Focus on margin and technical enablement as Barracuda enhances programme

Barracuda has enhanced its partner programme with moves to increase profit margins for both resellers and distributors.

The security player has announed the latest changes to its Partner Success Programme, with the focus on increasing margins for partners and adding to the technical enablement they can tap into.

At the same time, the vendor has launched a premier-level rebate to increase profitability for its top-tier partners, rewarding those that deliver against the land, adoption, expansion and renewal (LAER) model.

The overall emphasis of the enhancements is to improve paertner compensation, with more discounts, rebates and offerings for the channel.

There is also a determination to use the latest tweaks to the partner programme to bolster the position of the vendor’s distribution partners. Compensation models are now designed to reward long-term growth with support for disties looking to recruit fresh partners.

On the technical enablement side, Barracuda is introducing four partner technical certification courses and making more resources available.

“As a 100% channel-focused company, we strive to put ourselves in our partner’s shoes to understand their unique perspectives better and deliver on their requirements. We call this ‘partner empathy’,” said Jason Beal, vice-president of worldwide partner ecosystems at Barracuda.

“Just three months after launching our global Partner Success Programme, we are excited to announce key enhancements to the programme that will enable our partners to maximise their success through the partner multiplier, leading to greater profitability when they go to market with Barracuda,” he added.

Beal pointed to some of the changes as evidence that it was listening and acting on partner feedback, particularly the premier-level rebate offering.

“This new rebate came out of recent discussions with our partner advisory board and is a significant milestone for Barracuda in recognising top-performing partners around the globe,” he said.

The vendor cut the ribbon on its Partner Success Programme just three months ago, with the December offering including rewards for all routes to market, including MSPs, resellers and marketplaces.

The firm indicated that those moves were already reaping dividends, with 14% growth in annual recurring revenues for SaaS solutions, and 17% growth through Barracuda’s MSP business.

Barracuda shared some responses from partners to the latest enhancements, with the focus on improving margins and increasing technical expertise being welcomed.

Jessica McDowell, senior vice-president of high growth business development and strategy at TD Synnex, said that it appreciated some of the moves to help distribution: “Barracuda’s increased investment in domestic distribution is a clear indication of their commitment to partner success and their focus on distribution as a key driver.”

Structured president and CEO Ron Fowler was also upbeat about the impact the programme was having on the firm’s channel. “As a trusted partner, Barracuda’s commitment to enhancing its partner programme contributes meaningfully to our ongoing success. The technical enablement tools and resources they provide help us to optimise the customer experience, which sets us apart from the competition and helps us differentiate our offerings in an increasingly competitive business environment,” he said.