SMX Strengthens Partner Programme and Appoints New CEO

Auckland, 9th March 2022

SMX, the cybersecure email specialist, is revitalising its partner programme with extra support and resources, and will leverage more data insights to advise partners and customers

on cyber-security threats. The renewed commitment to the channel is reinforced by SMX’s appointment of Richard Fraser, an experienced technology sales and marketing executive, as CEO.

From 1st April, SMX will offer partners additional threat intelligence, marketing resources and new revenue opportunities as it re-focuses on selling through the channel. An Intelligence Centre has been created to identify threat patterns from the company’s extensive data set, enabling partners to provide value-added consulting services. SMX protects one million mailboxes in New Zealand and Australia, including over 24% of all New Zealand’s Microsoft 365 inboxes.

Sales support includes greater access to SMX’s security experts while refreshed marketing resources include self-serve campaigns and case studies. A new Customer Success Team will streamline customer onboarding and billing for partners.

SMX also expects to launch a new managed service offering to partners in Q2, designed to enhance email cyber-security.

The partner programme follows a two year strategic transformation by SMX to become more customer-centric, intent on providing local expertise in conjunction with partners to help New Zealand and Australian businesses approach cybersecurity proactively, rather than ‘mopping up’ after an attack. This comes as SMX picks a move by Australasian clients to favour sophisticated bespoke solutions over more generic global security offerings which can miss nuances in the local threat and regulatory environment.

Richard joins SMX from NZX-listed Plexure where he was Chief Product Officer, and prior to that was VP, Strategic Solutions Sales, at Orion Health.

“Australasia has a unique environment where we see businesses interested in a region-specific, locally designed and supported approach to outsourcing cybersecurity, as opposed to using global providers whose more generic offerings can miss local nuances. It’s within these nuances that the security threat lies. I believe SMX has the data, technical expertise and the vision to deliver that attention to detail through our unique combination of local IT partnerships with leading global software vendors,” says Richard.

SMX’s Head of Channel, Shayna Bryers, says “Our strategy continues to put our customers at the centre of how SMX goes to market. Our customers want greater sophistication in their cyber security efforts.

We deliver that at scale by working alongside our strategic partners. I’m excited about the opportunities available for our partners, where they can leverage SMX specialist expertise and thought leadership from the new data insights, resources and offerings we plan to release this year.”

SMX has approximately 120 partners throughout New Zealand and Australia. In 2021 SMX appointed rhipe as its Australian distributor and moved to an exclusive channel model in that country.

“My experience lies at the intersection of business, technology and consumers, which is highly relevant in cyber security where malicious actors are targeting individuals as well as companies. SMX’s purpose is to protect many of New Zealand and Australia’s important organisations, offering market leading technology, educating our customers’ end users, and providing a business model that is compelling through the security ecosystem - something we can only achieve by working alongside our partners.”

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To learn more, visit smxemail.com