All posts in Channel

About 18 months ago, I went along to the CRN Channel awards more in hope than expectation of winning an award.  While we’ve always known that our technology is good enough to compete with anyone, we were nevertheless up against some huge, established brands in our category and I wasn’t sure how we’d fare against them.

CRN Vendor Report

Imagine my delight, then, when we won Security Vendor of the Year not just once, but two years in a row!  For me, personally, having joined Mimecast five years ago, it was a significant milestone in the growth and evolution of Mimecast’s channel community; it seemed we had ‘come of age’ and become a UK vendor that is really one to watch.

A similar feeling of excitement, rather than expectation, came over me today when I read the CRN Vendor report.  Competing against huge global brands such as Microsoft, Apple, HP, Intel and Symantec, I felt rather proud to see that Mimecast ranked 10^th for overall vendor service (with Symantec coming in at 34^th!) and first in the ‘Rebates and Margin Retention’ section was just the best reward for the hard work we’ve put into building a first class channel programme. We’ve always focused on customer satisfaction as well as Partner satisfaction so it’s nice to see that this is valued by the Channel.

The Mimecast route-to-market is channel and, just like a good marriage, we take a long term view of the relationship with our partners, working hard to protect them, their customer relationships and their business.  We’re dedicated to creating a global community of loyal partners to support our continued growth by delivering powerful rewards for our partners.

How do we protect our partners?  Well one of the many statistics we’re proud of is our 97% customer renewal rate….we’re sticky! Customers that archive their email data with Mimecast stay with us, which is great news for our partners in terms of providing them with a predictable business model – particularly as we offer an industry-leading reoccurring margin, too.  Finally, we protect our customers by offering a dis-incentive to other channel players who try to poach customers from existing partners meaning when partners bring their customers on board with Mimecast they’re protected for the duration of their agreement.  We like to call it a ‘customer for life.’

As our industry awards have proven, our partners are vocal in their endorsement of Mimecast and are a significant asset to our company and we want to reward them for that support, so it was great to see Mimecast score highly in the CRN Vendor report for demand generation and funding.  Asked which vendor had delivered the most effective demand generation and VAR funding programme during the past year, one of the comments was:  “Mimecast do this better than anyone,” said the managing director at a major VAR.

I’m already excited to see where we come next year as we continue to invest in our partners and their development.

It was a beautiful May evening, A-listers from the UK Channel community gathered in London for one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year – CRN Fight Night. And oh what a night, the glitz and the glamour accompanied by some classic boxing bouts made it an evening that everyone involved would never forget.

Having read previous blogs you will know that Mimecast had a vested interest in their brave warrior, Dave “The Doctor” Rodger. Having come through the fiercely competitive selection process, Dave then embarked on an arduous journey requiring incredible commitment.

The time had come, dinner had been served and drinks had been topped up. You could cut the tension with a scalpel. The Mimecast camp was a veritable mixing bowl of nerves and confidence as it was evident how committed Dave had been throughout the whole process, with a noticeable change in size and strength.

Suddenly the lights brightened, the music started a quick crescendo, which was soon drowned out by home support as the man of the moment entered the electrically charged atmosphere. His opponent, Jack Bulmer of Centerprise followed swiftly to a slightly more hostile welcome but he had a pocket of Bulmer faithful cheering him on.

Round 1 of 3 started the way many pundits had predicted – with a bang.

‘The Doctor’ came flying out of his corner not even giving Bulmer time to take a step forward. Home crowd advantage was now incredibly apparent as Rodger rained in the blows to Bulmer one by one for 90 seconds until the ref pulled them apart as Bulmer turned away. Bulmer took the chance for a much needed break from the calculated assault that was being administered. Bulmer took the time to re-plant his feet and start to get a few shots off on Rodger to show that he certainly wasn’t going to be a pushover.

Had the second round gone the way of the first, ‘The Doctor’ would have had this bout in the bag, but that wasn’t how it was happening.

Bulmer had a severe wakeup call in the first round and needed to get back into the battle- continuing his ascent into form throughout the second round showing Rodger that he was going to take this battle to the wire. Rodger was proving he had a chin made of steel taking shots but immediately firing back some impressive counters.

Bulmer had done not just enough to get himself physically back into the fight but also on points he had forced this bout to the third and final round.

