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AVG’s VP of global channel sales, Francois Daumard, reveals why its new business software is so effective at generating income for its partners, and how it’s helping families and businesses protect their IoT devices.
Tell us about AVG Business
AVG Business was launched as a formal entity during the spring. Six months in, offering integrated security and mobile device management as a means of simplifying and protecting businesses, AVG is uniquely positioned as the only vendor in the channel that stands as a recognised security company as well as a core remote monitoring and management (RMM) organisation.
There have been some recent product launches…
It’s been a busy few months for AVG Business. We have recently launched the 2016 Business Edition software suite which, in short, is an incredibly effective way of generating income for partners whose customers are not ready to have their security administered from the cloud.
Our ground level research has revealed there are many SMB customers that still want an ‘on premise’ solution for security and we have just that. The business software suite is rich in new features, providing enterprise scale security to channel partners and SMBs in the frontline defence against online threats.
As well as this, we have just launched AVG Business Managed Workplace 9.2, the latest version of its fully integrated remote monitoring and management and premium remote control platform.
The solution provides a number of new features, including a specific tool for all Remote Control needs across Windows and Mac devices. Managed Workplace 9.2 is a premium solution for channel partners as it removes the need to contract with multiple vendors.
It’s a stepping-stone towards our vision to deliver to the channel a single platform – the ‘Swiss Army knife’ all MSPs are really in need of.
Do you offer security for smart home, IoT or wearable products?
With digital lives becoming increasingly complex within the connected world we live in, we are very aware that security is about protecting people as well as devices and data. We recognise the complexities of managing work and personal devices and will be introducing AVG Zen in order to put people first and deliver simpler ways to keep work and personal devices up to date and running smoothly.
AVG Zen will basically provide a single platform that connects all your devices, no matter what the platform, to help keep track of the security and privacy settings of all your connected gadgets. AVG Zen is designed to be an open ecosystem for third party apps and services (such as wearables) from industry partners that will be provided to customers from one secure place.
So this is a consumer platform?
Yes, it been designed with families’ needs in mind. However, the way families are now managing multiple devices from various locations is actually very similar to how small businesses map out their device management workflows. We’re beginning to see small businesses working in a similar way to the family unit and vice versa.
In the future, AVG Zen could work in the same way across both the consumer and business worlds and be of value to our channel partners’ SMB end users.
Do you have any partner programmes or portals?
We see our traditional channel of VARs and resellers continuing to grow their services, either as part of the percentage of their company revenue, coming from pre-sales and post-sales services or in a move away from a break-fix model. The channel has been very loyal to AVG, particularly in the UK, and VARs and resellers love the fact we are constantly diversifying and allowing them to gravitate in a new direction.
AVG Business tools and products are helping these organisations make the transition into a MSP model. For example, we have developed comprehensive partner toolkits to help partners market the new product suite effectively to their end users and act as a strong sales channel and ambassador of the AVG Business brand. Our new on-boarding services and Accelerator Partner Academy training series are other examples of the continued support we are providing.
What is coming in the next year or so?
Looking to the future, we are focused on building continual value for our channel partners. Partners have a choice when it comes to vendors they do business with and this choice is never merely a technological one. Looking back over the history of the channel, it’s littered with organisations that may have had a great product but failed as they simply did not know how to engage with channel partners.
Heading into 2016, we will continue to reinforce our reputation as a company that is very easy to do business with, has local teams dedicated to partners and offers good margins. AVG Business has the four ‘P’s that matter within the channel: product, price, place and people. We have a product roadmap that is constantly being updated based on partner’s feedback and also work hard to place insights gained from third parties, such as technology alliances, at the centrepiece of our plans.
Central to our expanded security strategy is our on-going commitment to our channel partners and our focus on providing them the technology, tools and best practices to monetise their products, grow revenue, and support their SMB clients.
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