Websense Appoints New Channel Chief, Updates Triton Security Platform

Web security and data theft protection provider Websense has appointed John Starr as its new vice president of Global Sales Channels and Professional Services. As the company’s latest channel chief, Starr will be responsible for building relationships with the company’s global partner ecosystem and creating a more transparent and partner-focused organization.

Starr joined Websense last January, and has worked with the Websense executive team to develop its channel strategy and improve its professional services organization, according to the company. He plans to use his new position to align Websense’s partner program with the needs and wants of its global ecosystem, with a focus on pricing and educating members about tier-specific benefits.

“There’s a couple of things we have to do better than we did last year. The first thing we have to do is we have to be more transparent and more predictable,” said Starr, in an interview with The VAR Guy. “I think a business partnership is very much like any other partnership; the more transparent you are and the more predictable you are, the better that partnership works.”

Starr’s appointment comes on the heels of the release of Websense Triton APX 8.0, the latest version of the company’s legacy threat and data loss prevention platform. Unlike previous editions, Triton APX 8.0 will be sold in a modular form, allowing customers to purchase the specific programs that fit their individual security needs.

“We’ve broken our products apart a bit so it’s easier for the partner [and the customer] during the sales process to match what Websense can offer to what the partner and ultimately the end customer needs for their organization,” said Starr. “We think that’s going to go a long way toward making it easier to do business with us and making our customers better equipped to handle everything within their infrastructure.”

Starr said his new role and the subsequent launch of Triton APX 8.0 will give Websense the opportunity to start 2015 off by focusing on serving the needs of its customers and in developing a deeper sense of trust.

“We are certainly working very hard to adjust our business processes so it better aligns with our channel partners,” he said. “Our goal is to make sure that we are a good partner, and a big part of how we are going to do that is listening to what they have to say and considering that as we make decisions.”