The final round would take this entire journey down to the wire. A fantastic spectacle and an amazing example of what boxing is all about. Both men giving their all for their companies and fans as victory hinged on one or two plum punches. “Super Dave, Super Dave, Super Davey Rodger!” could be heard bellowing from the crowd.

Punches were being landed by both men as Rodger would force Bulmer into the corner forcing him to turn away as the blows were executed. Bulmer would come back strong and test Rodger’s defensive capabilities. As the fight approached the final 30 seconds, it was Bulmer who started to look tired. Rodger was quick to capitalise and realised he could win it from there.

With absolute determination he pounced on Bulmer in the dying seconds and landed what at that point could have been the crucial punches.

With both men sluggishly walking back to their corners it was clear that they had given the fight everything they had. It was now down to the referee to make a decision I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to make. Dave “The Doctor” Rodger had earned his place in Mimecast history by becoming victorious on points; a popular verdict with the crowd.

Full of pride he was quick to turn the attention to the people who had helped him on his journey. “I’d like to thank my training team who have been amazing throughout this process.” said Rodger, a black eye already forming from the combat. “Not only were they incredible before but they kept me cool during the fight and I was able to keep my head and get the job done, the support from Mimecast has been incredible.”

Enjoy your well earned holiday Dave- we’re incredibly proud of you.

Mimecast contender talks of the inspiring cause leading him into the ring this Thursday night…

With just over 24 hours to go until the audience take their seats at the CRN Fight Night 2012, Dave “The Doctor” Rodger has done all he can to prepare for the bout which could potentially propel him to stardom.

Vote: Who will be the Ultimate Fighting Champion on the night or do you think Dave will win?

But the real winners of the night will be the many causes the Fighters are representing. “The charity I chose is St Luke’s Hospice.” said Rodger, untying his fist wraps. “They provide care and support for those with terminal illness and their families. As a smaller local charity, they don’t benefit from the same capacity for fundraising as many larger charities do, so having people do events like this is incredibly important for them.”

A caring, sensitive man as well as a calculated assassin, Dave showed me some of the work that this great charity does and it really is incredible. So if you have enjoyed the build-up to CRN Fight Night or if you are attending the event yourself, why not show your support?

My words used in the first instalment of this journey couldn’t have been truer, with the UK weather now starting to realise its potential, tomorrow on a warm May evening, will Dave “The Doctor” Rodger start to realise his?

The time has come. The time when the words have to stop and the actions begin.

The 7 day mark hits as David Rodger fine tunes his physical and mental measures before judgement day arrives next Thursday.

As the eyes of the UK Channel begin to turn towards Chiswell Street for CRN’s Fight Night, a fair haired assassin can be seen deep in the Mimecast gym working towards one of the defining moments of his career. That assassin is of course David “The Doctor” Rodger, with the whole company in his corner he’s looking to dispatch his opponent with surgical precision.

There have been various sightings of Rodger tweeted at Mimecast as his ruthless training routine has hit new heights. Paperboys will have seen him at 4am running up Trafalgar Square stairs whilst fishmongers and market lads will have spotted him sprinting through Portobello market jabbing fresh meat as he dashes in the dawn sunlight.

Who will be the Ultimate Fighting Champion on the night or do you think Dave will win?

After several closed door training sessions I was able to catch up with Rodger as he prepares for next Thursday’s action.“I’m feeling good, very confident actually.” said Rodger, a wry smile on his face as he sips from his energy drink. “I work and play in an environment which doesn’t allow you to feel shy or unsure. I’m incredibly focused now for the job in hand.”

It was certainly good to hear this from the man who has the expectations of a company on his shoulders. Having not seen The Doctor in a few weeks I can tell you exclusively he looks bigger, stronger and as one of the sparring partners found out – a lot quicker!

……Your Mimecast fighter shortlist is announced, but who will be our Rocky Balboa?

First, came the Mimecast assessment day. Then, came Judgement Day. Nine brave Mimecasters sweated blood and tears in training, and then sweated some more waiting for the results of the vote.

But then the waiting was over, and nine became three as you sorted the wheat from the chaff with your votes.

The Mimecast fighter shortlist, in no particular order, was announced as:

These are the names that could strike fear into the hearts of other fighters daring to enter the fight night looking to come out unscathed. But who will be ‘the one’ to represent Mimecast on the night?

