The Channel Futures Podcast: The Story Behind AppRiver’s Success and Growing Ambitions

Written by doylet
January 3, 2018

2018 company goals include launching plans to double sales, expand globally and add 1,500 new partners

If you sold cybersecurity solutions, cloud innovations or Office 365 services last year, then chances are you had a pretty good 2017. If you sold all three, then you likely had a very good year. And if you did all three and received an infusion of capital from a top equity partner, then you have an idea of the kind of year that AppRiver enjoyed.

If you’re not familiar, AppRiver “offers a comprehensive suite of security products, including advanced spam and virus filtering, web malware protection, email encryption, secure archiving and email continuity services.” That’s the company line. More to the point, AppRiver provides cybersecurity and office productivity solutions for businesses of all sizes.

Headquartered in Gulf Breeze, Fla., AppRiver operated as a bootstrapped, self-funded company since its founding in 2002. Though it has enjoyed solid growth every year since its inception, company management decided to accept a majority investment from Marlin Equity Partners in October 2017. The infusion of cash will fund anticipated acquisitions of new companies and/or technologies, which CEO Michael Murdoch (pictured below) refers to as “tuck-ins.”

Tuck-ins will help AppRiver, which did roughly $80 million in sales last year, reach its true potential, Murdoch believes. With some select buys and continued organic growth, Murdoch believes AppRiver could soon double its sales.

Today, AppRiver generates 75 percent of its business through its 3,500 partners. Its 2018 goal is to add between 1,000-1,500 partners worldwide.

Many will be drawn to the “Nautical” platform, which AppRiver launched last year. It helps partners more easily sell AppRiver solutions to their customers. In addition to partner recruitment, AppRiver also hopes to increase its international sales and, as always, provide superb customer service.

In this podcast Murdoch, who founded the company along with Chief Technologist Joel Smith, explains how. Among other things, he details the position AppRiver occupies in the market, the opportunities it has before it and the culture he has fostered.