Citrix Ditches Direct-Only Model And Cosies Up To Channel Partner Arrow
Arrow selected as pan-European distie for Citrix online collaboration products and services
The Online Services division of Citrix had signed up distributor Arrow as part of a drive to recruit resellers across Europe. Until last year, Citrix Online Services sold direct to the end user but now feels the channel should form a key part of its strategy to drive growth.
As part of the distributor agreement, Citrix’s GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, GoToTraining, GoToAssist, GoToMyPC and Podio lines will be available on the ArrowSphere cloud services platform allowing Arrow resellers to market and sell Citrix SaaS products through their existing web store or the ArrowSphere white-label web store.
European connection
Podio is a cloud-based collaboration service for organising team communication, business processes, data and content in project management workspaces. Citrix’s GoTo product line offers businesses remote access and technical support via the cloud. Its GoToMeeting product is an online meeting, desktop sharing, and video conferencing software that enables the user to meet with other computer users via the internet.
The ArrowSphere webstore platform, which was launched by Arrow in July 2012, is currently live in the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Denmark. ArrowSphere already offers cloud-based services from the likes of EMC, McAfee, Mitel and NetApp.
Robert Gratzl, EMEA vice president for Citrix SaaS, said that the Arrow agreement was “an important step in extending our pan-European reach and helping our customers embrace mobile work styles and new ways of working”.
“We selected Arrow and its ArrowSphere platform because of the highly innovative approach to taking our SaaS products to their reseller and customer community,” he said.
Citrix sees the collaboration as a further step in the expansion and implementation of the Citrix SaaS Advisor (CSSA) programme launched in May. It said that by using a local and regional approach with strategic partners to deliver Citrix SaaS applications as part of a broader solution meant “it is easier than ever for partners and customers to benefit from Citrix technology.”
Arrow ECS president of EMEA and global services Laurent Sadoun said the agreement recognised “our unique channel management capabilities to recruit, enable and develop channel partners”.
“Citrix SaaS solutions are ideal for resellers, IUSVs and MSPs who are active in the cloud or plan to move into the cloud, and want to offer SaaS products as an extension to their existing portfolios,” he said.