Barracuda Networks has announced a series of enhancements to its Partner Success Program in a move the cybersecurity vendor said will help MSPs and channel partners strengthen expertise and accelerate growth.

The initiative now includes new enablement, marketing, and partner engagement capabilities designed to improve operational efficiency, deepen technical knowledge, and unlock new business opportunities through the BarracudaONE cyber resilience platform.

The update includes expanded demand generation tools, enhanced marketing resources, and partner experience improvements, alongside additional training and certification options via the Barracuda Mastery Program.

In an announcement, Michelle Hodges, senior vice president of global channels and alliances at Barracuda, said the latest enhancements reflect the company’s continued commitment to partner success.

“At Barracuda, our partners are at the center of every decision we make, from product innovation to go-to-market execution," she commented. "We’re creating more opportunities for partners to engage customers, sharpen differentiation and grow their business — and making it easier than ever to do so.”

Expanded partner capabilities

As part of the update, Barracuda is introducing a new through-channel marketing automation platform that features co-branded campaigns, social and email syndication, and turnkey campaign execution to help partners generate demand.

The company also revealed that it plans to launch a Partner Locator tool designed to connect customers with certified partners and help drive high-intent sales opportunities.

On the training front, the Barracuda Mastery Program has been expanded with additional role-based learning, technical labs, and advanced sales and technical badges aimed at strengthening partner expertise and validating specialist skills.

Elsewhere, the company has introduced new role-based experiences and automation within its Partner Portal, including guided onboarding journeys designed to simplify engagement, accelerate time to value, and help businesses scale.

Commenting on the refresh, Sean Furman, president at STF Consulting, said the enhanced program will help partners strengthen their expertise while tapping into new revenue opportunities.

“Barracuda’s expanded training, certifications and partner recognition programs give us the tools to build expertise and stand out in a crowded market,” he explained.

“These investments elevate our credibility as a strategic advisor and translate directly into greater customer value, stronger retention and new opportunities to grow high margin recurring revenue.”

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Leaseweb has unveiled a new UK channel partner program as the infrastructure provider looks to strengthen support for partners amid growing demand for hybrid cloud strategies.

The launch marks the latest phase of the firm’s investment into its channel ecosystem and coincides with the appointment of Jason Goody as UK channel sales manager, who will work to develop the program across the country.

According to Leaseweb, the revamped initiative has been designed to provide improved support to MSPs, cloud providers, and infrastructure partners working with organizations reassessing workload placement across dedicated, private, and public cloud environments.

The program introduces a three-tier structure covering reseller, referral, and solution partner models, enabling businesses to tailor engagements based on their individual requirements.

The initiative has been built with a focus on commercial flexibility and includes expanded technical and pre-sales support in a bid to help partners deliver infrastructure services to customers more efficiently.

Leaseweb said that partners also gain access to its AI-ready infrastructure portfolio and GPU-powered cloud services as enterprise demand for AI, machine learning, and data-intensive workloads shows no sign of slowing down.

In an announcement, Leaseweb UK managing director Terry Storrar said the channel represents a significant growth opportunity as businesses seek hybrid cloud strategies that offer greater flexibility, control, and cost efficiency.

“Our new channel partner program reflects Leaseweb’s long-term investment in the partner ecosystem, giving partners the flexibility, support and scalability they need to deliver tailored services to customers,” he commented.

Leaseweb targets UK growth with new hire

As part of its increased investment, channel veteran Jason Goody also joins the company as UK channel sales manager. He brings more than 20 years’ channel experience and joins the business from OVHcloud, where he led the company’s UK partner program.

In his new role, Leaseweb said Goody will focus on expanding its partner network and strengthening relationships across MSPs, systems integrators, and technology vendors.

According to Storrar, Goody’s extensive industry experience will play an important role in the vendor’s continued efforts to scale its UK operations.

“I am delighted that Jason has joined our UK team,” he added. “The UK channel represents a significant growth opportunity as more organisations look to adopt hybrid cloud strategies that offer greater flexibility, control and cost efficiency.

“Jason’s experience and leadership will be instrumental as we continue to grow and strengthen our UK channel network.”

Founded in the Netherlands in 1997, Leaseweb operates across 28 data centers globally and provides a range of cloud, hosting, colocation, content delivery network (CDN), and managed infrastructure solutions and services.

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Kaseya has cut the ribbon on MSP Success, a new growth ecosystem designed to help managed service providers (MSPs) scale more efficiently through a combination of marketing enablement, peer collaboration, and community support.

The initiative unifies the firm’s growth and business acceleration programs, including MSP Success Digital Marketing, MSP Success Peer, and the Kaseya Community.

According to the vendor, the new-look ecosystem will help MSPs raise their competitiveness and drive measurable business outcomes at a time when customer acquisition remains a significant industry challenge.

Citing findings from its 2026 State of the MSP Report, Kaseya said 71% of MSPs identified acquiring new customers as their biggest hurdle.

Kaseya eyes pipeline growth with MSP Success

At the heart of the firm’s new initiative is MSP Success Digital Marketing, a new purpose-built platform designed to help MSPs strengthen their market presence and accelerate pipeline growth.

The platform equips partners with a host of tools and services, from search engine and answer engine optimization (SEO/AEO), content marketing, and email and social media campaign assistance, to reputation management, analytics, and lead capture capabilities.

MSPs also gain access to a dedicated marketing success specialist, Kaseya said.

“While MSPs excel at technology, many struggle with marketing in a challenging landscape,” said Kaseya executive vice president of channel, Dan Tomaszewski.

“That’s why we’ve built a team of experienced practitioners, along with the right tools and processes, to help MSPs grow and succeed."

Strengthening peer collaboration

Alongside the digital marketing program, Kaseya has also combined its MSP peer programs – TruMethods Peer and Technology Marketing Toolkit – into a single peer collaboration initiative, dubbed MSP Success Peer.

The combined program aims to provide partners with an improved platform for collaboration and access to a larger network focused on operational and business growth opportunities.

Through the initiative, MSPs can participate in quarterly in-person meetings across North America, EMEA, and APAC, as well as online sessions geared towards building community and accountability.

Expanding growth-focused leadership

To support the continued expansion of the peer program, Kaseya also announced the appointment of seasoned leader Jay Dixon as director of MSP Success Peer Education, with further additions anticipated in due course.

“Building strong leadership starts with people who have lived it,” added Tomaszewski. “Jay spent four years in our Peer program as a captain, exited his business, and is now coming back to help others do the same.

“His experience reinforces our approach to investing in leaders who understand what success looks like.”

Meanwhile, Tomaszewski will lead Kaseya’s wider MSP Success initiative alongside Greg Jones, senior vice president of MSP Success EMEA, and Mike Stodola, vice president of marketing enablement strategy.

According to the company, the program is backed by a global team of 140 employees focused on MSP growth trends, AI-driven business enablement, and partner community development.

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Percona has announced the appointment of Louis Hood as its new director of global partnerships and channels, as the open source database software specialist looks to strengthen its partner ecosystem.

A seasoned industry veteran, Hood joins the business with more than 20 years’ experience building and scaling partner networks across the cloud, data, and enterprise technology markets.

In his new role, he will lead Percona’s global partner program, working to grow the firm’s relationships across cloud providers, global systems integrators (GSIs), independent software vendors (ISVs), and value-added resellers (VARs).

In an announcement, the vendor said Hood will focus on developing strategic partnerships that make its open source database solutions easier for customers to adopt, deploy, and scale across increasingly complex IT environments.

“Most organizations are operating across hybrid and multi-cloud environments while trying to manage rising costs and growing complexity,” Hood commented. “Percona’s open approach gives them a different path: more flexibility, better control over cost and infrastructure, and no lock-in.

“The way is open, and our partner program should reflect that — focused, strategic and built around outcomes that matter.”

Prior to joining Percona, Hood served as FinOps cloud lead at IT asset and expense management provider Tangoe, where he worked with organizations to optimize cloud spending and align technology investments with business priorities.

He has also previously held senior alliance and partner-focused positions at SoftServe and CDW, where he led go-to-market initiatives across cloud and emerging technologies.

Percona said Hood’s experience in building partner ecosystems will be a key asset for the company as customers continue to seek greater flexibility and control over their data infrastructure strategies.

Commenting on the appointment, Percona CEO Peter Farkas said Hood’s expertise aligns closely with the vendor’s own focus on delivering customer value through open source technologies.

“Customers want more control over their data infrastructure, not more complexity or lock-in,” he explained.

“Louis understands how to build disciplined partner ecosystems that create measurable customer value. His leadership will help us make Percona’s open source solutions more accessible, easier to scale and harder for the market to ignore.”

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Panasonic Toughbook has announced the launch of a new European partner program designed to strengthen its channel-first strategy and provide partners with greater commercial support and growth opportunities.

Dubbed Elevate, the revamped initiative introduces new deal registration capabilities, a tiered partner structure, enhanced training and certification pathways, as well as performance-based financial incentives for resellers and distributors.

The program is structured around three reseller tiers – Authorized, Expert, and Elite – alongside a dedicated framework for distributors and a certified ISV track.

Elevate also features a new deal registration system designed to provide partners with greater pricing clarity and commercial predictability, including access to premium discounts on registered opportunities.

“ELEVATE gives our partners the commercial structure, predictability, and financial incentives they need to build their business with confidence,” commented Damien Fernandez, European partner and channel manager at Panasonic TOUGHBOOK.

“At a time when predictability matters more than ever in the channel, ELEVATE gives partners the stability to plan, invest, and grow.”

Expanding partner enablement

Alongside commercial updates, Panasonic Toughbook has also expanded its partner enablement efforts through Basecamp – a dedicated training platform designed to introduce rugged mobility to new partners while strengthening the expertise of existing partners.

The platform features dedicated learning pathways covering rugged mobility fundamentals, sales guidance, and technical expertise, with partners able to earn certifications and digital badges upon completion.

Elite-tier partners will also gain access to additional growth incentives, the firm said, which include annual business planning, quarterly reviews, recruitment incentives, and performance-based rebates tied to revenue targets.

Anniversary channel evolution

According to Panasonic Toughbook, the launch marks the most significant evolution of its channel strategy in the brand’s 30-year history and coincides with a period of significant investment.

Among its recent developments, the firm has established dual Service and Solutions Centres in Cardiff and Budapest, introduced its Mobile-IT-As-A-Service (MaaS) full-lifecycle solution, as well as new AI-enabled Toughbook devices.

“Over the last three decades, Panasonic has earned the trust of mission-critical workers by engineering rugged mobility solutions that keep mobile workers connected and productive in any environment,” Fernandez added.

“ELEVATE extends that long-term trust to the partner ecosystem by providing a dependable framework for a channel-first future.”

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Lenovo has launched a series of updates to its global Lenovo 360 channel framework, in a move the vendor said will help partners better navigate an increasingly complex, services-led IT market.

The refresh has been designed to simplify partner engagement and create clear pathways for growth by focusing on recurring revenue, technical capability, and outcome-based delivery.

At the heart of the update is a new streamlined tiering structure that aims to make progression and incentives more transparent and predictable.

The revised model aligns partner rewards more closely with overall performance, combining revenue growth with skills development and accreditations.

All partners will begin at the program’s Authorized level, gaining access to Lenovo 360 Elevate, the firm’s growth engine designed to drive engagement and partner development.

As partners progress to higher tiers such as Gold and Platinum, they gain access to enhanced financial incentives, co-selling opportunities, and expanded access to Lenovo resources.

In an announcement, Lenovo said the updated framework reflects a broader shift in the channel as partners increasingly move beyond traditional resale models.