Following the results of the vote, your Mimecast Musketeers travelled to the other side of the capital to attend the CRN Assessment evening to determine who would be the chosen one. With that embedded in their minds, the Mimecast warriors donned their vests and boxing gloves one more time. The only difference this time was that they were sussing out the competition from other vendors, resellers and distributors, while trying to impress the Fight Night representatives who could eventually choose them and their….gulp….opponent.

With the dilemma of whether to play down their ability or not, the fearless trio set about a punch bag deciding to give it everything they had. Hundreds of press ups and sit ups later, the Mimecast hopefuls were wondering if they’d made the right decision to compete after all!

So, what about the competition?

“A mixed bag” was the answer from the CRN Fight Night Representative. “The Mimecast lads were definitely on the better side of things”. Even Trevor

I came to the same conclusion; whoever the ’chosen one’ is matched up against, it will inevitably be a brilliant fight. Both males and females looked very tough with one girl even representing Britain, which made certain legs quiver: “She could definitely knock me out” whimpered Rich “Scrappy Doo” Dean.

So there you have it; stage 2 of a lactic filled journey is complete. All we can do now is wait for CRN to announce the Mimecast fighter……. and that is when the hard work really begins!

Valiant Mimecasters get brutal insight into training regime for CRN Fight Night – but the fighter is yet to be decided!

Drum roll……“The challenge has been set.  Nine brave Mimecasters volunteered, but only one gets the call. Two hours of relentless training and possible humiliation stand in their way. The prize? The chance to represent Mimecast at the Channel ‘Event of the Year.’”

From this dramatic intro, you could be forgiven for assuming that you were watching a trailer for the latest Jason Statham movie, but no. Jack ‘won’t be beaten’ Blackmore ruined that image by donning a ‘Next for Men’ t-shirt, complimented perfectly by a pair of Steve McKenzie’s surfer shorts.

Unfortunately only five of the original nine warriors showed up to the first hurdle: the training session. Greg “The Wizard” Collins was suffering from a 25 day sickness bug, while Jason “People’s Champ” Kennett, Nick “The Southern Dandy” Moss and Trev “The Hitman” Highley were unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances.  But fear not, they are looking to come back strong at the next session.

One by one, the brave warriors strolled into a tension-filled gym.  Expectation was low but morale was sky high. Will ‘’I AM’’ Lowden confirms his brawn-over-brain reputation by struggling to remove his mouth guard from the hot water. Not a great start!

Technical ability training was the first order of the day. Gary, a personal trainer at Urban Kings, was the man entrusted to put these Mimecasters through their paces. With hand wraps securely fastened and dignity still in place, they began unleashing their finest jabs, mixed with a few ducks and bounces.  Jason ’Reggie’’ Miller looked unsure of his lefts and rights but Richard ‘’Scrappy Doo’’ Dean brought a chill to the air with his earth shattering jabs.  At the end of the technical session, Gary’s conclusion was that: “David (The Doctor) has a great left hook, and his concentration is second to none.”

With the gym starting to empty due to the post-apocalyptic odour, the Chris Eubank wannabees moved onto their final challenge:  fitness. John, a fitness coach at Urban Kings, unleashed a relentless routine of squats and lifts with a 15kg weight. This was all that stood between the fighters and the first interlude of this epic journey.  After 10 minutes, Jason ‘‘Reggie’’ Miller bowed out while the others fought on, determined not to let anyone have the psychological edge.

By now, thoroughly exhausted, the boys ended with some one-on-one practice with Will ‘’I AM’’ Lowden and Jack ‘’won’t be beaten’’ Blackmore doing more burping than punching. Amidst the screams of “Harder! Harder!” they were trying to slog the hell out of each other while at the same time noticing they had made a smiley face on the canvas with their sweat. Nice.

Urban Kings experts, Gary and John, were pleased with the overall performances and had this to say for the Mimecast heroes: “All of them have a good level of fitness but in terms of having the mental attitude and discipline to train and fight; Dave [The Doctor] has the edge.”

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, there you have it. Experts and Bookmakers say Dave “The Doctor” Rodger…

…but on a warm evening in May, who do the people want to see dance under those bright lights? It is not too late to vote – visit: http://info.mimecast.com/FightNight_vote before 5th February 2012.