB sector is a rapidly growing one. Typically SMBs tend to have little or no IT support though many have multiple branch offices with many remote users. Given their fast pace of growth and hence growing volumes of digital content, they would need solutions like Unified Threat Management or UTM, which provide a comprehensive and secure way of dealing with cyber threats.”

SonicWALL can provide these technologies and services to them and also manage the entire set up for the customer. This way the customer can save on the number of people needed to manage and administer his security set up, saving both time and cost. Shubhomoy also indicated that the company is in conversation with a number of partners in order to sign them up for providing the service to the customer.

Stressing that SonicWALL has a specific selection criteria in choosing new MSP partners, Shubhomoy said, “Currently, we are looking to sign up partners who are already present in the security space and have the required technical and marketing skills to take the initiative forward. In addition we need them to have an urge to become service providers, understand customer needs and be prepared to grow.” 

The customer feedback thus far has been very positive according to Shubhomoy who indicated that SonicWall would provide its partners all the necessary help as regards partner training, sales and after sales support during this endeavor.