"The channel is central to how we do business,” commented Pascal Bourguet, chief sales strategy and channels officer at Lenovo.

“It’s how we scale, how we innovate, and how we grow together. With these latest enhancements to Lenovo 360, we’re making it simpler, more predictable, and more rewarding for partners to build their business with us.”

Driving services-led growth

Alongside its new tiering structure, Lenovo’s channel update also introduces Lenovo 360 for Services, a new pathway designed to help partners transition towards recurring, outcome-based business models.

The framework allows partners to attach services to deals more effectively, while expanding into higher-value offerings such as digital workplace, hybrid cloud, and AI solutions. The vendor said the approach will help partners increase deal sizes and build more predictable revenue streams.

Lenovo also revealed it is expanding its Lenovo 360 for managed service providers (MSPs) pathway into new markets – including the UK and Ireland, Nordics, and Benelux.

The MSP-focused track offers tailored tools, training, and incentives to help partners integrate Lenovo solutions into their managed services portfolios.

Building technical capability across the channel

Additionally, Lenovo has announced the launch of Lenovo 360 Tech Connect, a global technical community that aims to address the growing skills gap across the channel.

The initiative brings together pre-sales engineers, solution architects, and technical specialists, providing access to training resources and direct engagement with Lenovo experts to support partners in delivering more complex, solution-led outcomes for customers.

The vendor said Tech Connect comes in response to increasing demand for deeper technical expertise as partners continue to adapt to modern AI, hybrid cloud, and advanced infrastructure environments.

“From services-led growth to new technical communities and streamlined tiering, we’re focused on giving partners clear pathways to expand their capabilities, drive profitability, and deliver greater value to their customers in a rapidly evolving market,” Bourguet added.

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SOCRadar has launched a redesigned value-added reseller (VAR) program as the threat intelligence vendor looks to strengthen its channel strategy and drive new partner growth.

The partner-first initiative has been designed to help resellers improve profitability and gain a greater competitive edge through expanded incentives, enhanced sales enablement, and deeper technical engagement.

Alongside the launch, SOCRadar has also appointed Brian Costello as vice president of global partnerships, who will lead efforts to scale the vendor’s partner ecosystem and drive go-to-market alignment.

In an announcement, the company said its new program builds on its existing momentum in the MSSP space, placing a renewed focus on VARs as part of its broader channel strategy.

“SOCRadar is experiencing dramatic growth, and we see this new VAR program as an additional channel focus to accelerate and support the channel and continue the success we’ve already achieved on the MSSP side,” commented Huzeyfe Onal, CEO of SOCRadar.

Driving partner profitability

SOCRadar’s security platform combines AI-driven threat intelligence with external attack surface management, digital risk protection, and monitoring tools to help organizations identify, monitor, and respond to threats.

With its new VAR program, the vendor is now introducing more aggressive discounts and performance-based rewards geared towards improving partner margins and creating stronger financial incentives for generating new business with the platform.

The vendor has also expanded deal protection measures, including enhanced deal registration and incumbency benefits, to ensure partners are recognized and rewarded for the opportunities they develop.

To support sales engagement, partners will have access to simplified enablement materials such as use cases, problem statements, buyer personas, and qualifying questions.

The firm said these resources will help partners identify opportunities and initiate customer conversations without requiring deep technical expertise.

Elsewhere, SOCRadar is also increasing investment in technical support, offering scoping assistance, proof-of-value (POV) access, and integration guidance. The vendor is also expanding joint go-to-market efforts.

Strengthening the partner ecosystem

New global partnerships chief Brian Costello brings extensive experience in building and scaling channel programs across both enterprise and emerging technology companies, and will play a key role in driving the next phase of SOCRadar’s partner strategy.

“Brian has successfully developed and led many partner programs for top companies and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him bolster our VAR program and help our partners to significantly grow their businesses and achieve consistent success,” Onal added.

Throughout his career, the seasoned channel veteran has led high-performing security and cloud teams, delivering innovative technology solutions and driving consistent year-on-year growth.

“I’m excited to lead SOCRadar’s partner programs as the company takes the next critical step in strengthening its partner ecosystem with a renewed commitment to growth, profitability, and collaboration,” Costello said.

“This new SOCRadar VAR program is packed with many partner benefits, along with the tools and support they need to get the job done to help them exceed their goals.”

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Cloud communications specialist GoTo has cut the ribbon on the LogMeIn Partner Network, a new channel initiative designed to accelerate growth for IT partners and managed service providers (MSPs).

The program aims to support resellers, MSPs, and global systems integrators (GSIs) across the entirety of the go-to-market journey through new tools, incentives, and resources.

At launch, the partner network will focus on IT resellers, serving up access to GoTo’s LogMeIn portfolio – including AI-driven capabilities and new innovations for solutions such as LogMeIn Resolve and LogMeIn Rescue – to boost endpoint management, remote support, and zero trust expertise.

The vendor said these capabilities will help partners address the growing market demand for secure, scalable IT management and zero trust security.

The launch follows GoTo’s 2025 appointment of experienced partner industry specialist Steve Shattuck as vice president of Global Partner Ecosystems, as well as the firm’s wider expansion across the IT partner, MSP, GSI, and alliances marketplaces.

“GoTo is committed to providing the highest level of support to our LogMeIn partners, empowering them with industry-leading solutions, meaningful benefits, and the flexibility they need to succeed,” Shattuck said in an announcement.

“Together, we are building a stronger ecosystem that drives mutual growth and delivers top-tier endpoint management, remote support, and security to customers worldwide.”

Building a stronger channel network

Alongside access to GoTo’s LogMeIn portfolio, the new partner initiative also includes dedicated partner support with access to partner managers, solutions consultants, partner success teams, and marketing resources, alongside training and enablement tools.

The vendor has also introduced new co-marketing opportunities such as joint campaigns, marketing funds, and pipeline generation programs geared towards helping partners drive demand and revenue growth.

Additionally, the LogMeIn Partner Network features tiered incentives and recognition programs designed to reward top-performing partners.

Further updates to the program – including expanded support for MSPs and GSIs – is expected to arrive later in 2026.

Tackling evolving client needs

Marc Allen, ITAM/ITSM Solution Specialist at Softcat UK, said that its strategic decision to join GoTo’s initiative has allowed the business to deliver secure, scalable solutions that meet client’s evolving needs.

“What sets GoTo apart is not just the strength of their technology, but the quality of their partner offerings,” he explained. “The enablement resources, marketing support, and responsive channel team make it easy to build pipeline and close business with confidence.

“We feel supported, not just supplied. In a crowded vendor landscape, GoTo stands out as a collaborative, forward-thinking partner that genuinely invests in mutual success.”

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SonicWall has launched fresh updates to its SecureFirst Partner Program in a move the cybersecurity vendor said will help partners accelerate growth and drive recurring revenue.

The update includes new enablement offerings designed to support partners as they look to deliver stronger cyber security outcomes while scaling operations without increasing headcount or operational complexity.

Alongside the refresh, SonicWall has also appointed Patrick O’Donnell as its new chief revenue officer (CRO), who will lead global sales, partner, and revenue strategy.

The vendor said the appointment, combined with its new-look SecureFirst program, will improve partner support as the company expands beyond standard firewall deployments into platform-driven cyber security and managed services.

“Our partners are at the center of everything we do at SonicWall,” O’Donnell commented. “The SecureFirst Partner Program updates are about removing friction and helping partners move faster, attach more services and build profitable, long-term customer relationships.”

SonicWall said O’Donnell will play a key role in the creation of a more integrated, outcome-driven partner ecosystem. His appointment will also enable Jason Carter, senior vice president of global channels and alliances, to focus fully on overseeing a unified partner go-to-market organization.

A focus on partner outcomes

The SecureFirst refresh places a heightened focus on partner outcomes, including improving profitability through subscription-driven revenue models, deal protection, and programs that increase service attachment rates.

The program also features unified, multi-tenant management and automated billing workflows to help drive operational scale, while role-based, on-demand accreditations aim to shorten the time between training and revenue generation.

Additionally, SonicWall said it has introduced improved go-to-market execution, backed by teams that provide real-time technical, sales, and strategic guidance across the full sales lifecycle.

The changes aim to ensure stronger support for partners as customer expectations evolve, with organizations increasingly requiring continuous protection and faster response times.

“We’re aligning our enablement, incentives and support to ensure partners can scale confidently and win in a market that increasingly values outcomes over products,” O’Donnell continued.

Rethinking partner specializations

As part of the update, SonicWall has also revamped its approach to partner specializations, which will now be awarded at the partner firm level rather than to individual employees.

Partners will be able to earn specializations across key areas such as network security, security service edge, extended managed detection and response (XDMR), managed protection services, and endpoint security.

The vendor has also launched role-based accreditations across sales, pre-sales, and post-sales teams, delivered via on-demand, self-paced training programs to help partners scale expertise faster.

Other additions include improvements to partner onboarding processes, updates to the SonicWall University training platform, as well as expanded access to the vendor’s technical experts through its CSE Catalog.

The updated SecureFirst Partner Program requirements are already in effect but partners have until January 31, 2027, to meet the new criteria. Select accreditations are available now, SonicWall said, with additional offerings planned through the first half of the year.

“This is just the beginning,” added O’Donnell. “As we look ahead to 2026, SonicWall will continue investing in partners with deeper insights, stronger programs and actionable intelligence to help them stay ahead of emerging threats and customer needs.”

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Huntress has opened its global partner program to resellers for the first time, as the cybersecurity vendor looks to expand the reach of its managed security platform.

The move builds on the company’s decade-long partnerships with managed service providers (MSPs) and aims to extend enterprise-grade security tools to smaller organizations that find themselves increasingly targeted by cyber criminals.

By broadening its partner ecosystem, Huntress said it is making the same level of protection typically available to Fortune 1000 companies more accessible to businesses of all sizes, without the need for fine-tuning, management, or handling large numbers of false positives and alerts.

In an announcement, the vendor described its expanded initiative as a “global force multiplier” designed to help protect the most vulnerable organizations.

“Our reseller partner program is now live, and provides access to enterprise-grade security, purpose-built to catch what others miss, without constant false positives and alert fatigue,” said Tuan Nguyen, vice president of channels and alliances at Huntress.

“This enables them to differentiate their tech offerings, drive profitable business growth, and deliver tangible security outcomes. We are looking for partners who want to join our collective hunt and protect the 99%.”

Extending the reach of the Huntress platform

Huntress’ security platform is designed to protect and respond to a range of cyber threats, including business email compromise, account takeovers, ransomware, and phishing attacks.

The offering includes endpoint detection and response (EDR), identity threat detection and response (ITDR), security information and event management (SIEM), and security awareness training tools, backed by a 24/7 AI-assisted security operations center.

By bringing resellers into its partner program, Huntress said it is now looking to grow its pool of more than 200,000 organizations that already leverage the platform for their security needs.

Channel opportunity for resellers

By expanding its partner program, Huntress said it is creating fresh opportunities for resellers to differentiate and drive growth through profitable partner margins and co-marketing support tailored to reseller business models.

Michael Zuppa, CEO of blueAPACHE, an Australia-based Huntress partner, said the move will help support broader efforts to improve cyber resilience.

“In Australia, the Cyber Security Strategy 2023 to 2030 sets clear expectations for strengthened resilience across organisations of every size,” he explained.

“Our partnership with Huntress allows blueAPACHE to support this mission by giving our clients access to always‑on threat detection and response.”

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Acer has launched the ‘Acer Channel Partner Portal’ at its 50th anniversary celebrations in Milan, as it reaffirms its support for European SMBs.

