Content security appliances specialist Barracuda Networks has enhanced its EMEA channel partner programme.

The wide range of updates includes a deal registration for increased sales protection and a tiered reseller plan to reward successful partners and aid partner recruitment.

Michael Hughes, VP Channels at Barracuda, explained that this strategy had long-been considered but that the company was careful in how it was rolled out. "We've been considering them [these changes] for three years. But we are making the changes now, rolling it out softly. We're rolling it out with some flexibility for our resellers and distributors so that they can go through the changes without impacting the business."

As part of the enhancements, Barracuda Networks has also restructured its reseller base into three levels - Diamond, Platinum and Authorized. Benefits include rapid replacement, teaming agreements, customized support, sales support in the form of qualified leads as well as the opportunity to sell premium support and more depending on partner level.

"Everyone will want to be in diamond because you get the most discount, and you get the most leads," said Hughes, who highlights the 30% discounts, including deal registration discount of up to 10% on offer. "To do that they must have gone through the training required, a lot of it is online, and then at the diamond level there will be an on site class people will have gone through. The other piece for diamond and platinum is a revenue target."

As well as this, partners in Europe will, for the first time, be able to take advantage of online deal registration to record deals early on and prevent the customer opportunity from becoming available to other channel partners. Hughes is aware of how a reseller could lose out if a third party comes in and offers a lower price, and considers it a vital part of the changes.

"It doesn't help anybody. It lowers the street price, which from a barracuda perspective, our prices are a fraction of what our competititors are priced. No user fees, set prices low, get customer value. They're not designed to be discounted. We wanted to maintain that street price, and allow some margin into the channel. If you go and sell something you have up to 10 points of margin protection."

www.barracudanetworks.com