Titus data classification software now channel-exclusive offering
Titus, a data classification software vendor based in Ottawa, today launched a new partner program and moved to a 100% channel model to fuel the company’s growth.
Integration with other security products is an important part of the Titus strategy. The company’s products use machine learning algorithms to automate the identification and classification of data. This task comes at the front end of broader security engagements, which makes Titus software “the tip of the spear” for other security offerings such as cloud access security brokers (CASBs), data loss prevention (DLP) systems and next-generation firewalls, according to Mike Kuehn, chief revenue officer at Titus.
Specifically, Titus data classification products integrate with Netskope’s CASB offering, Forcepoint’s DLP suite and Palo Alto Networks firewalls among other solutions. Titus aims to work with its technology allies’ channels as well as their products.
“Palo Alto Networks only sells through partners,” Kuehn noted. “By injecting our technology into that partner community, they can provide an enhanced solution for their sales and existing customers.”
Titus data classification and the channel
Although Titus previously worked with channel firms, the data classification software company’s approach was more opportunistic and lacked a focus on partner enablement, Kuehn said. The new channel initiative, however, provides self-paced certification programs with sales and technical modules, a partner portal and 30 points of margin protection for Elite-level partners that register Titus data classification opportunities. The vendor is also putting more pre-sales engineering resources in the field to support partners.
The 100% channel approach goes beyond the go-to-market strategy to include other facets of the company, from product engineering to support, Kuehn said.
“If you’re not all in on working with the channel … as an organization, it is really difficult to build an effective program in the field.”
Partner focus
Kuehn said Titus works with value-added resellers (VARs) that sell security offerings, VARs with cloud practices that need to protect customer data migrating to the cloud, managed service providers and global systems integrators. The latter, Kuehn said, help customers architected broader data protection strategies that begin with a data identification and classification phase.
Titus’ expectations for such partners include sales and technical investments and a willingness to work with Titus on a business plan to achieve a particular revenue target.
As a Blackstone Group portfolio company, Titus’ goal is to self-fund growth to the tune of 30%-plus per year. The company’s channel partner focus is “our means to accelerate growth,” Kuehn said.