The digital platform pools together the tools partners need to operate and serve their clients. It includes a vast library for training documentation and Acer products, as well as tools to compare models to help customers make more informed decisions.

Acer said the platform will cover almost the entire EMEA market by the end of June and is already live in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands.

“Investing in small and medium-sized companies means investing in the future of the European economy,” Cristina Pez, Acer’s director for commercial marketing and Go-to-Market strategy in EMEA, explained.

“The new Acer Channel Partner Portal is not just a digital tool, but a real strategic support platform for our partners, designed to simplify the adoption of advanced technology, accelerate processes, and create new growth opportunities.”

What to expect from the Acer Channel Partner Portal

Through the platform, partners will be able to see immediate pricing requests on available products and register for bid opportunities. These include product consultation and training resources through the Acer Academy.

Partners can also access marketing materials, loyalty programs, information about extended warranties, and various support services. Acer said the portal will essentially serve as an integrated access point for channel programs, adding visibility on opportunities and greater coordination across its entire partner ecosystem.

The Partner Portal is part of Acer’s EMEA strategy for 2026, which focuses on SMBs, mid-market users, and education.

SMBs are at the very heart of the European economy, according to Acer statistics, with 26.1 million companies, accounting for 99.8% of all active businesses across the continent.

Those figures, Acer said, confirm their impact is far from marginal and that their competitiveness is crucial for Europe’s growth.

“SMBs are facing resource constraints, talent shortages, and a context of permanent ‘polycrisis.’ In this framework, the channel is no longer just a trade intermediary, but a strategic partner capable of delivering expertise, consultancy, and local proximity,” Pez added.

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AI development platform provider OutSystems has cut the ribbon on Elevate, a redesigned global partner program designed to incentivize agentic AI development.

The new channel initiative introduces a global performance-driven “Earned Level” model that aims to recognize and reward partners for their technical expertise, as well as customer impact and market growth achievements.

Elevate includes a transparent roadmap and refocused incentives that aim to help partners scale their business as the industry pivots towards autonomous AI agents and complex cloud architectures.

In an announcement, OutSystems said its channel revamp marks the latest phase of its commitment to building a partner-first culture and ecosystem.

"Our partners deserve a program that rewards all the ways they engage with OutSystems to drive value & ROI for our joint customers,” said Ben Yerushalmi, SVP of Partner and Alliances at OutSystems.

“Our partners are the architects of the agentic future, and they need a program that moves at the speed of their innovation. Elevate rewards our partners for technical excellence, while helping them accelerate their global scale.”

A channel framework for the agentic AI era

The new Elevate Partner Program marks a shift away from “one-size-fits-all” metrics for OutSystems with the introduction of a point-based system across four critical pillars: financial contribution, knowledge, customer satisfaction (C-Sat), and program track.

This new points system includes weighting for agentic AI credentials, designed to ensure partners are suitably equipped to support the next phase of AI application development.

The vendor has also restructured its incentive model to align rewards with high quality delivery and customer outcomes, while a new standardized global framework offers discounts based on deal size and source to improve consistency and equality across the firm’s channel network.

Commenting on the new program, Camilla Ramberg, CEO at long-time OutSystems partner, Coolprofs, described the initiative as crucial to its business and long-term success.

“The new program is great in the way that it allows committed partners to thrive,” she said. “The more we invest in our OutSystems knowledge, the community and our customers, the better we perform in the program. The Partner is in control.”

The new Elevate initiative is effective immediately for all new and existing OutSystems partners, with the new “Earned Level” dashboard accessible via the company’s partner portal.

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Proofpoint has cut the ribbon on its latest partner program as the cybersecurity vendor looks to help partners increase profitability in the era of agentic AI.

The revamped Proofpoint Partner Network features a simplified structure alongside enhanced investments tailored to customer buying behavior and partners’ business activity.

Partners can now leverage deeper incentives, stronger deal protections, and expanded opportunities to build differentiated services around Proofpoint’s AI-powered security platform.

In an announcement, the company said its new initiative will facilitate faster growth and improved margins for channel partners at a time when cyber threats increasingly target AI-driven workflows.

“Partners play a critical role in helping reduce risk, simplify security, and drive measurable outcomes for customers,” explained Stan de Boisset, Proofpoint’s senior vice president of global channels.

“The Proofpoint Partner Network reflects how the market is evolving, built to help our partners win with stronger economics, clearer protections, and the tools they need to build successful, long-term practices around the most trusted human-centric security platform in the market.

Proofpoint targets long-term partner growth

The new Proofpoint Partner Network places an increased focus on partner profitability and predictability, the company said.

This includes improved incentives for new customer acquisition and renewals, expanded co-investment through demand generation funds, as well as new data security investments to help partners tap into a key customer investment area.

Additionally, the firm said it has strengthened protections across partner-sourced and co-sell opportunities alongside incumbency protection at renewal to safeguard investments across the full customer lifecycle.

Simplified engagement

Proofpoint has also introduced three partner tiers to its channel ecosystem based on partner investment and performance – Select, Elite, and Elite+.

These new categories offer pathways to increased benefits and rewards, with Elite and Elite+ partners gaining access to NFR licenses for hands-on learning, demos, and deeper technical expertise.

Meanwhile, partners can also benefit from expanded routes to market through the AWS and Microsoft Azure marketplaces for new opportunities across AI, data security, and services.

Throughout 2026, Proofpoint said its new-look program will help partners build and scale security services – such as health checks and certified deployment offerings – to generate new, high-margin revenue streams.

“By aligning our investments to partner growth, simplifying engagement, and leading together in the agentic security era, we’re delivering a programme that helps our partners win today and well into the future,” de Boisset added.

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Pure Storage has doubled down on its channel-first strategy with fresh updates to its partner program to help resellers, MSPs, and distributors drive growth through its data storage platform.

Building on last year’s foundational updates, this latest refresh has been designed to create a more differentiated, solutions-led partner experience through deeper partner enablement and new program tiers.

Key additions include a new Ambassador level for the reseller program, designations for reseller technical expertise, a sharper focus on data-centric services for MSPs, as well as new growth incentives for distributors.

In an announcement, Amy Fowler, general manager for Pure Storage’s Commercial Line of Business, said the initiative’s latest iteration underlines the company’s continued investment in partner success.

“The introduction of the Ambassador tier is a key step in helping our partners embed Pure into their solutions,” she commented. “We are also focusing intensely on services, and simplified engagement, while strengthening our dedication to an indirect-first business model.”

Prioritizing impact

The latest version of Pure Storage’s partner program prioritizes verified technical expertise, solution specialization, and operational impact over volume-based participation.

By recognizing expertise and focusing on data-centric services, the company said partners will benefit from further differentiation, faster time-to-productivity, as well as closer alignment with evolving customer demands.

The new Ambassador level for the reseller program aims to reward partners who offer deep expertise in the Pure Storage Platform and across solution areas.

Those assigned Ambassador status will work closely with the vendor to develop solution competencies and go-to-market offerings.

Reseller, MSP, and distributor updates

Elsewhere, Pure has also introduced greater recognition for reseller technical expertise, with Solution Practice Designations for partners that demonstrate the skills and tools to drive innovation across four key areas: AI and analytics, cyber resilience, cloud, and app modernization.

Meanwhile, the MSP program now places a heightened focus on data-centric services, including private and sovereign cloud, storage as-a-service, as well as backup and disaster recovery.

As part of the update, the firm said it will prioritize collaboration with partners delivering these services using Pure Storage as their underlying data platform.

Additionally, the distributor program has been updated to support broader reach and faster partner enablement through new growth incentives, expanded market investment, and wider scope for distributors to provide training to resellers.

Geoff Greenlaw, Pure Storage’s VP of channel for EMEA and LatAm, said these updates will help its ecosystem of partners build long-term, profitable businesses through the Pure Storage platform.

“By focusing on a more differentiated, solutions-led partner experience – underpinned by deeper enablement and a stronger emphasis on services and outcomes – we’re giving partners clearer paths to margin, more predictable growth engines, and the support they need to succeed with customers in 2026 and well into the future,” he explained.

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Dell Technologies has announced a series of updates to its partner program for 2026, including new incentives and resources designed to tap into evolving market opportunities.

The move builds on the vendor’s incentive-led channel revamp introduced in 2025 with the aim of further standardizing and automating how it does business with its channel ecosystem.

Last year’s initiative centered on improved storage and client incentives, sustainability tools, and a more consistent tier structure than previous iterations.

Dell’s 2026 updates build on those foundations, introducing new resources to further simplify how partners do business with the company and strengthen collaboration across the ecosystem.

Incentive-driven updates

One of the major additions to the program is the reintroduction of Titanium incentives.

After enhancing growth incentives for Titanium partners back in 2025, Dell has now restored Titanium partner eligibility for Storage & Client New Business Incentives.

Storage Competitive Swap rebates have also been restored in a move the firm said will provide more targeted support.

The company also revealed it is continuing its VxRail Transition Program, designed to help partners transition customers from Dell VxRail to modern infrastructure tied to the Dell Private Cloud service.

The initiative means partners will be able to earn more through incentives and rebates while also benefitting from no-cost training and migration services, trade-in or try & buy programs, and financial services offerings.

Dell is also sharpening its focus on storage and client growth with the introduction of a reimagined Storage & Client Growth program for its largest partners, offering two target levels of achievement geared towards driving profitability and attainability.

Modernizing the partner experience

Elsewhere, Dell is making notable changes to modernize its overall partner experience.

The company has implemented AI to automate key processes, including accelerating the sharing of demand signals with partners, enabling closer collaboration between partner and Dell teams, as well as streamlining the quoting and buying experience.

A new integrated partner experience will also be introduced at the Dell Technologies World event in May, bringing together tools and processes which the company said will drive more seamless channel interactions.

In an announcement, Dell said these updates prioritize intentional growth in critical areas to help partners “execute with operational excellence.”

"Our mission is clear: to empower our partners to navigate the evolving landscape, lead customers through critical transformations and capitalise on growth opportunities,” said Denise Millard, Dell’s chief partner officer.

“We are committed to our omni-channel approach and these updates will help us go further and faster with our partner ecosystem."

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CultureAI has launched a new global partner program designed to help the channel deliver safe, compliant AI adoption using its AI Usage Control platform.

Available to partners now, the CultureAI Partner Program equips resellers, VARs, MSPs, and MSSPs with technology and tools geared towards building scalable AI Usage Control practices.

The initiative includes a four-tier partner model, protected deal registration, free sales and technical certifications, an AI risk assessment tool, and other resources to help fuel enablement-driven growth.

In an announcement, CultureAI said the program comes at a time when organizations face a “growing gap” between AI adoption and governance, with traditional security tools not built to tackle modern AI challenges.

“AI is already everywhere inside organisations, whether security teams like it or not,” commented Sam Soares, CRO of CultureAI.

“Blocking AI doesn’t work, and logging it after the fact isn’t enough. Partners need a way to help customers move fast and stay safe. That’s exactly what this program is built for.”

Channel-first strategy

CultureAI’s new Partner Program has been built around three core principles as part of its channel-first strategy: ease of partnership, enablement-driven growth, and sustained profitability.

The firm said these values will help support both transactional resale and recurring, service-led models – particularly for MSSPs delivering managed AI governance and risk services.

The framework adopts a four-tier partner model aligned to revenue, certification, and engagement, the firm said, while protected deal registration offers clear ownership, margin protection, and rapid approval.

Channel partners can also leverage free online sales and technical certifications, platform architecture that includes multi-tenant management, as well as focused marketing development funds (MDF).

