Specialism: Cybersecurity
Key vendors: SpyCloud, Secpod, DNSFilter, Perimeter 81/Check Point
Headcount: 7
This start-up VAD has a mission of building scalable channels for emerging cybersecurity vendors (see Q&A below).
Counting SpyCloud and DNSFilter among its allies, it was founded in 2020 by former Arc and AlphaGen Sales Director Chris Walsh.
“I was taught early on to respect everyone”
Quickfire Q&A with Managing Director Chris Walsh
What is ABC’s sweet spot?
Vendors that have proven they have “some traction” in the UK, primarily with project-based business, but are living hand to mouth and are not important to the VARs they have had engagement with. Our job is to take one opportunity with a partner, and turn it into two, then turn two into four and build a scalable channel. Distribution 101, right? This isn’t easy though if you don’t have the knowledge around the partner community and understand what makes each different one tick.
Which product, service or vendor has stood out for you in 2024?
Spycloud, due to the attention it is getting from large corporate household names out there. But in terms of immediate impact, DNSFilter. The market opportunity for DNS is huge, the tech is great and the investors in DNS clearly see the opportunity, as do our partners.
If you could change one thing about your business at the stroke of a wand, what would it be?
Ignorance/being insincere. I was taught early on to respect everyone and always live to fight another day in this business, as you never know where that person is going next, or the role they will have. Sometimes when starting again, people will be rude/ignore you if there is nothing in it for them. But then 18 months later when they need pricing/assistance they want to be your best friend and you find yourself thinking “You didn’t have the decency to even tell me no before and now you want to ask how my family are? Come on”.
When will the UK distribution market return to growth?
Soon. We’ve been here before. Another wave of tech will come or is here and will spark spend (if budgets allow, granted) and kick start our area of the world.
Name one area of your business where you are expecting to add staff in 2025.
Technical….. our roadmap for 2025 is quite clear and once we launch the next stage it will be important our tech resource matches our growth.
At its Channel Forums EMEA in October, Canalys characterised AWS Marketplace as one of the world’s largest distributors, owing to its growing third-party software business. On balance, do you agree?
I am not to argue with Canalys but I think it varies on the tech type you are talking about. I do agree but don’t think if affects our emerging tech vendors at this stage.
If you could be a fly on the wall for a day at another distributor, which would you choose?
All of the big boys, when they continue to ask themselves: “How do these distributors keep finding new vendors to grow with when we have a new vendor team ourselves. 😊 Outside of that, probably Kite. Knowing the team like I do they are way, way ahead of us. And I bet they are having a laugh whilst doing it, as they are good people.
See who made the wider Oxygen 50 Must-Know IT Distributors 2024 here.
