Abacus looks for growth while Imperva increases MSSP support

Managed security service provider (MSSP) Abacus Group has signalled it is looking for growth after hiring a chief financial officer (CFO) to drive expansion plans.

The firm has made four acquisitions over the past five years in an effort to bolster its position in the managed security space. The business has also been growing by around 25% annually over that period and is looking to keep that momentum going.

Part of that plan includes appointing Jesse Sanders, who has experience in private equity and finance, as CFO.

“The company’s proven track record of success, coupled with its strategic acquisitions, demonstrates its commitment to delivering unparalleled value to clients and stakeholders. I’m thrilled to contribute my expertise in finance and M&A to support Abacus Group in continuing its upward trajectory and achieving new milestones as it continues to expand,” said Sanders.

Chris Grandi, CEO of Abacus Group, said the hire had been made to gain expertise to support the firm’s “commercialisation journey”. Sanders’ appointment comes in the wake of the arrival in recent months of Stu Solomon as non-executive director and Jonathan Shapiro as chief revenue officer.

Meanwhile, cyber security player Imperva has enhanced its Accelerate programme to increase support for managed security service providers.

Accelerate includes incentives, certifications and training, plus marketing and sales support.

The programme includes different options for MSSPs, resellers and distributors, with the aim of helping each partner to expand their cyber security business.

There are also four options that cover different go-to-market strategies: partners that act as a contractual vehicle and help Imperva enter new markets; those that identify new opportunities and pre-qualify to a deal registration; others that want to lead conversations and technical selling with the customer; and partners that create and deliver services and support packages.

“As a partner invests in building more capability and capacity around pipeline creation, driving sales and delivering services, the Imperva Accelerate Partner Program increases their profitability with predictable margins,” said Micheal McCollough, global vice-president of strategic growth and channel at Imperva.

Imperva took on partner feedback in designing the programme and some of those suggestions have led to the firm providing predictable discounts, even in the case of special pricing, and more options to support technical sales.

The high levels of support and flexibility got the approval of Steve White, programme vice-president for the worldwide channels and alliances research team at IDC. “Customers today require market-leading services, total solutions, and technology expertise and guidance. Imperva and its partner ecosystem combine to meet those customer needs,” he said.