Cyber security value-added reseller

What are value-added resellers (VARs)?

As its name suggests, a value-added reseller is a company that resells a product with some added value of its own. A company can do this through additional services, customization integration, and other enhancements to the original product. The VAR is an expert in its own industry but may lack the necessary know-how or resources to provide certain products and services to its customers.

The product that a VAR might sell can be a piece of software, for instance, with the added value of hardware or additional services that supplement the original product. The VAR business model is common in the IT industry, where resellers can bundle other companies’ software with their own products and services.

For example, developing cyber security solutions requires years of experience and expertise and can’t be done with small resources. Luckily, a VAR can turn to a company specializing in cyber security and partner with them to provide online protection to its customers.

How does the VAR business model work?

A value-added reseller provides its customers with a product or service that is originally produced by a partner business, such as F‑Secure. By partnering together, The VAR and its partner can benefit from both companies’ expertise in their respective industries.

A business doesn’t just resell someone else’s product but also integrates it into its own portfolio. VARs act as intermediaries between a partner business and the end-user by offering consumers their partner’s products and services. The VAR maintains a relationship with its customers while leveraging the partner business’ products. Once a VAR has added value to a third-party product, it can sell it at a higher price.

In the case of products, such as routers, the original product’s manufacturer is known as an OEM, short for original equipment manufacturer. OEMs looking to embed advanced router-based security to their product can partner with F‑Secure. F‑Secure Sense is an inbuilt solution for preventing online threats that combines the end-point, router and network services for comprehensive home protection.

VARs can partner with F‑Secure Sense to add cyber security to their offering. Companies can bundle an existing internet security solution, such as F‑Secure Total, into their existing products and services. These can be insurance products, hardware, mobile and internet products, or banking services, for instance, that are supplemented with F‑Secure’s comprehensive internet security.

Benefits for VAR partners

Partnering with F‑Secure allows companies from different industries to provide more value to their customers while reaping the benefits of award-winning cyber security solutions. Selling cyber security as a value-added service helps your business diversify its revenue streams and strengthen its brand in a competitive market.

Here’s how partnering with F‑Secure as a value-added reseller creates more value for your business:

• Grow your offering with internet security that keeps both new and existing customers safe online.
• Stand out from your competitors by expanding beyond your core business.
• Increase the loyalty of your customers and reduce churn. Consumers are more loyal to your brand when offered cyber security in addition to your core offering.
• Get more value from individual customers with cyber security as a value-added service.
• Integrate internet security seamlessly into your brand and the changing needs of your business. F‑Secure’s cyber security can be embedded with existing products and scaled up when your needs change.
• Benefit from F‑Secure’s expertise in cyber security and experience of more than 500 service launches.

How do customers benefit from VARs?

The benefits of partnering aren’t limited to just the VAR itself. Thanks to the VAR business model, the added value goes to the customers as well:

• With a customized solution, VARs can serve their customers with products and services tailored to their needs, providing more value to consumers.
• Customers trust their insurance companies, banks and mobile operators, for instance. Therefore, these companies are trustworthy resellers of cyber security solutions that consumers can rely on.
• VARs can integrate cyber security into their products, making online safety easier for consumers. This way, the VAR’s products are compatible and easy to use with the added value of internet security.
• Value-added resellers are experts in their own industry and know what kind of products and guidance their customers need.

Cyber security partnering for value-added resellers

Although the VAR business model is widely used in the IT industry, companies from many sectors can adopt internet security to supplement their offering. From insurance companies to banks, mobile operators and ISPs, VARs can partner with F‑Secure to get the full advantage of our cyber security expertise.

Help your customers stay safe online and partner with F‑Secure. Our award-winning cyber security solution, F‑Secure Total, is equipped with everything your customers need for comprehensive online security: advanced antivirus protection, online identity management tools, VPN for private browsing, password management, parental controls, and more. Everything is packed into a single app for both mobile devices and computers. A single subscription keeps everyone in the family protected online.

Consumers consider internet security and privacy as important as high speed connections when choosing their Wi-Fi router. Users are also increasingly more aware of the risks of not protecting their smart devices. Keep your customers’ connected devices safe with F‑Secure Sense by embedding it into their router or gateway.

With F‑Secure Sense, your customers can manage devices connected to their network while the service provider gets improved visibility. Your customer’s home network is secured with our decentralized AI technology that detects unusual internet traffic patterns. Download our whitepaper and read more about how you can protect your customers, increase revenue and improve your brand with digital security.