The company just also increased their efforts in Canada, hiring Serge Bertini as their first Canadian country manager.
Jeannette Lee Heung, Aqua Security’s Channel Chief
Pure-play cloud native security provider Aqua Security has launched a new channel program, the Aqua Advantage Ecosystem program, as well as a new partner portal. The new program is designed to support all partners engagement, enablement and execution of Aqua Security’s cloud native application protection platform [CNAPP]. Aqua Security also announced the appointment earlier this month of their first Canadian country manager, Serge Bertini.
Aqua Security started up in 2015 in Israel, and today have offices both there and in Boston MA.
“We started in container security,” said Jeannette Lee Heung, Aqua Security’s Channel Chief. “That was our forte when we began. We then began to expand and last year, we acquired software supply chain security provider Argon to create an integrated technology stack. We support the entire cycle from DevOps through runtime. Only a few companies protect the entire platform like we do.”
Aqua Security had a partner program before, but it was ripe for change.
“It was too complex,” Lee Heung said. “There were too many different levels and qualifications. It was hard for partners to understand, and it was too complex to manage at our end. In addition, it was all unnecessary.”
The company has approximately 250 channel partners, which are a mixture of business models. The Go-to Market strategy is not 100% channel, but it is close.
“We deliver largely though partners with a small number of exceptions, and 100% of our services are delivered through partners,” Lee Heung indicated. “The team has done a good job of understanding who makes sense for us and our customers. We feel good about the partners we have today, and the plan next year will be to drive those particular partners.
“The partners we see the most success with right now are making the transition around digital transformation, and providing advisory and consultation services to customers around it,” Lee Heung added. “MSPs are becoming more popular in our day-to-day business.”
Accordingly, the goal of the Aqua Advantage Ecosystem program is to help partners accelerate their customers’ digital transformations and support their move into the new era of DevSecOps and cloud native applications. Enablement support includes a dedicated partner manager, pre-sales and delivery services training, sales and technical alignment and joint marketing development support.
“There is a clear discount model for partners, and a clear enablement strategy, especially around post-sales enablement,” Lee Heung said. “We really want to improve the channel focus on professional services, deployment services and managed services, to find financial efficiencies to support their customers.” Aqua Security delivers 100% of their services through partners today. These services provide partners with opportunities for meaningful, recurring revenue, even when customers have purchased through a cloud marketplace.
The partner portal has been enhanced to make updated enablement, marketing and technical content resources more easily accessible.
Lee Heung also indicated that Aqua is doubling down on the Canadian market, appointing their first Canadian country manager.
“We are expanding our sales team in Canada with the appointment of Serge Bertini as Canadian Country Manager,” Lee Heung said. “He was formerly the Country Manager for Crowdstrike, and his role will be to build a sales team for Canada.”
