Last week, we held the first of three annual Partner Engage conferences – this one in Los Angeles, California for our Americas partners. The theme of this year’s event was “Defining the Future of Cyber Security, Together.” With the recent integration of Symantec and Blue Coat, we had the exciting opportunity to share our mission as a new company to our partners and the industry.
Partners attending this year’s event were treated to a full day’s worth of compelling insights.
“Partner Engage is our largest gathering—over 600 partners worldwide—of our most strategic partners, and this year is especially important as our partners meet our new executives and learn how we can define the future of cyber security, together,” said John Thompson, VP, Worldwide Partner Sales, Symantec. Thompson discussed how the Symantec and Blue Coat partner programs will remain separate until a new program is launched in the April 2017 timeframe.
CEO Greg Clark was also on hand in Los Angeles to share his thoughts on the vision for the new Symantec and how we will deliver on that vision through the Integrated Cyber Defense Platform. There was also a fireside chat with Symantec sales leadership on go-to-market strategies, key focus areas for the new Symantec, and how partners play an important role in our success and growth. Additionally, the event included partner program and strategy updates, innovation presentations, Symantec customer sessions, a special guest presentation by Herm Edwards – NFL legend and ESPN host, as well as networking opportunities.
“Defining the Future of Cyber Security is about acknowledging the fast-changing cyber security industry and the evolving needs of all our customers—both big and small—to stay protected,” says Balaji Yelamanchili, Symantec EVP and General Manager. “I’m excited to have presented ‘The Future of Cyber Security: An Innovation Update’ along with my colleague Bradon Rogers, SVP of Product Strategy and Operations. Sharing our product roadmap with our key partners was important to ensuring they are as invested in Symantec as we are in innovation and helping our customers remain protected from the security challenges they face.”
Partners are an integral part of Symantec’s strategy. Investing with Symantec partners helps fuel our growth and desire to innovate industry-leading solutions. Success depends so much on working with our partners -- listening, sharing, and working together to secure our shared future. We look forward to our next meetings with partners in London and Tokyo this year.