Additionally, the initiative includes an AI risk assessment discovery tool to identify shadow AI usage, alongside Azure and AWS Marketplace readiness, with co-sell enablement to launch later in 2026.

Channel opportunity

With AI now a top cybersecurity budget priority, CultureAI views the partner ecosystem as critical to scaling safe AI adoption across regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare, legal, and technology.

According to the company, a strong and supportive framework will enable partners to “lead with visibility, control, and real-time coaching” to help customers effectively tackle risk and make productivity gains.

“This is a long-term ecosystem play,” Soares said. “

We’re building the most trusted partner network in AI Usage Control - one that helps organizations get to the top-right quadrant: high AI adoption, high security.”

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Cisco has cut the ribbon on its new 360 Partner Program, which features a revamped framework to help channel partners deliver results in the AI era.

The initiative equips the company’s ecosystem of developers, consultants, MSPs, and resellers with AI-ready tools and resources geared towards driving predictable profitability.

Channel partners can now access a host of new perks, including the new Cisco Partner Incentive (CPI), Partner Value Indexes (PVI), Distributor Development Fund, as well as an improved Cisco AI Assistant.

In an announcement, Cisco said the new program has been co-designed with partners over the last 15 months to help them differentiate as AI continues to shape the modern IT landscape.

“With our partners, we’ve strengthened what is already a world-class ecosystem to deliver even greater value and help our mutual customers connect, protect and thrive,” said Tim Coogan, Cisco’s SVP of global partner sales.

Cisco targets aligned priorities

According to Cisco, the new 360 framework now better aligns with customer and partner priorities.

Among its additions is the new Partner Locator, which allows customers to search for the right partner across key Cisco portfolios including security, networking, collaboration, services, Splunk, and cloud and AI infrastructure

New partner designations also aim to help customers find partners with the desired capabilities. All participants are recognized as registered Cisco Partners, while Portfolio Partners showcase proven sales and technical expertise, practice maturity, and strong customer engagement.

Those categorized as Preferred Partners can offer advanced technical skills, high-level lifecycle and adoption practices, and the ability to deliver complete end-to-end solutions.

Enhanced resources

Cisco has also rolled out the Cisco Partner Incentive (CPI) scheme, which streamlines past program elements to give partners more predictable earnings across the Cisco portfolio.

The firm has introduced CPI bonuses focused on One Cisco – including the new Secure Networking and Secure AI Infrastructure specializations – that will expire at the end of July 2026.

Partner Value Indexes (PVI) will also soon add dedicated indexes and learning paths for Developers/Advisors, Mass-Scale Infrastructure, and Distributors.

Elsewhere, a new Distributor Development Fund aims to strengthen alignment and enablement with distributors, while an enhanced Cisco AI Assistant within the Partner Experience Platform will help partners work more efficiently, Cisco said.

“The Cisco 360 Partner Program was designed with partners to foster collective success, enable differentiation, and help partners scale with confidence,” commented Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, senior vice president, Cisco Partner Program. “It’s about making our ecosystem’s unique value clear to the market and our customers.”

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Cloud backup and recovery specialist Keepit has strengthened its global channel leadership team with the launch of a consolidated, partner-first channel organization.

The revamp has been designed to drive further growth through the company’s ecosystem of partners as it doubles down on its ambition to become “the most partner friendly organization in the world.”

The freshly expanded team will be led by Jan Ursi, global vice president of channels, supported by three regional leaders for Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and the Americas.

Ursi will head up global strategy, messaging, and coordination across all regions, aligning partner recruitment, enablement, and pipeline initiatives to reinforce the vendor’s channel-led go-to-market model.

“At Keepit, being partner-friendly isn’t just a slogan — it’s our culture,” commented Ursi. “All functions across the company empower partners with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to succeed, while building relationships based on trust and generosity, not transactions.

“Our mission is simple: make unlimited SaaS data protection accessible everywhere through simplicity, independence, and a culture of partnership.”

Regional leadership

In Northern Europe – which covers the UK and Ireland, the Nordics, Central Eastern Europe, and Benelux – will be led by Alex Walsh, who brings more than 12 years’ experience across SaaS and the channel from previous leadership roles at the likes of Veeam and AppSense.

As regional vice president of channel, EMEA North, Walsh will focus on expanding tier-one VAR, MSP, and distributor relationships.

“We’re focused on building strong, valuable partnerships that deliver measurable outcomes for customers and partners alike,” Walsh said. “That means clear programs, consistent execution, and close collaboration with partners who want to scale and grow with Keepit.”

Southern Europe and DACH will be led by Cyril VanAgt, regional vice president of channel for EMEA South, who brings deep channel expertise from previous roles at Nutanix and NetApp.

Keepit said VanAgt will focus on driving rapid ecosystem growth through region-specific partner campaigns, PR-driven launches, and a structured Partner Academy program. In DACH, the aim is to expand the channel team and bolster distribution strategy.

“Our goal is to create an ecosystem of fans and trusted advisors — partners who are confident in our technology, connected to our teams, and excited to grow with us,” VanAgt commented.

Meanwhile, Jill Miracle will spearhead Keepit’s channel activity in the Americas as director of channels for the region. She will focus on maintaining momentum with focus partners and reinforcing the company’s partner-only model.

“We’re committed to supporting their growth with strong enablement, clear communication, and joint marketing that helps them win,” she said.

Improved engagement

Keepit said its new consolidated partner structure will make it easier for partners to engage with the company, build pipeline, and scale delivery with a repeatable model.

Additionally, the vendor also plans to ramp up partner recruitment in 2026, as well as expand certifications, and deepen joint marketing across priority markets.

“The conditions are in place to build an exceptional partner-friendly organization — probably the most partner-friendly company of the next decade,” Ursi added. “Partners give us extra wind in our sails, help make deals bigger, and bring Keepit to every corner of the world.”

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Google Cloud has announced the first details of its new Partner Network, which is set to formally roll out in the first quarter of 2026.

The cloud giant is positioning the revamped channel initiative as a shift away from tracking program work to recognizing partner contributions across the full customer lifecycle.

Available to all partner types and sizes, the framework introduces a Diamond tier for the highest-performing partners, new competencies, as well as improved automation across the program.

The program will roll out in Q1 2026 and will include a six-month transition window to help partners adjust to the new structure.

In a blog post, Google Cloud said the initiative’s three core pillars – simplicity, outcomes, and automation – will better reward successful co-sale efforts, high-quality service delivery, as well as shared innovation with ISVs.

“Google Cloud Partner Network is being completely streamlined to focus on real-world results,” commented Colleen Kapase, Google Cloud’s VP of channels and partner programs.

“This marks a strategic shift from measuring program work to valuing genuine customer outcomes”

Google Cloud's streamlined framework

According to the tech giant, the new Partner Network has been designed to recognize partners for contributions such as pre-sales influence, co-innovation, and pre-sales support.

There’s also greater recognition for investments in skills, real-world experience, and successful customer outcomes.

On the structure front, the initiative is moving from a two-tier to a three-tier model with the introduction of a new Diamond category to the existing levels of Select and Premier.

This will be reserved for the highest-performing partners that consistently deliver "exceptional customer outcomes” across Google Cloud and Google Workspace, the hyperscaler said.

New competencies on the way

Partners will also see current specializations replaced with a new competency framework as Google Cloud reimagines how it rewards technical and sales capabilities.

New competencies will assess partners on two factors: capacity – measured through certifications and sales credentials – and capability – which will be tracked through validated pre-sales and post-sales contributions.

These competencies will be earned independently of tier status, with an additional Advanced Competency level signaling higher designation.

Increased automation

Across the entire program, Google Cloud is also doubling down on its automation focus.

Building on the introduction of its Earnings Hub and Statement of Work Analyzer tools, the Partner Network Hub will now use AI-driven automation to track partner progress automatically.

Successful customer engagements will be applied across all eligible tiers and competencies to help drive down time-consuming administrative and reporting tasks.

“This radical simplification eliminates redundant reporting and ensures seamless, comprehensive recognition for the outcomes delivered,” Kapase said.

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IT distribution giant TD Synnex has announced the launch of AI Game Plan, a new workshop designed to help partners guide their customers toward successful AI implementation.

The new program – which forms part of the company’s Destination AI enablement framework – offers a three-phase pathway oriented around discovery, scoring, and activation.

Partners work with customers to identify pain points across their organizations, with use cases then scored and prioritized based on factors such as feasibility, impact, and strategic alignment. The workshop then concludes with a shortlist of two to three high-value AI initiatives and a tailored 90-day roadmap for implementation.

In an announcement, TD Synnex said the offering allows partners to lead the AI conversation with their enterprise and mid-market customers to better identify areas of AI opportunity.

“One of the biggest challenges to effectively leveraging AI is prioritizing and defining where to use it within the business and how to maximise the return of these investments,” said Sergio Farache, chief strategy and technology officer at TD Synnex.

“Through AI Game Plan, we are enabling our partners to facilitate repeatable, outcome-oriented AI engagements through an engaging workshop experience that helps their customers move beyond curiosity to real results.”

TD Synnex is positioning AI Game Plan as a complementary addition to its value-add services within the Destination AI framework, which includes region-specific initiatives geared towards accelerating AI adoption and growth for vendors and partners.

The distributor said the new workshop is best suited for those operating within its ‘AI Ready’ or ‘AI Expert’ tiers of Destination AI due to their existing focus on AI opportunity.

Marty Mackey, VP of sales and marketing at CMA Technology Solutions, a TD Synnex partner, said AI Game Plan gives the company a clear framework for identifying where AI can have a meaningful impact.

“The structured approach makes it easier to guide our customers through potential use cases tailored to their business and focus on the opportunities that matter most,” he explained.

“TD Synnex’s support has helped us bring clarity and momentum to these early AI conversations.”

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Integrating partner programs is always a difficult part of an acquisition. When they go well, efforts are made to be as open as possible, smooth the transition, and build relationships. When they go badly, there’s an inevitable build-up of bad feelings.

When one of the entities involved is specialist and the other generalist – as is the case with HPE and Juniper Networks – this can be even more of a challenge. According to HPE, however, there have been minimal issues.

At HPE Discover Barcelona 2025, Gordon Mackintosh, formerly SVP of Juniper’s partner organization and now VP of worldwide channel and partner ecosystem networking sales, said in a press Q&A: “Being here with partners … about five months into the integration, it's clear that we're probably moving at a speed that was greater than what they were anticipating and they are generally really satisfied with how things are going.”

Mackintosh added that he believes the disruption to the industry brought about by HPE’s acquisition of Juniper was something that partners had been looking for and needed.

“The early feedback … is very, very positive,” said Mackintosh “So we're extremely excited about that because, at the end of the day, this is an opportunity to not [only] participate in market disruption, but to really define the next generation of networking together with partners.”

Aruba strengths make integration easier

Mackintosh also claimed the integration of Juniper’s partner program has been made easier by the existing Aruba Networks business within HPE.

“One thing that has definitely struck me being new in this role is the similarity between Aruba networking and Juniper networking [and] this partner first mindset,” he said, adding that 90% of the combined networking business is done through the channel.

“We feel that that's a tremendous opportunity, because … we have this tremendously comprehensive portfolio all the way from the hybrid cloud through to Wi-Fi edge,” McKintosh continued. “And it's not just a portfolio and having the full stack, it's a portfolio that's really rich in innovation.”

A single partner program

HPE debuted a new, unified partner program at HPE Discover Las Vegas in June, which it rolled out on 1 November. This brings together not just HPE and Juniper’s partner programs, but HPE’s own manifold plans – 11 in total – into just one.

“In previous thinking, the reason that we had the different programs is that we had specialization built in,” explained Jesse Chavez, vice president of worldwide partner strategy, programs and operations at HPE.

