Business4.04.2013

Veeam South Africa grows 88% in first year

Virtualisation leader enters second year in SA with plans to expand

Virtualisation backup and management software vendor Veeam has grown its South African revenue by 88% in the year since it set up a local presence. Representing an increase of over 150% in its customer and partnership base, this sets the stage for further expansion.

“Having a dedicated local team has made a huge difference,” says territory manager Warren Olivier. “We now have over 60 000 customers protecting 10 million Virtual machines globally and about 200 local partners. The pipeline has exploded.”

Olivier says having a full-time local office inspires confidence and is a strong signal to partners and customers that a vendor is committed to a market. “Every market has its own dynamic, and you need someone with local contacts, who understands local habits and preferences. We know when strike season is coming up and deals may be delayed, for example, and we know that South Africans don’t like doing business over email and prefer face-to-face contact. We also understand local laws, regulations and compliance needs.”

Quintus Moolman of Dimension Data Eastern Cape, a long-term Veeam partner, agrees. “For several years we were the only reseller in the country, so we have a group of very skilled consultants as a differentiator. But being able to bring a Veeam representative to client discussions and engagements has been very helpful. It’s also raised Veeam’s profile, and the marketing and problem solving support has been valuable.”

The local presence has been particularly important for channel partners, adds Olivier. “Our partner base is our sales force, and we’re seeing a big return on the investment we have made there. Being in-country means we can provide much better support, from training through designing appropriate rewards to branding materials.”

Veeam is planning to double its current team in South Africa to meet the growing demand, says Olivier. “The more local companies virtualise their IT environments, the more they need proven backup and management tools designed specifically for those environments. Legacy tools just don’t do the job, and Veeam is meeting a very real need.”

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