Q&A Spotlight: Marc Inderhees, Senior Director, MSP Channel Sales

As the Zero Trust security movement gains momentum, channel providers have much to gain. With organizations poised to replace as much as 60% of their VPNs with Zero Trust security solutions by 2023, channel providers can play a pivotal role in helping customers evaluate and choose the right technologies, as well as accelerate deployment.

Our Managed Service Provider (MSP) program empowers MSPs to maximize the value of Appgate SDP, an industry-leading Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution, while reducing cost and enhancing profitability. Partners have access to a comprehensive selection of business tools and marketing resources that help them work with customers to improve access security and reduce operational complexity.

We sat down and talked with Marc Inderhees, our newly appointed Senior Director, MSP Channel Sales to get his perspective on the greatest challenges facing MSPs and where the market is headed.

Q1: Welcome to Appgate, Marc. We’re so happy to have you here. What drew you to our organization?

Marc: Thank you—I’m really excited to be here! I recently made a career decision to double down on security with MSPs. I spoke to numerous companies over the last few months and finally landed on Appgate, a recognized leader in the ZTNA space. It’s a fast-growing security category for MSPs, and I'm very excited to have the opportunity to build Appgate’s MSP channel sales and go-to-market (GTM) strategy. It’s something I’m really passionate about.

Q2: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and some of the programs you built at Cisco?

Marc: I've been in the industry for over 26 years. I spent almost the first decade of my career working on the partner side of the business as an account manager in Dallas, and it was there that I had broad exposure to many different vendors and customer types. It was a great way to get introduced to the industry and helped me in defining the early stages of my career. I joined Cisco in 2005 in what is now called the Cisco Global Partner Organization. Over the course of my 16 years there, I had the opportunity to lead a number of channel GTM initiatives and for the last five years focused my attention on Partner Managed Services.

Q3: We launched our Managed Service Provider (MSP) program last month. How are things progressing, and what are you most excited about tackling in your role here?

Marc: The initial interest from MSPs in Appgate’s products and services, as well as in our new MSP channel program has been very positive. We’ve had an opportunity to run a number of MSP focus group sessions that have been extremely helpful, and we have several “early adopter” MSPs that have quickly become advocates as we expand our presence and reach in this market. I’m excited to accelerate this momentum.

Q4: Why will Zero Trust security be a big priority—and opportunity—for MSPs in 2022?

Marc: ZTNA is of high interest to the MSP community, especially those serving customers in regulated industries and those with concerns pertaining to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). CMMC, which was developed by the Department of Defense, verifies that contractors are implementing basic cybersecurity measures to ensure that sensitive defense information is safeguarded. Fortunately, at Appgate, we’re well positioned to address this fast-growing category.

Q5: What are the biggest obstacles to implementing Zero Trust security today and how can MSPs help them overcome them?

Marc: In the ZTNA space, MSPs face challenges with software-access tools, which are often expensive, complicated to deploy and manage and not priced and packaged appropriately for MSPs. This is an area where Appgate has a significant advantage—our technology is solid, far easier to deploy and maintain than other solutions, with very competitive and flexible pricing. We have aligned our business model to support how MSPs go to market and have implemented the infrastructure and support model to ensure their success.

Q6: We’ve seen an increase in ransomware campaigns targeting MSPs in 2021. Do you think we’ll see this trend continue into 2022?

Marc: Definitely. I don't see this issue going away. If anything, it's on the rise. Nearly every MSP that I speak with agrees. The question then becomes how do they prepare and protect themselves from these threat actors and best secure their customers’ environments?

Q6: And finally, as we’re well into the holiday season, what’s on your cybersecurity wish list?

Marc: I think my wish has already come true. I made a career decision to focus on security as part of my managed services career development, and I think Appgate is the perfect fit for me as I take this next step in my career journey. I'm thankful for the opportunity to work with a world-class team and make an impact—for Appgate, our partners and the industry.

Additional resources:

Managed Service Provider Zero Trust Program
Zero Trust Thirty podcast series
Appgate SDP Overview
Zero Trust Starts with Secure Remote Access