“So if you wanted to sell our compute … you’d have to participate in one program. If you wanted to sell networking, you would participate in another program. If you wanted to sell services, you would participate in another program.”

The new program, which Chavez said has been “well received” in the 30 days it's been operating, brings all that together. This makes life simpler for partners who want to sell multiple HPE product lines, the company claims.

As Chavez explained, the new partner program features three tracks: build, sell, and services – with specialized sub tracks within them.

“Now a partner … (enters) the sell track and they can specialize either in compute, hybrid cloud, or networking, or do all three, or do two of them,” said Chavez, “and a lot of them will get access to all the innovation we’ve talked about.”

“Typically in the industry you build volume programs and that’s what we normally do,” he continued.

The company has, however, realized this isn’t for everyone and acknowledged “there are partners that want to sell our entire portfolio – and they make margin doing that – and there are partners that just want to specialize and we recognize those partners through competencies”.

When pressed on this approach, particularly in relation to former Juniper partners who have been brought into the HPE fold, Ewington said: “One thing I’ve learned about networking in the last year that I’ve been leading the Aruba channel is that we have a very specialized channel in networking. We have a lot of networking and security-only partners and I know the fear of some of them was that they would be forced to sell storage and service. [That’s] not the intent at all.”

“Their business model is ‘we’re specialists in network and security, we would love to continue to be specialists’,” he added, “so there was no intent to force a portfolio where it’s not a natural fit.”

“Having said that, there are many partners we work with who are working with our competitors and we would like them to sell more of our complete portfolio,” Ewington continued, “so we’re not confused”.

“That’s the whole purpose of building out competencies,” Chavez chimed in, “to identify those partners that have the and then we’ll know that they want to specialize and that’s all they want to do.”

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• Salesforce announces huge partner program revamp with Agentforce 360 launch

Salesforce has opened up its Agentforce 360 platform to allow partners to build and sell AI agents and applications.

The move marks a significant expansion for the platform and positions Agentforce 360 as a foundational tool for commercializing AI-powered solutions.

According to the CRM giant, the revamp aims to help businesses improve how they build, customize, and monetize enterprise AI applications through flexible pricing models, automated marketplace selling, and real-time insights.

In an announcement, Salesforce said it is bringing together enhanced capabilities across its core product portfolio to help partners, ISVs, and systems integrators position themselves as IP-focused AI product companies.

"We are entering a phase where expertise is more valuable than code,” commented Brian Landsman, CEO of AppExchange and EVP of Global Partnerships at Salesforce.

“When expertise becomes a product, whether it is managing livestock, resolving patents, or optimizing shipbuilding, it shows how much potential exists once you give people the right foundation."

Salesforce targets easy agent creation

With Agentforce 360, Salesforce said it is enabling partners to build, package, and sell AI-powered agents and applications using more than 500 pre-built features within its platform.

Partners can construct AI agents natively, without the need to manage large language model (LLM) infrastructure, model hosting, or usage optimization – meaning reduced operational complexity and fewer pre-launch barriers.

The firm’s data architecture has also received a revamp, with Data 360 and the new Zero Copy Partner Network offering the ability to access data across systems in real-time without the need to build ETL pipelines.

According to Salesforce, partners can create “harmonized” customer profiles with governed access to ensure every team and agent works from the same trusted context.

“Agentforce 360 eliminates the need for fragile, do-it-yourself infrastructure so innovators can move faster, scale globally, and focus on customer outcomes,” the company said. “It delivers enterprise-grade performance, reliability, and security out of the box.”

Enhanced automation

Businesses will also benefit from deeper integration with AppExchange for automation of provisioning, license management, and billing, alongside flexible pricing models for seat-based, usage-based, or consumption-based options through its new Flex Credits structure.

In support of these changes, Salesforce is also introducing the new Salesforce Partner Marketplace App in Q1 2026, offering partners a convenient way to automate order creation and license provisioning, as well as to streamline order-to-cash workflows with centralized billing and payments.

Elsewhere, Agentforce 360 offers real-time transparency through automated usage statements, as well as real-time consumption data via App Analytics.

“Agentforce 360 ensures innovators can evolve with the market, integrate the latest innovations, and deliver continuous value to customers,” Salesforce added.

Availability

Agentforce 360 is available now, while the Marketing Cloud Growth & Advanced tool is slated for a mid-December release.

Other new ecosystem components, such as Data 360, Financial Services Cloud, Automotive Cloud, and Shield, are also available immediately.

The Salesforce Partner Marketplace App is expected in early 2026, alongside the pending addition of Tableau Next.

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HPE has launched the first phase of its unified Partner Ready Vantage Program in a move the IT giant said will help partners better navigate the rapidly changing tech landscape.

The new streamlined channel initiative replaces the firm’s legacy programs and brings together Compute, Hybrid Cloud, and Networking into a single framework.

Partners now benefit from fully-integrated enrolment alongside expanded products and services resale, accessible through a single program.

The launch also includes the debut of HPE’s Triple Platinum Plus initiative for those with cross-portfolio expertise.

“HPE’s Partner Ready Vantage Program represents a forward-looking approach to channel collaboration, offering unified access, streamlined processes, and expanded opportunities for growth and specialization,” said Simon Ewington, HPE’s SVP of worldwide channel and partner ecosystem, in a blog post.

HPE eyes a streamlined partner experience

As part of its new channel framework, HPE has introduced three new centers – Compute, Hybrid Cloud, and Networking – and retired the As-a-service center, integrating those competencies into its new Sell Track.

Designed to drive profitability, HPE said the Sell Track supports diverse business models with modular training and certifications aligned to each technology center, helping partners to build specialized expertise.

Ultimately, partners can resell the entire HPE portfolio through a single program membership, either through OpEx as-a-service models such as HPE GreenLake Flex, or via traditional CapEx offerings.

Additionally, the Service Track has also been streamlined, unifying managed services, professional services, support services, and customer success into two practice areas: Data Center & Private Cloud, and Networking.

HPE said the Service Track “integrates seamlessly” with the new Sell Track and offers standardized partner capability assessments, thresholds, streamlined tracking, as well as a host of tools and training geared towards improving the partner experience.

Triple Platinum Plus

Additionally, HPE’s channel rollout includes its new Triple Platinum Plus initiative, an exclusive recognition for partners that demonstrate pan-HPE expertise across Compute, Hybrid Cloud, and Networking.

The program is designed for partners that excel across multiple technology areas, HPE said, offering enhanced incentives and rewards to help drive further growth opportunities and differentiation.

“The program is intended to accelerate partner success by supporting both generalists and specialists, offering incentives for competency and facilitating rapid advancement within the HPE ecosystem,” Ewington explained.

New commitments

Looking ahead, HPE plans to continue to shape its new-look Partner Ready Vantage initiative over the coming years, with additional programs.

This includes the Juniper Networks Partner Advantage initiative, which is set to be integrated throughout 2026 and 2027.

The firm said it will also announce more details around its Build Track towards the back-end of its 2026 financial year.

“We’re committed to continuously enhance the program, including integration of HPE Juniper Networking into HPE Partner Ready Vantage in FY27,” Ewington added.

“The path ahead for HPE and our partners is unified, empowered, and primed for growth, and we’re excited to shape it together.”

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Netgear has cut the ribbon on its new Drive Partner Success Program, which has been designed to simplify how channel partners do business with the networking solutions vendor.

Integrators, MSPs, and VARs now have access to a host of new streamlined tools, go-to-market resources, and enhanced partner-focused support geared towards driving growth and profitability.

The move marks the latest phase of Netgear’s increased focus on the enterprise, with the channel revamp aiming to strengthen collaboration, simplify engagement, and expand enablement for partners serving SMEs.

Netgear Drive rewards partners for effective service and long-term co-investment through its three tiers – IGNITE, APEX, and APEX MSP – which have been designed around different partner service capabilities and business models, offering benefits based on partner investment as well as completion of training and certifications.

The company said this structure will help its partners “stand out in a competitive market” and better sync with the unique needs of their customers.

Through the program’s partner portal, partners also now have access to a range of additional perks, including co-investment opportunities, training and certifications, marketing materials and collaborative campaigns, as well as partner-focused technical support.

Rollout

Drive will see a global rollout as part of Netgear’s goal to offer a consistent channel experience to its pool of partners around the world.

The new training and certification materials are available now, alongside new partner pricing and program benefits. However, Netgear said existing partners can continue operating under existing terms during the transition period to ensure a smooth onboarding experience.

Netgear Enterprise said the new program aligns with its mission to provide simplicity, reliability, and cost-effectiveness for SMEs and marks the latest phase of its evolution under the leadership of president and general manager, Pramod Badjate.

“The goal of our Drive Partner Success Program is simple: make it easier for our partners to succeed and grow,” Badjate commented.

“Partners are the center of everything we do, and Drive will equip them with the tools, training, and support they need to accelerate business opportunities and revenue growth.”

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Project management software specialist Monday.com has announced an expansion of its partner program with the addition of new AI and Service specializations.

Following the successful introduction of a CRM specialization to the ecosystem last year, the new frameworks have been designed to “validate and elevate” top partners operating across additional areas, the firm said in an announcement.

With AI now a key focus across the initiative, the move also aims to support Monday’s ongoing evolution into a multi-product company.

The new AI specialization track targets partners at the forefront of AI consulting and implementation for joint customers around the world.

To qualify, partners must show performance in AI-related deals as well as the strong AI implementation across use cases such as workflow automation, intelligent ticket routing, and predictive project planning.

As well as receiving a public badge in Monday’s Partner Directory, partners also stand to benefit from dedicated enablement and access to AI product teams, lead prioritization for AI transformational services, as well as eligibility for additional market development funds (MDF).

With the new Service specialization, partners can gain recognition for their expertise and delivery of Monday’s Service product for teams tackling IT support, facilities, HR requests, and beyond.

Partners must meet thresholds in large service deal sales and ARR, maintain dedicated service sales resources, as well as complete specific certification requirements, the firm said.

Those that qualify will receive recognition in the Partner Directory, focused enablement and product team access, lead prioritization, as well as open up further MDF opportunities.

Both product specializations will be awarded to partners during bi-annual Tiering windows in January and July, dependent on the fulfilment of requirements across the prior twelve months.

Monday.com targets ecosystem growth

The new AI and Service tracks arrive just over a year since Monday revamped its partner ecosystem to more closely align with the needs of its expanding partner ecosystem.

This refresh included the introduction of a CRM specialist framework to recognize and elevate top-performing CRM partners.

Since then, the company has seen strong adoption and growth. During 2024, Specialist Partners contributed 50% of channel CRM ARR and represented top performers in both CRM partner-sourced ARR and large-scale CRM deals.

In fact, the number of CRM partner specialists has more than doubled year-over-year to 40, with notable partners including the likes of Workiflow, Carbonweb, Eligeo, and more.

According to Monday, the success of the CRM specialization highlighted the value of these tracks across its partner ecosystem, leading to the introduction of its latest AI and Service additions.

“For partners, they offer an additional revenue stream and a clear path to differentiation, improved visibility, lead prioritization, and deeper engagement with the partner program,” the firm explained in its announcement.

“For joint customers, specializations provide an easier way to identify and engage with partners based on verified expertise, vertical alignment, and consistent quality of delivery.”

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Cybersecurity giant Fortinet has revealed its global partner program has now surpassed 3,000 integrations across more than 400 technology partners.

First introduced in 2015, the Fabric-Ready Technology Alliance Partner Program has been a focal point for Fortinet’s channel operations and interoperability vision for a decade, growing 36-fold since its inception into one of the largest ecosystems in cybersecurity.

