SBL Data Teams Up with WatchGuard to Drive Greater Adoption of the Endpoint Security Portfolio with Multiple Customers
Challenge
Adaptive Defense 360 – now part of the WatchGuard Endpoint Security product family – is currently in use at approximately three thousand of the four thousand customers supported by SBL Data. A success like this didn’t just happen to the company overnight. Many businesses, especially the smaller ones, fail to acknowledge the essential importance of what, to them, is just an “antivirus solution.”
"They need to see it to believe it. And they only come around when they are actually faced with the consequences of a ransomware attack, by malware like CryptoLocker for instance, causing them to not being able to work anymore and losing revenue,” says Tore Gustafsson, co-owner of SBL Data, which is now part of Qlosr Group.
“We have in fact stopped using the term ‘antivirus’,” says Gustafsson, “referring to the concept as ‘endpoint protection’ instead. We want to make people understand that Adaptive Defense 360 is so much more than just antivirus,” SBL Data’s co-owner continues. “Using another term [endpoint security] for it gives us the chance to discuss the product in greater detail and to point out the system’s capabilities beyond the realm of pure antivirus functionality, like web filtering and protection against zero-day attacks.”
Selling Panda Data Control, Panda Patch Management and Panda Systems Management is the logical next step for SBL Data, as these modules serve as a valuable addition to Adaptive Defense 360. Panda Data Control helps organizations in establishing compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by offering improved insight in the presence of privacy-sensitive data within their business infrastructure, while Panda Patch Management assists in quickly repairing vulnerabilities in operating systems and third-party applications.
Panda Systems Management is an essential tool that simplifies Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) of an organization’s devices, whether they are in the office or remote.
Solution
According to Benny Jonasson, the WatchGuard Account Manager, this is a unique model of cooperation. “We were already in the habit of directly approaching the customer in tandem with our partner, but this is far from common practice in our general market. Our competitors hardly ever talk to their customers. They operate a distribution channel and that is pretty much it. Whereas direct interaction does add a great deal of value, not only to the customer, but to the partner and the supplier as well. And it is also a signal to the customer. It tells them that they matter to you.”
Gustafsson calls it a win-win situation. “With every meeting, we learn from Jonasson and his team. The help they are giving to us allows us to help our customers faster and with better results.” Since the start of this cooperation, the number of licenses sold for Panda Data Control and Panda Patch Management has sharply risen. What the customers “win” is that, as a result of the special attention given to them, they are getting a solution that is optimally aligned to their specific conditions, while also being assured of always having access to the latest product information.”
Results
The success of SBL Data is proof of the practical value of teaming up with businesses who cater to the end customer. WatchGuard is all for extending this model of cooperation to partnerships with (a select number of) other businesses, boosting overall sales in the process.
Jonasson's team has already completed demos for five SBL Data customers. “We obviously do this in close cooperation with SBL Data”, Jonasson emphasizes. “This way, the partner himself is also trained in the complex subject matter of data control, learning how to sell and implement the associated module.”