LAS VEGAS – Cupertino, Calif.-based Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) released version 7.0 of its Altiris client systems and server management suites with integrated workflow technology that will prove a differentiator to the channel partnercommunity, said the company’s chief operating officer.
The workflow technology that’s part of the system management suites will allow customers to integrate the platform with previously disparate systems, said Enrique Salem, Symantec COO, at the annual ManageFusionconference. “I can’t say enough about it. I think our partners could really differentiate themselves by really taking advantage of this technology,” he said, adding Symantec wants to ensure that its partners have access to theright tools and training to be successful with the technology.
John Magee, vice-president of product marketing with Symantec, said the company has a workflow enablement program planned for the VAR channel, intended to add value to the system management platform “to give training and (help partners) ramp up on how to take advantage of those capabilities to extend their reach.”
Mike Dunham, director of product development with Lakewood, Colo.-based Symantec partner Incendio Technology Inc., a developer of plug-ins to extend the Symantec platform, said its workflow expertise holds particular weight given the inclusion of workflow technology into the system management platform. “As workflow becomes more and more integrated into the (version) 7.0 platform, it uniquely positions us to be able to give that expertise not only to implement workflows through Altiris, but also to extend it beyond to the rest of the environment … into the actual business operations.”
An added value proposition to its customers, said Dunham, is its legacyAltiris experience that will enable the transition to Version 7.0.
Salem said channel partners are an increasing part of Symantec’s business, and “as we grown, we do more through our partners … that trend will continue.”
Symantec’s limited sales capacity means it must depend on its 59,000partners to help it reach its customers, said Salem, adding that emerging markets like China and India will prove to be “tremendous opportunities” for the partner community.
Customers should work with partners as they deem fit, said Salem, especially if Symantec doesn’t offer a particular component of a desired technology combination. “The successful model is when they can bring a broader solution into the customer environment,” said Salem.
According to Symantec’s loyalty score, an indicator got from periodicpartner and customer surveys, Salem said partners’ perception of thecompany’s channel programs “has been improving significantly. It’s updramatically over the last 12 months.”
While partners like improvements made to the licensing and buying process, said Salem, the work to continuously improve its interactions with the partner channel doesn’t end there. “Is there more work to make it easier towork with Symantec? Absolutely. But we’ve made progress,” said Salem.