Websense goes back to distribution

Security vendor Websense has done a backflip on its channel strategy in Australia, re-appointing Alstom IT as a sole distributor three months after dumping the distributor in favour of dealing direct with resellers.

In April, Websense stopped using Alstom due to its desire to increase sales by having more contact with its reseller base, Graham Connolly, Websense’s Australia and New Zealand country manager said at the time.

However, Alstom IT has been reinstated the sole distributor of Websense’s web filtering and web security software in Australia.

Greg Newham, general manager of distribution at Alstom IT, said both parties were motivated to re-instigate the relationship.

“Maybe it’s not as easy as they first anticipated [dropped distribution]. Sometimes you need to break up with somebody [before] you know how good it was,” he said.

“We were a bit surprised to have lost it [the contract] in the first place,” he said.

The companies had big plans for the Websense products in Australia, he said. Websense had been a good business for the distributor in the past and it would soon add staff dedicated to the product and support it from a renewal and training perspective, Newham said.

Speaking to CRN, Websense’s US-based president Curt Staker, said he travelled to Australia in June and met with Alstom boss Laurie Sellers.

They discussed the history of the relationship, what was going well and what was not going so well, Staker said.

“There was a tremendous exchange of information and the expectations of both organisations are much better understood at this point in time,” Staker said.

Websense as a result, realised it could take advantage of Alstom’s marketing capabilities and the high level of security training it provides to the reseller channel, he said.

Staker said there was a big market opportunity in Australia for Websense’s products due to the low level of awareness about the security solutions that are on offer here.

Websense recently released Web Security Suites, internet filtering and security software that Alstom would sell to its reseller base. Offered in two versions, the Web Security Suite and Web Security Suite Lockdown Edition, complement existing anti-virus and network security infrastructure to protect against security breaches and malicious code outbreaks, Websense said.