Dell Buys Credant for Data Protection, Encryption Tools

dell channel chief greg davis

First, some background: This is the latest in a growing list of Dell acquisitions, which includes recent targets like Quest Software, Wyse Technologies and SonicWall. Michael Dell told The VAR Guy in October 2012 that Dell doesn’t have a specific acquisition strategy. Rather, Dell is deciding whether to build or buy technologies to round out the company’s portfolio of data center, networking, storage, security and cloud solutions.

Speed Dialing Greg Davis

Michael Dell typically loops in Davis as an M&A deal nears announcement, allowing Davis to identify potential channel synergies between Dell’s PartnerDirect partner program and the acquired company’s channel initiatives.

Credant has a channel partner program, apparently led by Senior VP of Marketing Shimkus and VP of Channel & Alliance Sales Jalaba. The VAR Guy doesn’t know what percentage of Credant’s sales flow through the channel but it’s a safe bet Davis will take a “do no harm” approach for the next few months.

During recent buyouts of Quest Software, Wyse Technologies and F10 Networks, Davis’s top priority was to keep existing partner programs humming along even as he slowly began to connect the dots to the broader Dell PartnerDirect strategy.

So what can Dell’s existing partners expect from Credant? According to a prepared Dell statement:

Dell is pointing partners to the bigger-picture story, which involves a growing portfolio of security solutions.

The VAR Guy look forward to Davis’s two cents on this deal.