Dove set for retail push with Kaspersky

Adopts Internet Security and Anti-Virus products

Dove has adopted Russian security vendor Kaspersky’s boxed Internet Security and Anti-Virus products for consumers.

The distributor wants to become a long-term, consumer-range partner for Kaspersky, building significant market awareness of the products, says Auckland branch manager Rick Jansen.

Kaspersky’s international profile gives potential for the products locally, says Jansen, adding the vendor has achieved the number-one or two market position in some countries.

“It’s massive overseas, which is pretty exciting.”

The agency will complement some of Dove’s existing products, Jansen says. “It will fit well with our PC components and motherboards business for OEM. We do more business in the SME market with those products,” he says, adding it could also be marketed to resellers who require Dove’s other main brands such as Acer and Sony Vaio PCs.

Dove was one of the firms considered for sub-distribution by Kaspersky’s Australian-based consumer products master distributor SMSe Technologies.

Managing director Colin Westbury says SMSe’s strategy is to grow market share on both sides of the Tasman by appointing sub-distributors like Dove, and says it has looked at others in New Zealand.

“We believe in bringing on a limited number of partners and supporting them to the hilt,” Westbury says.

Dove has offered Trend Micro and Symantec security products in the past, as a sub-distributor, and will continue to offer these brands if they’re asked for by customers, Jansen says.

Both Westbury and Jansen say there is potential for Dove to deal directly with Kaspersky in future.

Microbe is also a distributor for Kaspersky in Australia and New Zealand, however Microbe’s sales and marketing director Mark Hay says the vendor’s expansion justifies complementary distributors.

“Kaspersky has grown to the point where they don’t want one group to try to be everything to everyone,” Hay says, adding Microbe’s focus is on the business channel while SMSe’s is on retail and OEM. “The big push for SMSe is to get retail boxes on shelves,” he says.

Reseller News was unable to get comment from Kaspersky prior to deadline.