The initiative offers program infrastructure, resources, and tools to help partners integrate with the firm’s Security Fabric, develop joint solutions, and become a key part of the Fortinet Open Ecosystem.

Recent additions to the program include the likes of Armis, CrowdStrike, Digital Realty, Equinix, Megaport, Qualcomm, and Servicenow, further extending the ecosystem’s reach and capabilities.

“By nurturing one of the largest ecosystems among cybersecurity vendors, we enable organizations to seamlessly secure their digital landscapes, regardless of their existing technology stacks,” said Fortinet marketing chief Jaime Romero.

“The depth of our integrations also helps organizations consolidate their security tools, bolstering efficiency and productivity.”

Fortinet’s open ecosystem approach

Fortinet said its Open Ecosystem aims to address modern security complexities, such as the expanding digital attack surface and infrastructure sprawl, via extensive integrations that have been optimized for the Security Fabric.

These integrations range from cloud and virtualization, to automation, endpoint security, and networking.

Through Fortinet-developed Fabric Connectors, the ecosystem provides turnkey automation and synchronization of security policies across multivendor environments through one-click activation.

With more than 3,000 integrations, Fortinet said this network now stands as one of the most extensive in the cybersecurity industry, enabling channel partners to tailor solutions across verticals and customer needs to successfully address security gaps.

“Fortinet’s Open Ecosystem is among the largest in the cybersecurity industry, enabling customers to integrate the Fortinet Security Fabric with their existing and future technologies,” commented Neil Prasad, vice president and head of global technology alliances at Fortinet.

“With more than 3,000 integrations, we are helping organizations strengthen their overall security postures, improve the effectiveness of their security operations, and accelerate their digital journey with confidence.”

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Red Hat has unveiled key new enhancements to its global partner program as the open source specialist looks to further improve its partner engagement experience.

The updates include the full launch of the Red Hat Specialized Partner Program, alongside a new Partner Demand Center to help partners execute impactful marketing campaigns and programs.

The changes form part of Red Hat’s ongoing transformation efforts, which focus on injecting its partner ecosystem with greater simplicity, choice, and flexibility, as developments in AI and virtualization continue to rapidly reshape industries.

“Red Hat’s partner ecosystem is pivotal in helping customers navigate these seismic shifts and capitalize on emerging opportunities, which is why we are continuously refining Red Hat’s global partner engagement experience with an ecosystem-driven approach to IT modernization,” explained Red Hat channel chief, Stefanie Chiras.

Red Hat Specialized Partner Program

First piloted as the Partner Practice Accelerator, the new Red Hat Specialized Partner Program has now received an official launch. The initiative aims to provide validated partners with greater industry recognition and clearer pathways to develop and showcase their skills in high-demand areas.

According to Red Hat, the changes will ensure partners are recognized for their technical expertise and proven service delivery capabilities to support the full customer lifecycle.

As part of the full launch, Red Hat has also extended its range of specializations beyond Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and Red Hat Openshift to include further products such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and RHEL AI. Meanwhile, the Openshift specialization has been broken down into specific focus areas, including virtualization, containers, and application development.

Red Hat said qualified partners will be recognized with distinctions that highlight their specific skills, such as “Red Hat Specialized Partner – Mission Critical Automation” or “Red Hat Specialized Partner – AI Platform”.

Red Hat Partner Demand Center

Alongside the specialization refresh, Red Hat has also launched its new Partner Demand Center, a new demand generation and marketing platform designed to help partners streamline their go-to-market campaigns.

Partners will be able to autonomously launch ready-made marketing campaigns as well as create workshop and webinar registration pages to help promote joint solutions to customers.

Alongside autonomous campaign execution, Red Hat said the platform will provide easily customizable content, comprehensive activity and lead tracking, alongside an extensive content library that currently includes 16 campaigns, which are available in nine core languages and cover its major products.

Enhanced rebates

Additionally, Red Hat also announced an expansion of its rebate strategy through both new and extended rebate opportunities. The firm said the changes have been designed to increase partner profitability and fuel product growth for the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and Red Hat Openshift, complemented by freshly simplified tools geared towards improving the partner experience.

“With this transformation, we are providing greater autonomy for partners to benefit from more choice, clearer growth opportunities, and stronger collaboration with each other and Red Hat,” Chiras added.

Insight Enterprises has signed a new global agreement with Microsoft that includes a multi-year Microsoft Azure consumption commitment as well as a new strategic partnership framework.

Building on the pair’s existing relationship, the agreement will expand the global systems integrator’s range of cloud offerings to include digital solutions built on Azure and Microsoft 365.

The firm said the move will provide clients with streamlined transactions and more competitive Microsoft-aligned products from its ecosystem of partners. 

“We have worked with Microsoft for more than 25 years to provide clients with world-class technology,” said Insight CEO Joyce Mullen. “Our clients worldwide want to run as efficiently as possible, and the Azure platform is core to our expertise in cloud, data, AI, cyber security and edge as we address their critical business needs. The power of Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 productivity tools accelerates their ability to digitally transform.”

As a global systems integrator, Insight specializes in architecting, building, and managing solutions for complex IT environments and offers a range of digital transformation services augmented by its network of over 6000 partners. 

The firm already collaborates with Microsoft to develop AI-powered solutions for automating complex tasks and driving productivity. It was also one of the first partners to publish offers for Microsoft 365 Copilot and offers a custom Microsoft 365 Copilot Readiness Fast Start accelerator to provide clients with a strategic roadmap for Azure OpenAI Service and the Copilotstack.

Insight said its new agreement will now solidify the growth of its Azure-based ecommerce platform, which will serve as an incubation hub for new offerings on Azure Marketplace. 

Commenting on the new agreement, Microsoft’s vice president of worldwide channel sales, David Smith, praised Insight’s “instrumental role” in helping accelerate AI adoption and transformation for customers around the world.

“As leaders across industries seek to keep pace with today’s advancements, they turn to Microsoft and solutions integrators like Insight to innovate on our trusted platform to make their AI strategy a reality,” he said. “Together with partners like Insight, we are bringing comprehensive industry expertise, scale and co-pilot capabilities to organizations seeking to transform every role and business function within their industry.”

As an Azure expert managed service provider and Microsoft solution assessments partner of the year for 2023, Insight boasts 22 Microsoft specializations, the complete set of six Microsoft solutions partner designations, as well as all four available Microsoft security specializations.

It’s not a revelatory statement, but one that is true nonetheless: Technology vendors really can live or die by the health of and focus on their partner ecosystem. 

Data cloud firm Snowflake is no exception. But it’s not simply a numbers game, as Dan Waters, vice president of partners and alliances in EMEA told ChannelPro at the company’s annual conference, Snowflake Summit, in Las Vegas at the end of last month. 

“We don't have a customer success team. Our customer success needs to be delivered through our partner community. It's everyone's responsibility to make sure that our customers are as successful as they possibly can be and realize the value of Snowflake Data Cloud. Our partner ecosystem is central to delivering that,” he says. 

“[If we want to] realize our goals as a company, we can only do that with a strong and diverse partner ecosystem.”

Recruiting at the top

That win/win sentiment is definitely echoed company-wide and Snowflake is putting its money - and its talent - where its mouth is right here and right now. Indeed, earlier this month, the firm appointed Tyler Prince - who’d spent the previous 10 years at cloud giant Salesforce and many more before that in key industry roles - as its senior vice president of worldwide alliances and channels. 

“Snowflake’s vast ecosystem of partners are absolutely essential to our mission of mobilizing the world’s data,” Chris Degnan, Snowflake’s chief revenue officer said in a press release announcing Prince’s appointment in mid-June. 

“I’m thrilled to welcome Tyler to Snowflake. His deep industry relationships and extensive experience leading exponential growth across the channel will accelerate our partner enablement and go-to-market strategy globally.”

Prince joined the firm on 5 July and appeared to be laser-focused on the partner opportunity from the get-go. 

“Customers are at the heart of everything Snowflake does, and the Snowflake Partner Network is a world-class example of how delivering choice in the tools and solutions available to customers drives our customers’ success,” Prince said at the time of his appointment becoming public. 

“I look forward to continuing to grow the Snowflake ecosystem, engaging more deeply and broadly with partners to accelerate their own businesses.”

Prince is in good company in terms of experience, vision and execution, certainly as far as EMEA is concerned. Waters is a 24-year technology industry veteran, with experience at Arrow ECS and Bell Microproducts under his belt prior to joining Snowflake. His primary focus right now is to ensure words turn into action, specifically in EMEA. 

“My role is to make sure that we've got the best and most capable and competent partner community that we can possibly have to really serve the needs of our customers, in each of the markets,” he adds. 

“That isn't a one size fits all [approach]. The UK market is very different to our market in Israel, which is very different to the market in the Nordics, which is very different to the German market. So it is very much [a question of] what's needed locally, and making sure that we've got the right partners, doing the right things, and the right connections into our sales teams to give customers the best possible experience working with Snowflake.”

‘Partners’ is an overarching umbrella label with many different types of organizations sitting underneath, myriad of sizes, and focused on different specialisms and sectors. Ultimately, Snowflake has many different types of partners flying the firm’s flag, from small to large, from services and technology and everything in between. 

What’s more, while Snowflake is a global business with a global partner ecosystem to match that status, many markets around the world have more differences than they do similarities. And that calls for a unique, market-by-market approach to ensure success for all concerned. 

“It takes local to local intentional engagement and planning and execution, to actually move the needle in any given location, especially in EMEA,” Waters adds. “I think that's what's really unique about our market. It's about local-to-local engagement, local customer, local commitment, and local capability. We call it the three Cs.”

Building a global community

Snowflake was founded 11 years ago in July 2012 and launched publicly just over two years later in October 2014. Three data warehousing experts were behind the firm’s inception: Thierry Cruanes, Benoît Dageville, and Marcin Żukowski The former made up of two ex-Oracle alumni and Żukowski’s background being that of co-founder of Vectorwise, a Dutch start-up. 

What has happened during that time has been an exciting ride for industry watchers as well as Snowflake’s assembled cast of internal and external players. Growth has been phenomenal and success sustained. Indeed, as of May 2023, the firm’s platform boasted a 3.1 billion average daily query volume, which is up 59% year-on-year and 7x the average number of daily queries if we compare April 2020 (the company’s FY21) to May 2023 (the company’s FY24). 

Furthermore, right now Snowflake has 40 regional deployments and 599 customers featured in the Forbes Global 2,000 list, the company cited during its Investor’s Day in June 2023. 

In the firm’s FY19, it generated $97m in product revenue. In FY23, that figure had grown to $1.9bn. For FY29, Snowflake has set its ambitions high with a target of $10bn in revenue during that financial year. 

Partners - in their many forms - and customer attraction, as well as retention, will clearly be key to achieving such lofty ambitions. 

“We’re trying to bring the community together a bit more. Both visibly and effectively. We've got a phenomenal global community, but I think the EMEA market is definitely different and complex. It's not-a-one-size fits all [thing] - every market is different,” Waters emphasizes. 

Snowflake and NTT Data: A flourishing partnership

One such partner is NTT Data, which has a longstanding relationship with Snowflake that goes above and beyond the sort of standard channel unions that have become typical of late. 

Snowflake has recently put in new partner management in the UK for NTT to help strengthen and further support the relationship, Waters explains. 

“That really makes a difference,” he says. “We've been very focused on making sure we have the right talent to work with the right partners.”

NTT Data is what Snowflake describes as a ‘Services’ partner and it’s certainly a relationship where both benefit from collective as well as individual experience. 

