By Varun Aggarwal, CRN Network, October 8, 2009, 1200 hrs
Along with the launch of Norton 2010, the latest edition of its retail security suite, Symantec has embarked on a major exercise to expand its channel network. And to counter increasing competition from players such as Quick Heal and Kaspersky, Symantec has announced up to 20 percent reduction in the prices of Norton products.
The company’s consumer portfolio is presently distributed by two national distributors, Redington and Fortune, and a set of nine authorized sub-distributors, each focused on a specific regional market. However, under the new channel strategy, Symantec will have 100 authorized sub-distributors called Premier Partners. This will mean multiple partners in every region.
“The expansion of our sub-distributor network reflects the growing importance of smaller cities for our consumer products. With increasing broadband and PC penetration, we expect significant demand for our products to come from these cities,” said David Freer, Vice President, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec Asia Pacific and Japan. The company will appoint new sub-distributors in cities like Guwahati, Raipur, Nagpur and Patna.
Freer informed that the company intends to enhance its popular Norton Champs reseller program. “We are planning to launch an online merchandise store under the Norton Champs program by mid-October. Resellers will be able to order branding material such as Norton posters, standees and glow signs with their company name inscribed on it. Secondly, to ensure that there is no inter-state purchase of products, we are making it mandatory for resellers to buy from a premier partner in their territory to be eligible for the incentives under the Norton Champs program. This will also guarantee business for our new set of sub-distributors.”
Additionally, Symantec plans to increase the value of the rewards under Norton Champs. Right now, in keeping with the festive season, the company is giving gold coins as redemption.
Symantec has also announced a reduction in Norton prices. Compared to the earlier MRP of Rs 1,645 for the single-user antivirus license, the company has dropped the MRP to Rs 1,125. The single-user Internet security suite will now be available for Rs 1,450, while a 3-user license is priced at Rs 2,495.
According to Freer, the newly-launched Norton 2010 has a combination of client and cloud-based features. “The cloud component provides better virus and malware detection than the traditional signature- and behavior-based detection. With Norton 2010, we have raised the bar for Internet security and set a new standard for the industry.” |