News in the Channel - issue #43

KEEPIT

working with local partners to increase digital sovereignty for customers. “One of the big things that I talk to partners about in the UK at the moment is having independence because of increased regulation around the UK Cyber Security and Resilience Bill that’s coming into force meaning that customers will be required to have independent copies of data in air-gapped solutions that are immutable and they can recover,” he says. “That’s not something you can do with some of the more traditional data protection vendors. We have a USP in the market, one that can be complementary to some of those legacy vendors in the market protecting the on-prem workloads. We’ve seen a large increase in demand in terms of the channel coming to us through VARs and MSPs to help customers to truly feel safe around the protection of their data. We’ve signed a number of distributors across the region as well to help us scale this solution.” Channel strategy Indeed, one of Keepit’s main focuses is on developing its channel business. Alex says that in the past 12 months Keepit has doubled the size of its channel team, as it is felt that the best way to help customers effectively, and scale the business, is through channel partners. “That’s through working with our VAR channel, distributors, MSPs, alliances and OEMs,” he says. “We have invested heavily in bringing in the right talent into the organisation, people with experience of working with partners on joint business plans. We strive to address the customer’s pain and focus on how we can help that partner to deliver what their customer needs.” Alex adds that Keepit has also worked hard to ensure that it’s profitable for partners to work with the company. “From my perspective, the channel is about three things,” he says. “It’s got to be

profitable for the partner that you work with because why would they work with you

otherwise? Then you’ve got to make sure the technology is good because they’re also using their reputation to talk to their customers about the tech you provide for them. The third is one of the easiest, but one a lot of vendors get wrong, which is that you’ve got to be easy to work with. If somebody needs a quote, help them out. If they need help with a technical question, help them out. And also be fun to work with. It doesn’t always have to be about numbers and statistics, it’s about people and relationships too.” Alex adds that Keepit can also help customers to be compliant with regulations like NIST 2, DORA and the UK Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. “We can help ensure customers have real disaster recovery plans in place and are resilient against ransomware attacks,” he adds. “There’s been a lot of advancement in how Keepit goes to market and bringing the right talent in to achieve our aims. We’re also looking at our internal partner programmes to make sure that they are the best in the industry and that partners that lean in and work closely with Keepit reap the rewards of that. “Keepit is looking to become the most partner-friendly vendor of the next decade, and we’re more than happy to speak to partners that feel like they want to engage on that journey with us.” n

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We can help ensure customers have real disaster recovery plans in place and are resilient against ransomware attacks.

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