What have been some of your biggest takeaways from the event?
"Where we specialise with Barracuda is we are addressing the gaps in email. However, what we're seeing is actually they are really addressing the gaps in the broader network security and data security, which is the bit that's exciting me more.
"So things like the SASE market, we partner with a company called Cato Networks. They're a great partner, but it's great to see that they're native in SASE, it's great to see that Barracuda who aren't native SASE are going in that direction. That helps us because there's options and still plays to that platform play, which a lot of customers are trying to achieve.
"Because the trouble is you hear people in the market say everybody's going to a platform play, they want to consolidate vendors, but the market isn't always accommodating customers to do that because they have too often then sacrifice security, which is ironic because that's the reason that exists in the first place.
"One of my biggest takeaways is the innovation. In the email space, what's really excited me is they've got the contextual banners. In the email space we've got about five partners that we work with because again, depending on the customers' priorities we aligned to those that could be data, could be office 365 and the data security, Barracuda are so strong there. Some of the newer kids on the block don't really touch data, they focus purely on impersonation protection.
"With Barracuda now not only have they got their strong points, the areas that these other providers are strong, they're actually now taking over and developing their technology.
"The SASE play, that's hugely exciting, and also passwordless authentication. I don't think the market's ready for it. We looked at a technology for it about two years ago. Customers really wanted to have the conversation - as we all know passwords can be a big risk. But again, it was individual players coming to the market and then that meant that you're going against your strategy of a platform play and consolidation. So now that some of the platform players like Barracuda are offering that when customers are ready for it that to me is so exciting."
What's your view on the new, unified partner programme and how it can impact your business?
"To be honest, it was more that, obviously when you work with a partner, there's lots of parties involved and if people have different agendas that's quite difficult to manage.
"If an account manager at Barracuda has put a lot of work into an opportunity and has supported the customer on their journey of purchase, but actually, the core side isn't as beneficial to the customer as an MSP because they might want extra services and prefer the way that the service is consumed, it becomes quite awkward with the partner relationship.
"What we're seeing is, with the integration of the teams, it just means that you can put the customer first. You can align to exactly what they're trying to achieve and their exact outcomes and then not have the politics in the background of how it's distributed."
Was there anything left out that you were expecting to hear about? / Were there any announcements that surprised you?
"What took me by surprise is how aligned they are to some of the disruptors in the market. That has taken me back the most and left me feeling excited.
"When they say things like culture is really important, it will sound really corny, but one of the reasons we love working with Barracuda is because it feels like they go at a pace that isn't for their ego. They go at pace that's actually aligning to where they need to be from a market perspective. But they're doing it at a speed that doesn't cause any problems with over promising and under delivering.
"Sometimes you lose excitement when they're not bringing out lots of shiny thing but actually them taking time and delivering what they have to say, to me gives us confidence but then you get the excitement along the way."