“It’s the customer conversation again. It's about [looking at] real-life pain points for your customers as it pertains to service industries. That then gives the partners an opportunity to really differentiate,” Waters says. 

“We verticalized our sales teams in EMEA in the core markets in February of last year. I think that's really helped us get closer to our partners and mine their specialization and capabilities as it pertains to their vertical skills. It’s a fairly new approach for Snowflake having verticalized relatively recently, but partners like NTT have been verticalized for years.” 

Gareth Lyon, head of data and intelligence alliances at NTT Data UK, says the firm does around $100m of business with Snowflake each year.

“There was recognition that if we didn't get on the Snowflake train, then we’d get left behind. We very much see Snowflake as being one of our key software partners that will allow us to accelerate our clients’ route to value,” Lyon says.  

“We primarily look at Snowflake - it's very much a way for us to generate three to four to five to 10 times the professional services revenue compared to the Snowflake consumption that is sold,” he adds. 

“On engagements, we've been brought in after the sale. So my remit and objective for this year is for us to not only co-create but to also co-sell. And to do that in the spirit of truth, a true partnership, where we bring opportunities to each other.” 

All has definitely been well with the NTT/Snowflake partnership thus far. But, as Lyon explains, the firm is keen to expand its horizons. 

“We've seen the results of it so far. The pipeline has tripled in size. It's now about making sure that we close some of those deals, and then continue to deliver volume,” he says. 

“I get approached probably on a weekly basis by another partner. I see it very much like [as a case of] ‘Where can I drive the best value for the client?’ And Snowflake is [the answer]. We've seen it with the engagements where we've delivered in the past.” 

The value of two-way relationships

Snowflake also has strong ties with the ‘big three’ in AWS, Google and Microsoft and those relationships are likely to get stronger rather than weaker over time, as Waters alludes to. 

“We don't have an on-prem product. So our partner relationships with Microsoft, AWS and Google are absolutely critical in terms of how we go to market,” he says. 

“That actually connects really well into our services partners as well, where we have what we call a power of three play.”

Collaboration is definitely the name of the game as far as Snowflake and its growing number of established and new partners are concerned. And both Lyons and Waters concur that communication is critical.

“We had an open and candid conversation earlier on talking about how the partnership is going and how we can improve it. A partnership for me is about walking into the room, shoulder to shoulder. If you do that, then you are being successful,” Lyons adds. 

Waters adds: “In any relationship, there are always ups and downs and peaks and troughs. You've got to hold each other accountable, to be the best that you can be. A lot of the conversations I'm having with partners over this week [at Snowflake Summit] is [asking them to] tell us how we partner. That's not just on us and it's not just on the partner. It's a two-way thing.” 

Skyhigh Security has announced the arrival of its new Altitude Partner Programme, the company’s first partner initiative since its split from security giant McAfee.

The new programme has been built to provide VARs, strategic integrators, and MSPs with access to new incentives, tools, and information to help drive channel sales.

In an announcement, the cyber security firm said it is investing in its partners’ ability to provide data-aware cloud security that supports rapid digital business transformation and hybrid work environments.

“This launch demonstrates our commitment to the channel and how our relationship with partners is one of mutual interdependence,” commented Scott Goree, vice president of worldwide channels at Skyhigh Security.

“We are 100 percent committed to building positive relationships with resellers, treating sales opportunities with fairness to the partner and fostering a relationship based on mutual trust and respect.”

The move marks Skyhigh’s first partner programme since its rebrand.

Last year, private equity firm Symphony Technology Group (STG) split McAfee Enterprise into two new organisations, with the extended detection and response (XDR) arm of the business repackaged as Trellix, while Skyhigh Security became the new moniker for the company’s security service edge (SSE) portfolio.

Now, with its new Altitude Partner Programme, Skyhigh says it is placing its partners at the centre of its go-to-market strategy to help target the SSE market, which generated revenue of between $2.4 billion and $2.6 billion (£2 billion and 2.1 billion) in 2020 and is growing 19-21% year over year, according to Gartner's figures.

The scheme runs on a unified platform provided by Channel Mechanics to simplify partners’ interactions with Skyhigh.

It includes a full range of deal registration protection procedures, training courses, deal registration tools, and three tiers for partners to ascend through: Registered, Essential, and Advanced.

“The Channel Mechanics Partner Portal is designed as a single place for partners to digitally engage with a business, such as registering a deal, downloading up-to-date content, or claiming a rebate,” said Kenneth Fox, CEO at Channel Mechanics.

“It dynamically presents unique offers to partners based on partner level, certification and geography. Meaning they can easily and quickly retrieve content and programmes relevant to them.”

Skyhigh also says it is committed to ensuring its programme is reliable and will “zealously protect” the price and exclusivity in any new opportunities that partners bring to the table.

Partners are protected for renewals as a reward for securing the original sale, which Skyhigh hopes will fuel profitability and faster renewals.

“Expansion, collaboration, and innovation with industry ecosystems has become the next phase of digital transformation,” said Chris Steffen, managing research director at Enterprise Management Associates.

“This new programme will ensure partners can deliver upon customer needs quickly with a high level of quality - with an on-demand set of talent, resources, and capabilities.”

Unified IT management provider Kaseya has unveiled its new partner programme which will allow customers to combine both Kaseya and Datto spend to determine their place in the initiative.

The refreshed Global Partner Program now offers four tiers, determined by partners’ annual spend – Silver ($1,000), Gold ($25,000), Platinum ($100,000), and the current highest level Blue Diamond ($250,000).

The revamp comes in the wake of Kaseya’s acquisition of cloud and security specialist Datto, first announced back in April 2022, and will enable partners to cash in their successes across both businesses.

By combining spend, Kaseya says many partners will qualifier for higher levels, opening up access to services such as enablement team support, live technical webinars, round-the-clock customer support, as well as free passes to industry events.

“Since the Datto acquisition, we’ve been building on their highly successful Global Partner Program to extend its benefits across all of Kaseya,” said Fred Voccola, CEO at Kaseya.

“Today we’re excited to take the programme to a whole new level with enhanced benefits across all tiers along with a significant increase in our company’s investment in the programme, including growing the team that directly supports our customers to 60 world-class channel professionals.”

In an interview with IT Pro back in November, Voccola highlighted the success of Datto’s “awesome” partner programme and how Kaseya has ramped up investment to make the initiative “even better”.

Now, by increasing resources by 300%, the firm said that partners will have access to greater assistance in event planning and execution, in addition to doubling the market development funds available.

Members of the new partner programme will be able to work directly with Kaseya’s MSP enablement team to help boost results from events and webinars. This team has been expanded from a three-person setup under Datto to a 60-strong team under the Kaseya banner.

MSP Enablement combines both Kaseya and Datto leadership, with former Datto employee Matt Scully taking on the role of senior channel development manager.

The firm has also announced three new vice presidents to oversee different regions: Michael DePalma for North America, Greg Jones for Europe, and Shaun Witherden for the APAC region.

Elsewhere, all tier levels will have access to Powered Services Jumpstart and its marketing automation tool, allowing MSPs to customise sales sheets to their business and access exclusive content to assist with mergers and acquisitions. MSPs will also have the opportunity to attend virtual MSP partner days.

“We have grown our partner programme to new heights, but we aren’t stopping there,” said Dan Tomaszewski, EVP of channel at Kaseya. “We’re going to continue innovating the programme, bringing our partners things they’ve asked for – including a new tier, even higher than Blue Diamond.”

In a message to partners, he added: “I’m a former MSP myself. I’ve been in your shoes and I’m going to make sure this programme has everything MSPs need to grow a successful business.”

Cloud software firm ServiceNow has unveiled a host of new incentives for its partner programme in a bid to help partners maximise its investments and generate market opportunities.

Announced at the company’s Partner Kickoff event in Las Vegas, these incentives include access to a brand-new partner development fund, a co-funded investment programme, as well as simplified discounts and rebates, in a bid to spark increased partner growth and profitability.

The changes form part of a programme-wide overhaul that aims to target the estimated $500 billion market opportunity for its Now Platform and associated partner services.

Available for all partners from 6 March, ServiceNow said these changes will help expand partners’ expertise, differentiate their skills, and maximise their unique contributions.

“The vision for ServiceNow partners is that they should be treated as co-creators of value, and as co-pilots on our journey to becoming the platform for digital business,” said Erica Volini, senior vice president of alliances and channel ecosystem at ServiceNow.

Alongside its new incentives, ServiceNow is introducing four new modules for partners: Build, Consulting and Implementation, Resale, and Service Provider.

These will allow businesses to better align with the unique roles and routes-to-market within the ServiceNow ecosystem, the firm said.

There will also be new benefits associated with each module, which have been designed to better reflect the unique contributions that different partners bring to the ecosystem.

Enhancements include a revamped partner portal, as well as an improved “partner finder” that allows customers to pinpoint the ideal partner by region, industry, or domain expertise.

“Our reimagined partner programme creates unbounded opportunity for partners to expand and collaborate with ServiceNow well beyond where we can go alone,” Volini added. “We are investing in partner success, championing their expertise, and giving them flexibility to drive exponential value with our platform.”

Volini will lead the programme in her new role as senior vice president of alliances and channel ecosystem. She succeeds David Parsons, who has led the alliances and channel ecosystem organisation since 2018.

Parsons will now front a new and strategic ecosystem ventures function focused on accelerating growth with partners in targeted markets.

“It has been my honour and privilege to lead our alliances and channel ecosystem organisation for the past four years,” Parsons said. “I am proud of everything we have accomplished together for our partners and joint customers and excited about our ongoing journey together.

“I want to thank Erica for her partnership and leadership. I know that she is the right leader, at the right time, to continue to build on a strong foundation of success and momentum.”

Cyber security software provider Wallix has reinforced its channel strategy with the launch of a new dedicated partner programme for managed service providers (MSPs).

The European access and identity specialist has consolidated its existing partner support system to meet what it calls “new strategic challenges”, with the revamped initiative designed to help MSPs better address the growing market.

The programme includes the firm’s privilege access management (PAM) unified solution PAM4ALL, as well as a host of training materials for engineering, sales, and customer support teams. MSPs also have access to marketing content tailored specifically for business growth.

Announcing the move, Wallix said the programme will enable MSPs to offer different sales approaches to their customers or managed services.

"The strengthening of our Channel First strategy is a key step in the development of Wallix," said Laurent Gentil, the firm’s channel director. “It is important for us to maintain strong links with our partners who want to support us in our growth, and we are evolving our business partner programme to offer necessary support and help them to achieve their business objectives.”

Paris-based cyber security provider Wallix specialises in digital identity and access security solutions, designed to help businesses respond to evolving data protection challenges. Founded in 2003, the firm has built a distribution network of more than 300 partners, including distributors, reseller integrators, global integrators, and consulting firms.

In its pursuit of growth, the company previously implemented a development plan – named ‘Ambition 21’ – which set out the objective of commercially covering 80% of the market, leveraging partners with strong regional influence.

Today, Wallix has achieved that target and has set out a successor plan name ‘Unicorn 25’, which is designed to help the company reach €100M in revenues and 15% operating margin by 2025.

Wallix said the new framework values the performance of its partners and supports them in the implementation of their business plan built for its PAN4ALL platform. With the launch of its new plan, partners will have access to teams, certifications, and technical content adapted to their target market, region, and the wider industry.

Industry is at the heart of Wallix's Unicorn 25 scheme, the company said. It has also recently launched its 'OT.security by Wallix' brand to capitalise on the industrial cyber security sector which is currently estimated to be worth $15.5 billion, according work carried out by VPA Research, cited by Wallix.

