Survey: Alternative Vendors Offer Cutting-Edge Benefits - Drawbacks and Support
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While SonicWall serves as an example of the positive impact an alternative
technology can have in the channel, such alternatives are also subject to the
same shortcomings that make VARs think twice about adding to their lineups.
With SonicWall branching out from its UTM roots to compete with the likes of
Cisco and Juniper, customers like Bahl fear the vendor's core competency could
be diluted. Also, too much cutting-edge technology in an area such as security
can be a bad thing, Bahl adds.
"[SonicWall's] wireless security solution is so secure it's often
cumbersome—we have to often back off of their recommended best practices just
to make sure that an end customer has constant connectivity," he says.
Bahl says SonicWall often comes up short in important areas such as sales
and marketing support, and its continuing direct-sales efforts remain a concern
for partners.
"It's really frustrating when my customers can go to CDW and get a
SonicWall device for less than I pay through distribution," says Bahl, who
sources SonicWall through Securematics, a networking security products
distributor that works with SonicWall, Juniper and others. Bahl says while he
is able to call SonicWall directly if he has pricing questions or technical issues,
for the most part he contacts the vendor through Securematics.
"IBM, the giant of them all, does
more for me as far as sales and marketing than SonicWall, honestly," Bahl
says. "I ask for help and [SonicWall] gives it, but I've never gotten
leads, MDFs or assistance in generating new business."
But not all VARs agree that bigger is better when it comes to support. Mark
Perez, co-founder and managing partner of TechMD, says when it comes to taking
care of reseller partners, smaller vendors win, hands down. Perez's vendor of
choice, MX Logic, is a small e-mail and network security provider that competes
with Google/Postini.
Perez says while price is certainly an issue, it's not the deciding factor
when choosing which vendor to work with. For example, MXLogic's security
offerings compete with Google's cheaper Powered by Postini solutions, but Perez
says working with MX Logic provides a host of other benefits.
"VARs themselves are small companies giving very high-touch, customized
service to customers, and they can't do that unless they are working with
vendors who do the same," Perez says.
For that high-touch, personalized service, Perez says
the extra dollar or so he pays MX Logic per mailbox is worth it. "We end
up making more money in the long run because our customers are happier with the
services, and they stick with us," he says.
Computer Networking 
