The key addition is the availability of a monthly billing model, and the new program also allows MSSPs to enlist MSPs on a Master-Agent model.
Stephan Tallent, Vice President, MSSP, North America at Cybereason
Cybersecurity vendor Cybereason has announced the availability of a new ‘Pay as you Grow’ [PAYG] program, specifically for their MSSP partners. The core of the new program is a monthly billing model based on the number of endpoint sensors in use, as opposed to annual subscriptions. This better dovetails with MSSPs’ own pricing model, and will also increase profitability by reducing operational overhead expenses and increasing efficiency. In addition, while PAYG is limited to EDR for now, look for it to expand to XDR soon.
“The key here is making the technology accessible so partners can buy it like they sell it,” said Stephan Tallent, Vice President, MSSP, North America at Cybereason.
Cybereason has a large collection of channel partners globally, and it includes a broad variety of partner types, but the MSSPs are very important to their business.
“We have about 20 MSSP partners globally, most of them large, including the bigger players and multinationals,” Tallent said. “We also have a few national partners, and maybe 10 smaller ones in North America. MSSP partners do a large percentage of our North American business.
Cybereason just did a major overhaul of their channel program last year, with the new Cybereason Defenders League, begging the question of why an important move like harmonizing payment models was not done at that time. Tallent said that it simply required more time.”
“It’s a lot more difficult to put together than it sounds,” he said. “There were aspects of automation and finance that required a team of about 10 people to put this together.”
The PAYG program is open directly to Cybereason’s top two tiers of MSSP partners, Elite and Premier, but there is a way for the entry tier Select partners to participate as well.
“We created two models within the program to have an addressable ability for partners of all sizes,” Tallent said. “One is a No Commit PAYG model, which is designed to reduce barrier to entry for those new to Cybereason. The other is
PAYG Commit, which provides aggressive margins for endpoints and lets them access advantageous discounts.” This is a tiered benefit system that MSSPs can access depending on the amount of business done with Cybereason.”
The entry level Select partners in the Cybereason program – and for that matter any MSP – can participate through a capability within the program which is basically a Master-Agent system that runs through a participating MSSP.
“We also created a partner ecosystem within the program to let smaller MSPs work with master MSSPs to consume it in a consumption model,” Tallent stated. “Many small partners don’t have a SOC, so are in need of more assistance around that piece.”
MSSPs can also add partners who are not in the Cybereason partner program to these networks.
“They can work with whomsoever they choose with respect to these smaller services,” Tallent said. “The broader ecosystem partners let us provide more touch and support. There are between 30,000 and 40,000 MSPs in North America,
and they are increasingly turning to MSSPs to provide these kinds of services.
Tallent also said that there is more to the PAYG program for MSSPs than just the bottom line margin increases.
“It’s not just about the actual pricing, but about the technology and efficiency,” he stated. “We are 73% more efficient than the next vendor in EDR according to Forrester. That translates into higher profits, by reducing operational overhead and increasing efficiency.”
Going forward, Tallent said to expect to see XDR being added to the PAYG program.
“Right now, it’s EDR and endpoint controls, and the next step will likely be XDR,” he indicated.
Tallent noted to look for more from Cybereason this year beyond the MSSP space as well.
“We have created a federal business unit, and our efforts in the federal space will start to come to life more,” he said. “There are thousands of partners that address security requirements. We may also be doing more with DMRs too.”
