Kaspersky Lab Sweeps CRN’s 2012 Annual Report Card Client Security Software Category

Kaspersky Lab Recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Partner Program for Fifth Consecutive Year

Woburn, MA – August 22, 2012 –Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, announced today that for the fifth consecutive year, UBM Channel has recognized the company as an award winner in CRN’s 2012 Annual Report Card (ARC). Kaspersky Lab took home the highly coveted honor in the overall Client Security Software category by earning the highest partner-voted scores across all three sub-categories including Product Innovation, Support and Partnership.

The ARC awards are considered the definitive benchmark for measuring excellence in the IT Channel community. To determine the winners, The UBM Channel ARC research team surveyed more than 3,700 solution providers across 23 categories to evaluate their satisfaction with vendor products, support and channel programs. Winners were celebrated at an awards ceremony on August 21 at the annual XChange Americas Conference in Dallas, Texas.

“This year’s ARC award further validates that Kaspersky Lab stands head and shoulders above all other category vendors in the eyes of our partners,” said Christopher Doggett, Vice President of Channel Sales, Kaspersky Lab. “From award-winning security protection to business results and profitability, we’ve demonstrated to our partners that if you invest in engaging with Kaspersky Lab, we’ll deliver value that you won’t find elsewhere.”

This news came as no surprise to Kaspersky Lab’s partners, who further validated the company’s ongoing success: “This news is expected,” said Pete Greco, Vice President of Sales and Technology, Productive Corporation. “Kaspersky Lab’s go-to market plan with the channel is unparalleled. Kaspersky Lab is working hard not only to create an excellent channel strategy, but is also following through on the execution which is the key ingredient for success. Keep up the great work Kaspersky!”

"When it comes to the strength of relationships, quality of products and return on partner programs,  solution providers want to hear from their fellow VARs about the IT vendors that consistently exceed expectations,” said Kelley Damore, Vice President, Editorial Director, UBM Channel. "The Annual Report Card gives solution providers the opportunity to share feedback and recognize the vendors who truly demonstrate channel excellence. We congratulate Kaspersky Lab for being recognized as the best of the best."

Kaspersky Lab’s Unique Channel Program
The latest accolade comes on the heels of other significant Kaspersky Lab partner news. In July, the company announced a new deal registration program offering Kaspersky Lab resellers additional rewards and greater profitability.

What differentiates Kaspersky Labs Partner Program from the competition? 

• Unprecedented deal control that essentially eliminates partner-to-partner deal conflict in competitive bidding scenarios
• The best value partner stack; the highest combined rewards and the best margin protection
• Redefining “100% Channel” with investments, programs and people to grow partners’ sales
• Best-in-class support, with a dedicated partner hotline
• Award-winning technology within a single architecture—built from the ground up

Partners should contact their preferred Kaspersky Lab distributor or their channel account manager for more program details.

About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is the world’s largest privately held vendor of endpoint protection solutions. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users*. Throughout its 15-year history Kaspersky Lab has remained an innovator in IT security and provides effective digital security solutions for consumers, SMBs and Enterprises. The company currently operates in almost 200 countries across the globe, providing protection for over 300 million users worldwide. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

*The company was rated fourth in the IDC rating Worldwide Endpoint Security Revenue by Vendor, 2010. The rating was published in the IDC report Worldwide IT Security Products 2011-2015 Forecast and 2010 Vendor Shares – December 2011. The report ranked software vendors according to earnings from sales of endpoint security solutions in 2010.

About UBM Channel: (www.ubmchannel.com)
UBM Channel is the premier provider of IT channel-focused events, media, research, consulting, and sales and marketing services. With over 30 years of experience and engagement, UBM Channel has the unmatched channel expertise to execute integrated solutions for technology executives managing partner recruitment, enablement and go-to-market strategy in order to accelerate technology sales. UBM Channel is a UBM company. To learn more about UBM Channel, visit us at www.ubmchannel.com.

About UBM plc (www.ubm.com)
UBM plc is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more than 30 countries is organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to www.ubm.com.