The challenge
The VAR sold hardware, networking and Microsoft 365 licenses across 180+ end customers. Margins on commodity hardware were eroding 8% year-over-year. Leadership knew security was the answer, but had been burned twice by attempts to build an internal SOC; both ended in analyst attrition.
They needed a cybersecurity offering they could attach to every sale without taking on the operational burden of running a 24/7 SOC.
The approach
Vijilan onboarded the VAR onto ThreatDefend at the Silver partner tier in three weeks. The VAR's sales team was trained on a two-question qualification: identity + endpoint coverage today, and how that compares to ThreatDefend Essential.
A ThreatAssess engagement was deployed against the VAR's top 12 prospects. Six converted to ThreatDefend Essential within the quarter. The findings reports themselves became the sales tool.
The VAR added co-branded reporting from the Vijilan Partner Portal. Every customer-facing artifact carried the VAR's logo on top, with Vijilan's SOC operating invisibly behind it.
The outcome
Attach rate (security service attached to a hardware or M365 deal) went from 12% to 27% in two quarters, more than doubling.
Gross margin on managed security sat at 41%, vs. 8% on hardware. The VAR's overall practice margin grew 40% in the year.
No new analyst hires. The SOC capacity was Vijilan's; the customer relationship stayed with the VAR.
"We don't run a SOC. We sell security. Vijilan is the difference between the two."