AVG Business Continues Push Toward Partner-Led Model With New Distribution Initiative

Building on its new partner-led strategy, rolled out earlier this year, AVG Business is making a significant expansion of its distribution business, Senior Vice President and General Manager Fred Gerritse told CRN.

AVG is looking to establish a global distributor network, with at least one broad-line distributor and one or two specialized distributors in each of the major countries where it operates. Building that network of distributors will be key as AVG looks to expand its channel globally, Gerritse said.

The most recent example of that push came Tuesday, with the news that AVG has added Sioux Falls, S.D.-based EarthBend as a value-added distributor partner.

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The push into distribution, which Gerritse said had "no strategy and go-to-market model" before he joined as AVG Business head in October, is a key piece of the company's overall push toward a channel-centric model, he said. Gerritse said the company plans to add other distributors in the short term.

"[Distribution] is a complement to the whole go-to-market strategy," Gerritse said. "We are very focused on fueling the partner landscape to build a strong channel to our partner-led strategy. Partner-led is very important."

Gerritse said AVG has been pushing hard to route more of its business through partners, launching a new partner certification program in April and providing training. He said thousands of salespeople have already taken advantage of the training since its launch two months ago.

By the end of 2017, Gerritse said, AVG Business would like to have 35 percent of its business come through partner sales, 35 percent through distribution and the remainder direct.

"The signs are positive that we're moving in the right direction," Gerritse said. "I'm confident that we are able to grow our business and that we will see the number of partners buying from AVG from our distributors will grow over time."

Sam Coyl, president of Harrisburg, Pa.-based Netrepid, said that, as an AVG partner, it's good to see the Amsterdam-based security vendor stepping up its game around the channel, something he said is long overdue.

"It's nice to see it. We think they have a great product and we think they've been doing a great job," Coyl said. "They have a lot of change in staff and culture and philosophy that we're really excited about."

Coyl said the changes AVG has been making around its partner strategy help him grow his managed service provider business, which uses the company's remote monitoring and management platform. In particular, he said, increased investment in sales and marketing have helped smooth the sales process with customers, which are more generally aware of the company's offerings.

"As an MSP, it makes it easier for us," Coyl said. "If they spend the time and effort marketing their product the way they should be, it makes [it] easier to sign on customers because they're already aware of the solution."

Gerritse said AVG will continue to push forward into the channel. In particular, he said, the company plans to launch a new partner portal in the second half of the year to provide a more streamlined e-commerce platform for partners.