FastChat Video: Kaspersky Lab’s Nancy Reynolds
Visit Kaspersky Lab’s web site and you’ll notice the top header reads “Home Computer Security.” The VAR Guy expects that to change under Nancy Reynolds, Kaspersky’s new senior VP of corporate sales. Reynolds, a well-known channel veteran, left Dell and joined Kaspersky (the fast-growing anti-virus specialist) earlier this week. In this FastChat video, Reynolds offers some thoughts on where she plans to take Kaspersky’s channel program…
Listen closely and you’ll hear Reynolds say Kaspersky is preparing a managed services strategy. But The VAR Guy wonders: How quickly can Reynolds — a Trend Micro veteran — reconnect with security industry channel partners, especially as Kaspersky prepares to compete more aggressively against entrenched rivals (Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro) and upstarts (Panda Security and Sophos).
FastChat Video
Here’s the conversation with Reynolds:
The video covers:
0:00: Intro
0:10: What attracted Reynolds to Kaspersky Lab?
0:29: What makes Kaspersky Lab unique?
0:48: What’s the state of Kaspersky Lab’s North American partner program?
1:20: Reynolds’ priorities for her first 100 days on the job
1:34: The Kaspersky Lab Partner Conference
1:45: Pushing from consumer into the SMB and enterprise space
2:05: Reynolds’ channel experience
2:28: The upcoming managed services strategy
2:56: Conclusion
Next Moves
Only two days on the job, Reynolds is prepping for Kaspersky’s partner conference, which runs Feb. 11-14, 2010 in the Dominican Republic. The VAR Guy plans to attend. If everything goes as planned he’ll put down his pina colada long enough to blog some more about Reynolds’ channel plans.
Let’s be honest. Kaspersky is not going to dent the incumbent security providers because of a new channel hire. Nor is a MSP offering going to divert big dollars away from the entrenched. Kaspersky is a Russian software company with some loyal (but small, very small) US channel partners.
Brian: Thanks for weighing in. The VAR Guy has learned never to underestimate hungry software companies that want to move into new markets. Kaspersky’s ongoing growth isn’t guaranteed. And Reynolds is still be getting up to speed within the company… But our resident blogger will be watching to see how this story plays out.
By the way: Are you a solution provider? IT manager? Kaspersky rival? The VAR Guy always pushes readers to disclose a bit about their background.
-TVG