Centrify Formalizes Partner Program For Identity Management

Centrify formalized its channel program to attract more solution providers to sell its data center, mobility and SaaS-based identity management portfolio for authentication and single sign-on.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company launched the Centrify Channel Partner Network, a three-tiered program that includes an authorized tier for entry-level resellers, a Select level for solution providers that get training and certification, and a Premier level for solution providers that commit to a business and marketing plan. Select participants will receive co-branded marketing material, discounts and access to leads.

Centrify also redesigned its partner-facing website, providing easier access to formal sales and technical documentation.

Although the company has had a direct sales model for about a decade, the growth strategy is transitioning to being 100 percent channel, said Nathan Adams, a former Blue Coat executive who leads Centrify's North American channels. The company will have some legacy house accounts with clients that have current contracts in place, he said.

[Related: Channel Sees Identity Management Market In Flux ]

"We are committed to working and driving a positive sales cycle in the channel," Adams told CRN. "Our focus moving forward is flipping 180 degrees to drive our sales and business with partners."

Both Select- and Premier-level partners receive access to marketing funds, demo software and sales leads. They must have a minimum of two certified sales and two technical engineers. Select partners commit to three deals per quarter. Premier-level partners are required to maintain a minimum of six deal registrations per quarter and undergo a business review.

The company's Select and Premier level training is broken down into technical areas. Training focuses on data center-centric solution providers, as well as mobile and SaaS identity management. Centrify's roots are in the data center, bridging the gap between Access Directory and Linux and Unix server environments. The company has added a mobile and cloud platform to support Android devices, Apple iOS and Mac environments.

Centrify embraces solution providers with strong technical acumen, looking beyond those that only provide a catalog supply of technology, said Justin Hall, director of business development at Norcross, Ga.-based solution provider Corus360. Corus360 has focused on emerging technologies for clients in manufacturing and high tech, Hall said, and has been looking for vendors to help bring the company beyond traditional data center deployments.

Corus360 has a strong managed services arm, with hosting, backup and archiving-as-a-service capabilities, making Centrify an attractive partner, Hall said.

"Centrify has been highly complementary to the many regulatory requirements that our customers are facing," Hall said. "They can simplify their architecture with one solution so they don't have to manage software licenses, federating applications on the back end with those in the cloud."

Centrify saw 40 percent year-over-year growth in 2013, selling into customers with its data-center-focused product and then deploying cloud and mobility offerings, Adams said. Centrify competes with CA Technologies, Quest Software and Beyond Trust in the data center, and is facing emerging rivals Ping Identity and Okta around cloud and mobile authentication.

"The value proposition is that our roots are in data center deployments but there are huge SaaS and cloud pieces that are growing rapidly for us," Adams said. "We've been around for 10 years doing authentication so there's a lot of credibility and it is a good back story that we can bring to the table."

PUBLISHED JAN. 21, 2014