Bruce Nixon (CyberArk)
CyberArk has launched a new global channel partner program in an effort to put more emphasis on technical competency over simply revenue.
The Israel-founded privileged account management vendor previously had a regional-specific program in Australia and New Zealand, which had revenue-based tiers.
However, as part of a global consolidation, all partners will now be subject to a technical competency tiering system across Authorised, Certified and Advanced — or the “level that best matches their business model”.
According to A/NZ channel manager Bruce Nixon, the revamp marks a “big change” for the vendor, which has 20 Australian partners and five in New Zealand.
“There were competency-based metrics previously, but revenue was the principal driver,” he explained to ARN. “In the new program, competency across sales, pre-sales, delivery and support is now central to the tiering of partners.”
To help prepare partners for the new structure, CyberArk launched new training modules to certify salespeople and engineers.
The vendor will also offer access to new marketing tools and programs in order to “build demand and differentiation”. In Australia specifically, the company hired a dedicated partner success engineer to help drive enablement locally.
Nixon first joined CyberArk from FieldAware in 2016. The company currently employs roughly 20 people, spread across offices in Sydney and Melbourne, plus Canberra where it has a “full-time presence”.
Alongside its channel partners, the company also works with the distributor M.Tech Products as its local distributor, plus several global advisory firms and system integrators.
“CyberArk has made a commitment to a best-in-class global partner program that allows partners the flexibility and scalability to capitalise on emerging market trends and the expertise to deliver new privileged access security solutions that drive undisputed customer value,” said Marianne Budnik, CyberArk CMO.
“By investing in building greater partner competency across all stages of customer engagement, we are seeing real impact on partners’ ability to better sell, implement new programs and maximise business opportunities.”
