Kaspersky Updates Channel Program, Wants New Partners

Kaspersky Lab has launched a new global partner program, Kaspersky United, designed to attract new types of partners and create conditions in which all of its partners can earn money by working with the company.

Kaspersky Lab’s Maxim Frolov

The new partner program will provide an opportunity for partners to develop “in-depth knowledge” in specific products to offer customers specialized IT security solutions and services, the company said. Kaspersky Lab encourages its partners to earn certifications to master techniques that can enhance their ability to best sell the company’s products.

Maxim Frolov, managing director of Kaspersky Lab North America, tells us a unified, global program makes the core set of tools, services and incentives available for any partner in any country, meaning that “all of our partners – regardless of where they do business around the world – can now benefit.”

“Kaspersky Lab’s portfolio is developing according to the different cybersecurity needs of customers of any industry and company size,” he said. “It contains products beyond endpoint protection such as solutions for anti-targeted attacks, fraud prevention [and] industrial security; therefore, the program is evolving accordingly to give our partners knowledge and tools so that they can adopt customers’ products and the expertise they seek.”

Frolov said the program includes the following:

• Clear structure and easy access for new partners.
• Profitability through discounts, special prices for big deals, and deal protection through registration and support from the Kaspersky Lab team.
• Transparency of monetary benefits, with each partner having a clear understanding of how much they have earned by the end of the year. Calculations will be available online on the partner portal.
• Technical expertise that partners receive through training, courses and events.

There are new topics for online and in-class technical training courses, hands-on workshops for pre-sales across all regions, as well as global partner events, such as the Kaspersky Enterprise Partner Summit.

“There is also an extended system of monetary benefits that includes marketing funding and an upgraded rebate system that brings additional revenue,” Frolov said.

Partners will be able to focus on particular offerings, such as hybrid cloud security, threat management and defense, or fraud prevention, or particular services, such as managed service provider, managed detection and response provider, or authorized training center.

“Kaspersky has once again shown that they are well connected with their partners and continue to lead and evolve in all the right areas,” said Michael Knight, president and chief technology officer of Encore Technology Group, a Kaspersky Lab North America partner. “Not only does Kaspersky continue to deliver top-quality cybersecurity solutions but also, the updates to their partner program will allow us to specialize in the areas that makes the most sense for our business now and continue to evolve with Kaspersky as our business changes. Kaspersky is definitely making the right moves in enabling and committing the company’s best resources to their most committed partners.”