Panda Makes Channel-Only Commitment

Security vendor Panda Software said today it plans to move 100 percent of its U.S. sales through the channel by year’s end, in an effort to maintain its sales-growth momentum.

Panda Software International SL is working to build a network of certified VARs in major cities across the United States, said Louis DaRe, the company’s U.S. executive vice president of operations.

To that end, the company has turned its sales division into a channel-support organization and is offering resellers and system builders incentives, tools and resources to increase sales.

“Our corporate sales team is now dedicated to helping partners achieve their sales goals,” DaRe said.

Panda’s channel-only sales model will include sales rewards for OEM, retail and volume licensing, as well as rebates for channel partners that close sales to new customers.

Managed e-mail security providers woo VARs. Click here to read more.

The company is providing pre-sales technical support by phone, e-mail and, when necessary, at customer sites. Post-sales support is available by phone for corporate end users, the company said.

Partners seeking online access to marketing and sales tools can do so by logging on to the Panda U.S. Business Portal.

Training is also available online, as well as on-site, the company said.

Panda Channel Partners will have access to the vendor’s full range of products, including TruPrevent Personal 2005, which finds and blocks viruses; Titanium Antivirus 2005, an anti-virus, firewall and anti-spam solution; TruPrevent Corporate, which preempts the actions of unknown viruses; and BusinesSecure, which protects workstations and file servers.

DaRe said Panda’s sales have more than doubled in the past year and the company wants to keep up the momentum by moving all its sales through the channel.

Read details here about managed-services security through VARs.

“We have very compelling messages for the channel as to why Panda is the best security solution they can offer,” DaRe said. “This new initiative will give us the opportunity to accelerate that dialogue, and show the depth and breadth of our channel commitment.”