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As Intel Security brings its McAfee software-as-a-service products to end-of-life, it naturally raises questions among the partner community, especially those who originally signed on with MX Logic and stayed on through the acquisitions.

What does it mean? Intel Security’s plans to discontinue McAfee SaaS products means partners must identify new solutions and then go through entire deployment and provisioning steps all over again if their customers want to keep endpoint and email security.

When will it take effect?  In January 2016, Intel Security will stop selling McAfee SaaS Endpoint and SaaS Email Protection and Archiving, with the majority of subscriptions and support ending in 2017.  Some limited support will continue for certain subscriptions through 2021.

What about my customers who face compliance issues?  If your clients are legally required to archive their emails, make sure you know when end of life is for their subscription.  While emails will continue to be archived until the subscription’s expiration date for SaaS archiving subscriptions, new emails will no longer be archived after the subscription has expired.  Additionally, customers will only have six months to import their archived emails into their new platform, and any emails that have not been moved at that point will be permanently deleted.

What can I expect?  Until a permanent solution is in place, partners should be mindful of a few key considerations.  For starters, consider the time it takes to learn new technology and user interfaces (this includes internal and customer training), how pricing models will be affected and what support you’ll need to give and receive.  Thankfully, it looks like current McAfee subscriptions will be supported until January 2017, so there’s time to map out a meaningful course of action.

Next steps?  Despite Intel Security’s departure, SaaS is an increasingly popular delivery model for email and archiving.  From cost savings to scalability, accessibility, continuity and real-time security updates, customer demand for SaaS solutions remains strong.  So then ask yourself, “Who do I want to partner with?” Before selecting your next solution provider, consider this:

Stability: Take a look at the market and the players within it.  How long have the solution providers been around?  Are they security-focused?  What do their partners say about them?  Speak with partner references. Support: Can you access live customer support whenever needed, preferably by employees of that company? Complementary Services: Can you grow with the vendor?  Do they offer additional solutions that complement your portfolio and address customer need? Commitment to the Channel:  Does the vendor offer good margins, friendly terms, competitive pricing?  Are they committed to your success?