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Trend Micro makes Softcat its first UK platinum partner
Security player has deemed that the time is right to unveil its first highest-tiered partner in the country
What do you do when a gold partner is performing at a high level? The answer for Trend Micro is to award it the first platinum level in the UK.
The channel player getting the chance to break the mould and become the security firm’s first platinum partner in the UK is Softcat.
The reseller has been in the gold tier for many years and is one of the vendor’s biggest partners, but it has been delivering the goods consistently over the past 14 months and it is that effort that has been rewarded with the higher tiered status. Trend noted the triple-digit recorded revenue growth year-on-year as well as adding a large number of new logos over 2020 as achievements that deserved to be recognised.
Softcat’s position as an Amazon Web Services CPPO partner also worked in its favour, with Trend currently working hard to push the cloud security message to a wider audience.
Trend has been operating a four-level partner programme – bronze, silver, gold and platinum – since it launched that feature in a global partner programme that first saw the light of day almost seven years ago.
Platinum status, which “recognises our most productive partners and rewards them with a customised programme”, has always been by invitation only. It means that Softcat will be able to access a number of additional commercial and technical benefits.
Only a handful of resellers have received one of those invitations, with Softcat the first in the UK, and only 10 being handed out to partners across the US.
“As a committed partner, Softcat has worked closely with Trend Micro over the years to help businesses across the country to protect their end-users and endpoints, hybrid cloud networks and cloud workloads,” said James Munroe, UK channel director at Trend Micro.
“The company’s acceleration of cloud growth and commitment to Trend has been exceptional and means we are delighted to make Softcat our first UK platinum partner.”
James Baker, alliances and marketing director at Softcat, said the firm was pleased to be given platinum first in the UK. “It is a real testament to our long-time partnership with the Trend Micro team and the strength of the relationship we have built with them,” he said, adding that Softcat was geared up to build on that momentum this year.
