Nowadays, cybersecurity has become a paramount concern for organizations of all sizes and industries. As cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and sophistication, businesses are increasingly turning to cybersecurity vendors for innovative solutions to safeguard their sensitive data. However, in the ever-changing world of cybersecurity, no single vendor can tackle these challenges alone. That's where strategic partnerships come into play. Following its recent Global Partner Conference in Budapest, Kaspersky unveils insights into partnerships in cybersecurity from the partners themselves.
Insight #1: Strategic partnerships in cybersecurity benefit all parties involved, vendors, partners, and customers.
Cybersecurity partners play a crucial role in the cybersecurity ecosystem. By partnering, global vendors have the opportunity to share their expertise, educate clients on cyber hygiene, and protect their businesses worldwide. Thus, customers in all corners of the world can leverage vendors’ expertise and resources through their partner networks to enhance their cybersecurity posture and better protect against evolving threats.
When it comes to the benefits for partners, it’s better for the partners themselves to explain. In April, the Global Partner Conference was held in Budapest, Hungary, and was attended by 100 of Kaspersky’s partners from more than 40 countries. During the conference, an awards ceremony for partners took place. This is what Sebastián Rebollar, CEO at Quick Supplies in Argentina, awarded “Partner of the Year” had to say:
“For us, the key to a successful partnership lies in close collaboration and alignment with the vendor's market strategy. Understanding the vendor's objectives enables us to take precise and effective action, fostering successful business development. Kaspersky's program empowers us to enhance knowledge levels in both our IT and sales teams, leading to more informed proposals for cybersecurity solutions.”
Carlos Araújo López, CIO & CISO at Grupo Sermicro in Spain, awarded “MSP Partner of the Year” at the conference, added:
“Kaspersky's partner program is a true win-win proposition, providing us with the best technology and comprehensive support to generate business. Sermicro receives resources and training to effectively engage with customers, educate them about cybersecurity threats, and promote Kaspersky's solutions. Both Sermicro and Kaspersky recognize the importance of transparency in managing the opportunities that arise from new projects. This transparency fosters trust, open communication, and aligned goals, ensuring that both parties work together effectively to achieve success.”
Insight #2: A tailored approach to each partner is essential for successful cooperation.
Resellers, distributors, system integrators, VARs, MSPs, MSSPs and other partners serve as trusted advisors and valuable allies in the fight against cyber threats. When the number of partners grows, the complex partnership structure requires a more tailored approach covering the needs and expectations of each type of partner. Hence, every global cybersecurity vendor should consider molding their partner programs to fit partners’ business models. For example, Kaspersky made an update like this in its United partner program at the beginning of 2024. With this improvement, four separate business model focused streams became available for those selling, deploying, and providing managed services, or building solutions with the vendor’s products.
Support and strategy specialized for regional features are also a contribution to a comprehensive tailored approach. Every decision-maker knows: if you maintain a global presence for your company, you must always customize its business strategy for every region according to local needs and situations.
“When adopting cybersecurity technology to our portfolio, we don’t just consider the vendor's brand image and competitive product pricing, but we also look at local manufacturer support. Having a local presence for the manufacturer ensures prompt and effective support in case there are any issues or technical queries.” said Carlos Araújo López, CIO & CISO at Grupo Sermicro. “Additionally, direct communication with international product managers allows us to convey market needs and feedback first-hand, ensuring that the technology evolves to meet the demands of our customers and effectively addresses their specific security challenges and requirements. In summary, we prioritize Kaspersky as it combines all the parameters we need in a cybersecurity partnership”
Insight#3: Support and involvement are crucial for successful partnerships.
Powerful sales, marketing, and technical support are incredibly important in every cybersecurity partnership. Extensive partner support provided by the vendor ensures that partners have all the resources they need to succeed.
Carlos Araújo López, CIO & CISO at Grupo Sermicro commented: “We feel 100% supported by Kaspersky in all our efforts to introduce the technology to our customers. Sermicro has access to marketing funds, technical expertise, sales enablement, marketing resources and support to reach a wider audience. Semicro appreciates Kaspersky’s unwavering support in their endeavors to present the technology to their customers.”
Sebastián Rebollar, CEO at Quick Supplies added “Kaspersky’s support at events and demand generation has significantly improved our lead conversion rates. Collaboration with Kaspersky has been crucial in the success of our recent projects, highlighting the exceptional coordination between management, sales, and technical teams. We are honored to be awarded Partner of the Year by Kaspersky. This award crowns a great joint effort in a complex year for our country which resulted our ability to sell and implement one of the largest projects within one of the most important entities of the Argentine government."
In conclusion, Inna Nazarova, Head of Channel at Kaspersky said: “At Kaspersky, we recognize the invaluable contributions that our partners have made when helping organizations navigate the complex cybersecurity landscape. Through our Kaspersky United partner program, we empower partners with extensive training, marketing support, co-selling opportunities and cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions.” She added: “Leveraging our partners' expertise and global reach, customers can be sure that our top products such as our newest Kaspersky Next product line and SD-WAN, as well as a wide range of services are available to them in every corner of the world, with localized support in their time zones and native languages. Together with our partners, we are committed to delivering unparalleled cybersecurity protection and helping organizations stay one step ahead of cyberthreats.”
As we look ahead to the future of cybersecurity, one thing is clear: partnerships, innovation, and sustainability will continue to drive progress in the industry. By working together, cybersecurity vendors, their partners, and customers can build a safer, more secure digital world for all.
