A ‘channel-first, channel-focused’ company, Sophos continues to receive impressive recognition from CRN/The Channel Company, mostly recently with Michael Valentine, senior vice president, worldwide sales, and Kendra Krause, vice president of channel sales, North America, being named Channel Chiefs just last month. Late last year, Michael Valentine was also named a top IT executive for the mid-market.

Sophos enables partners to sell, market, distribute and implement its award-winning cloud, network, server and enduser protection solutions to organizations of all sizes. The company recently announced a new partner program for North America which includes a simplified deal registration and discount structure, full access to the Sophos product and solution portfolio, sales and marketing tools, training and technical enablement, and significant investments in local channel sales and SE resources.

To determine the 2014 5-Star recipients, The Channel Company’s Research team assessed each vendor’s application based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication.

“Solution providers have a lot of choices when it comes to selecting vendor partners. Identifying the right vendor, with the right technologies, and the right approach can make all the difference,” said Robert Faletra, CEO, The Channel Company. “Our annual Partner Program Guide and 5-Star rating recognizes the very best channel programs available in the market today to help solution providers determine which vendor delivers the best partner elements for their individual business goals.”

John Keenan, vice president of sales for North America, Sophos, said, “Receiving 5-Star recognition from CRN is validation that our strategy is working. From the highest levels, the Sophos team works hard to demonstrate our commitment to the channel in everything we do. We believe investing in those partners who commit to growing their business with us is a smart, simple approach to building lasting relationships and growing revenue. We’re honored to receive positive accolades that come as a result of that approach.”

For more information on the Sophos Partner Program, visit the Sophos website or to learn more about becoming a Sophos partner. The 2014 Partner Program Guide will be featured on CRN.com and the 5-Star Partners listing will be highlighted in the April issue of CRN.

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