Beyond Security: TD Synnex Unveils MSP Evolve Program

Channel Futures: Beyond Security is also geared toward resellers. What's the latest in terms of their needs and how is TD Synnex helping with those?

Jessica McDowell: I think the latest in terms of their needs is the same, but more of it. The marketplace across not only security, but also cloud and AI infrastructure, is evolving daily. And so our job is to help keep partners ahead of that. Where we're seeing a lot of partners be very successful is where they're taking and growing their businesses around cloud, around AI and around security. We're really helping enable them with all of those things. When we talk about needs, it's enablement. How do I get up to speed on the latest AI trends? How is AI going to impact my business? How do I sell it? How do I monetize it? How do I function in the cloud marketplaces? Where does security fit? So I think that's the need. It's helping our partners stay ahead of the market and making sure that we're enabling them to sell the latest solutions that are out there.

CF: What’s the latest in terms of partner enablement?

JM: I love that question because that's really how we built our business over the last several years, meeting partners where they are. We've got many, many things. We've got custom enablement programs that are vendor-specific, but we also have our Practice Builder, which is actually encompassed within the Center of Excellence (COE). The Practice Builder meets the partners where they are, whether they are on day one ("I want to start selling security"), or whether they've been selling security for decades and they just want some help making sure that they're up to date on everything. That's the latest and greatest in the market. That's what our Practice Builder does. It's very consultative, very handholding and it helps partners expand no matter where they are in the process.

CF: Is cybersecurity the fastest area of TD Synnex’s growth?

JM: Yes, cybersecurity is part of our high-growth technologies, which, as the name suggests, are the higher-growing technologies in the market. And I would say cybersecurity remains on a trend there for us. Then, how are partners contributing to that growth? I think they're leveraging us for not only the enablement that we provide, but they're also attaching their own services, and they're also leveraging us for new vendors that we bring to market. So we've got an entire team, an entire focus on inspecting and investigating the up and comers in security. And then we have a program where we bring those vendors on board, we launch them and we provide enablement around some of those new emerging technologies as well.

CF: Obviously AI and cybersecurity [together] is a hot topic. Can you elaborate more on how TD Synnex is enabling partners with AI and cybersecurity?

JM: That was one of the entire reasons why we created the Destination AI program and deliverable. And that's exactly what it does. Partners come in and they say, "I don't know where to start" or "I'm hearing this; is it true? Can you help me validate it?" So that's what our Destination AI program does. It really helps them expand their AI practice across the board. And to your point, security is a huge driver of that because AI is both an accelerator and a risk. In the security space, it's going to help a lot of these security processes and procedures, and protocols to run better because we're going to have a little bit more on the predictive analytics side. But it also helps the attackers do a better job on their end. AI is very much the tip of the spear right now. It's going to become an even bigger driver in the security space, both good and bad. So we're going to be able to help partners take advantage of that.

CF: Are there partners that aren’t making full use of TD Synnex, so Beyond Security is a good reminder of everything TD Synnex has to offer?

JM: I think that's exactly it. We've got a lot of partners that are very skilled in cloud and how to operate within the marketplaces. We have really strong MSP partners. We have strong partners that have built businesses around security. We've got partners that are ahead on AI. And I think what we're aiming to do with this conference is teach all of those partners how they can cross-pollinate and sell more across a lot of these high-growth technologies. The partners that are successful are the ones that are grasping it all and working on enabling their businesses around the convergence of these technologies, which is what we're seeing daily in the marketplace.

CF: What do you hope partners can take with them from Beyond Security and make use of back home in their businesses?

JM: Leveraging us for the services that we provide is the biggest thing I want partners to be able to do after leaving Beyond Security. I want them to have something tangible that they can say, "OK, I can go do this tomorrow with TD Synnex. I can go enroll in Practice Builder. I can go start leveraging the security and network assessments that TD Synnex offers. I can leverage the Cyber Range for an end-user event." We really want them to walk away with something tangible and tactical that they can execute on tomorrow.

CF: What do you hope partners can take with them from Beyond Security and make use of back home in their businesses?

JM: Leveraging us for the services that we provide is the biggest thing I want partners to be able to do after leaving Beyond Security. I want them to have something tangible that they can say, "OK, I can go do this tomorrow with TD Synnex. I can go enroll in Practice Builder. I can go start leveraging the security and network assessments that TD Synnex offers. I can leverage the Cyber Range for an end-user event." We really want them to walk away with something tangible and tactical that they can execute on tomorrow.