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Websense has plans to enhance its channel base in the India. While earlier
the company was working with a set of 100 channel partners, this year they
intend to double the number.
Refusing that Websense is keeping a low profile in the Indian market, Timothy
Lee, VP, APAC, Websense Inc said, “When we started our operations, we wanted to
partner with those people who would understand the product and then sell it. We
are constantly educating partners, as not many are aware of Internet security.
This is a perimeter-centric security market and things are slowly changing.”
Lee added that since last october, Websense had increased its product line
and got into messaging and data security market through an acquisition. “From a
one product offering company, we now have different products to offer. This
requires more partrners. Each partner need not sell all our products, so we
expect our partners to have specific skill sets. That is why our focus is on
improving the quality of partners rather than increasing the quantity,” Lee
explained.
Lee further opined that the growing technologies such as Web 2.0 are a major
threat for data and there is ample space for Websense in that area to cater to.
On the other India specific plans, he said, “We are launching a new channel
partner program, designed to provide additional support and to double the
channel community and grow further.” In the channel startaification program
Websense will demote partners to a lower grade if they fail to perform. “Based
on their revenue targets, we classify them into Gold, Platinum and Silver.
Depending on their competency level we do quarterly reviews to estimate their
performance. We have an option called Fast Track, where a Silver partner can be
promoted to Platinum level based on their performance, and the reverse can also
happen,” Lee informed.
However, he denied that this program could demotivate partners. “We want to
work with those partners who are focused in business. It is still a motivation
process, where according to their performance, they would be rewarded. There has
to be some amount of scope for both of us in business and we will reward them
for their performance. They inturn have to meet our expectations. This will also
inculcate more responsiblities in the partner,” he clarified.
Websense has a 24-hour security lab, which checks threats continuously. They
claim to mind around 600 million websites per week and check their malicious
nature. According to Lee, India is one of the fastest growing markets in the
APAC region. “Last year we grew around 100 percent. With our essential
information protection strategy, we want to address multiple needs like data
security, messaging security and also the special products addressing the SMB
market. India is the perfect market for addressing all these products,” Lee
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