Now, with its new dedicated MSP programme, Wallix says it is targeting a “high potential market” that will contribute to its Unicorn 25 target, while also equipping partners with the tools and skills they require.

"I am pleased that our MSP offer is taking shape through the creation of a dedicated partner programme, that integrates the business partner programme and respond to organisational needs," said Ronan Croguennec, head of practices, CSP and MSP, at Wallix.

Extended detection and response (XDR) platform provider Cynet has announced its new Global Partner Program, designed to help channel firms increase profitability of their Cynet business.

The initiative has been revamped to include new pricing, discounts, and resources aimed at streamlining the partner journey to reduce operational and buying costs.

In an announcement, Cynet said the launch is intended to strengthen its channel-first business model and prioritise partner and customer relationships.

“Our Global Partner Program offers an exceptional opportunity for our partner community to increase their profit margins,” explained Bruno Darmon, president of Cynet. “We make cyber security sales easy and at a much lower cost because we offer an automated, ‘all-in-one’ platform that doesn’t require a stack of several security vendors.

“As a channel-only organisation, our priority is ensuring our partners are rewarded during each step of the sales cycle.”

Cynet provides an end-to-end, natively automated XDR platform - Cynet 360 AutoXDR - which is backed by a 24/7 managed detection and response (MDR) service. The offering is designed to enable lean IT teams to implement effective cyber security protection, regardless of their resources and skills, providing organisations with monitoring, investigation, on-demand analysis, incident response, and threat hunting.

Over the past year, the provider and its platform has gone from strength to strength, achieving a 200% expansion in its active partner base and receiving a number of vendor accolades in the process.

In response to partner feedback, Cynet has now revamped its Global Partner Program to help boost their sales and profitability. The initiative will serve partners in North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.

“I’m very pleased to launch this new partner program to our highly valued channel community,” said Amy Nairne-Clark, EMEA Channel Director, Cynet. “The changes we made are based on feedback from our partners, and are specifically designed to empower them with everything they need to increase sales and profitability.

“I know that partners have choices when it comes to vendor selection, and choosing Cynet means they can grow their own business while addressing the cybersecurity needs of their customers.”

IT management software provider SolarWinds has cut the ribbon on Transform, its first formal channel partner programme, which has been designed to drive growth for partners.

The new initiative aims to help transform the way the firm collaborates with technology distributors, VARs, global systems integrators, managed service providers (MSPs), as well as cloud partners around the world.

Partners will have access to SolarWinds’ AI-powered observability solutions for modern, distributed, hybrid, and multi-cloud network environments, through software as a service (SaaS) and cloud-connected, on-premises deployments.

In an announcement, SolarWinds said the programme will provide strong profit potential and growth opportunities, alongside resources such as incentives, rebates, training programmes, and more.

“We are building further on our monitoring leadership and are now evolving our business to deliver the best solutions in full-stack observability, service management and database monitoring,” said Sudhakar Ramakrishna, president and CEO at SolarWinds.

“Our exciting portfolio and value proposition enable us – and our partners – to help accelerate our customers’ business transformation wherever they may in their cloud journey.”

With more than 300,000 customers and more than 2,000 partners, SolarWinds has grown to become one of the world’s leading providers of IT and network management software.

The company says its ‘Secure by Design’ initiative has been critical to the development of its platform.

SolarWinds said it unifies observability and services management to provide AI-powered solutions for IT Ops, DevOps, CloudOps, and SecOps teams.

Back in June, SolarWinds unveiled its new Next Generation Build System, a refresh of its software build process and a key cog within this secure by design framework.

The company has now launched its Hybrid Cloud Observability offering - the first based on its ‘Secure by Design’ principles - which is designed to increase performance and reduce remediation time across on-premises and multi-cloud environments.

The Transform initiative also adds a new partner category which the firm said will help support MSPs with an engagement mode that ranges from global scale to regional providers.

This means MSPs can now offer SolarWinds’ Hybrid Cloud Observability with flexible licensing and pricing models to help provide customers with the necessary flexibility and scale they require.

“Our partner relationships are critical as we move forward with a bold plan to grow our business through customer-centric technology innovations,” said Jeff McCullough, VP of worldwide partner sales at SolarWinds.

“Together with our partners, we share a vision to completely transform the market for IT management software.”

Nutanix has announced a revamp of its Elevate partner programme, which now includes brand new incentives that reward the partner ecosystem throughout the customer lifecycle.

For the first time, the hyperconverged infrastructure provider has extended its incentives to individual sellers and systems engineers in a bid to fuel new customer acquisition growth.

This new Business Individual Incentive will reward individuals at eligible resellers and service providers each time they sell Nutanix into net-new accounts.

In the coming months, Nutanix said it will also begin to roll out a pilot programme for an Elevate Program incentive designed to reward select partners for the delivery of consistent, on-time renewal rates with their customers.

Christian Alvarez, Nutanix’ Senior Vice President of Worldwide Channel Sales, said the IT industry is at an “inflection point in how customers want to procure and consume technology”.

“With our updates to the Elevate programme, we’ve addressed many of our partners’ needs to engage with customers through their lifecycle - not just selling the technology, but enabling them to adopt, perform, expand, and ultimately renew,” he said.

“Elevate now supports and rewards partners along this entire journey through purpose-built benefits and incentives.”

Over the past year, Nutanix has been working to re-architect its go-to-market strategy, programmes, and tools. The firm launched a Channel Led Selling Rebate Incentive for Elevate, which rewards resellers who drive deals through the entire sales cycle autonomously.

To help with this, Nutanix recently revamped toolsets such as the Sizer 6.0 capacity planning tool and enhanced its Performance + Deal Registration programme.

Additionally, there’s now a Sizing Associate accreditation requirement for all levels of the Elevate initiative, which aims to help partners speed up sales cycles through rapid capacity planning, quoting, and order fulfilment using Nutanix Sizer.

Scott Winslow, president at Nutanix Champion partner Winslow Technology Group, welcomed the programme's enhancements.

“As a Nutanix Champion partner, we are excited about the enhancements to the Nutanix Elevate Partner Programme that drive new market opportunities for Winslow Technology Group,” he said. “The Elevate Programme provides a value-based, partner-first approach to enable ongoing success for both our company and our customers.”

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has revealed a new partner programme to support XaaS practices and help partners adjust to a changing market.

HPE Partner Ready Vantage aims to provide flexibility for partners to identify and pursue new opportunities, strengthen customer relationships, expand their market reach, and provide ways to deliver business outcomes for customers.

Partners will be able to reach new markets and unlock new revenue streams by choosing to deliver any way they need to, whether on-prem, cloud, or hybrid. The programme, built on the former HPE Partner Ready programme, has a refreshed portal encompassing both HPE and Aruba portfolios. HPE hopes this will help partners quickly and easily access the information they need, spending less time searching and more time helping customers.

HPE stated that partners will also be able to position their business as a market leader through HPE’s edge-to-cloud to develop unique customer experiences to expand their business.

“As partners evolve their business models to meet the demands of customers today, they need a flexible programme that is designed to help them deliver no matter how their customers are choosing to buy or what their priorities are,” said George Hope, worldwide head of partner sales at HPE. “HPE Partner Ready Vantage enables partners to participate more fully across the entire customer lifecycle and is optimised for our partners’ evolving business needs to accelerate their growth and enable their success.”

The new programme is organised into three tracks which have focused centres of expertise (COE): build, sell, and service. The build track is designed for partners to integrate with HPE technology and use pre-packaged products from HPE and its partners. Partners will also be able to develop their own applications using the company’s open platforms.

The sell track has been designed to help partners grow their XaaS business by offering products and services from across the HPE portfolio. Lastly, the service track is designed for partners focused on delivering services across their customer lifecycle including in consulting, design, deployment, migration, support, and management.

“We created the services COEs to help partners excel in an as-a-service world,” said Donna Grothjan, vice president of worldwide channels for Aruba, an HPE company.

“We were deliberate in including mentorship alongside a wealth of vital training and workshops for our partners,” added Grothjan. “We’ve relied on global best practices as we’ve built out the program elements – all in an effort to help our partners extend and expand their practices, have faster time to activation, reduce churn, and achieve higher than average renewal rates for customers.”

The following Aruba Service COEs are currently available: Customer Success, Managed Services, and Professional Services. HPE is aiming to have the COEs for the build and sell tracks to become available to partners over the next year.

Digital transformation company Schneider Electric has launched a new IT partner programme today, offering new certification and training.

The company said the programme aims to support IT channel partners with a simplified programme structure and specialisations for key sectors including data centres, software, and services, with a new range of sales tools, training, and resources.

The first part of the new programme is available today, which will provide partners with certification across three levels, named Select, Premier, and Elite, to help them combine multiple IT specialisations regardless of their partner status. Partners will be able to identify, resell, configure, and install IT infrastructure products within the SMB or enterprise market spaces.

The programme also offers a new interface, with a dashboard that the company said is easy to navigate and offers visibility on company and individual progress against each specialisation. Partners will also be able to access a range of design tools, training, and resources to help them strengthen their business models and meet customer demands.

Schneider Electric is also introducing myRewards, which is tailored for partners’ business requirements, offering rewards and financial incentives to identify, develop, and help close new business opportunities. Partners will have access to the company’s Green Premium products, to help customers reduce their environmental impact through greater compliance and transparency.

“Many of our partners today share a strong common viewpoint, recognising the importance of strengthening relationships as one of the most effective ways to drive sustainable business growth,” said Rob McKernan, SVP of Schneider Electric Europe’s Secure Power Division “By listening to our partners and designing the program to accommodate both new market trends and changing business models, we can help them to fast-track new sales opportunities and build the partnerships of the future.”

The other parts of the programme, including software and services provider and data centre solutions provider specialisations, will become available in 2023.

The new partner programme has been designed using feedback from Schneider Electric’s partner community, hoping to support the changing requirements of their businesses and help them capitalise on new market trends.

The company pointed to Canalys research which found that the number of IT resellers in Europe is beginning to stabilise after four to five years of consolidation. However, most partners across the region are operating with multiple business types and need vendor partner programmes to be more flexible and reflective of market trends.

The survey found that 65% of partners wanted to strengthen their relationship with vendors, while 60% wanted to improve profitability and sales, and 50% wanted to build their expertise.

It added that partner transformation is also driving change, with more resellers shifting from hardware sales to becoming IT solution providers. Here, they offer managed power services, edge computing, and cloud migrations services to customers.

Lastly, sustainability is a key driver of decision making, with the research finding that 97% of customers are demanding contractual commitments to sustainability when defining and implementing data centre infrastructure.

This comes after Schneider Electric launched a channel programme in April 2021, which allows partners to create a Managed Power Service (MPS) practice. The scheme allows IT companies to establish recurring revenues by offering remote monitoring and management of physical infrastructure across customer networks.

Zoom has cut the ribbon on its new Zoom Up partner programme, which has been designed to make it simpler for partners to transact and grow their business alongside the communications platform provider.

The firm says its refreshed partner initiative aims to reward businesses for continued investments in Zoom, as well as introduce new ways to leverage the Zoom communications platform.

For the first time, the program is also now offering the resale of Zoom Phone with Zoom calling plans for qualified partners in select countries.

“Our partners are fundamental to our growth and success at Zoom, which is why we are constantly evaluating new ways to improve and offer additional benefits to our partner ecosystem,” commented Laura Padilla, Head of Global Business Development and Channel at Zoom.

Essentially, Zoom Up has been built to provide five key business benefits. The first is the launch of Zoom Phone with native capabilities, which enables qualified partners in select countries to sell the full suite of Zoom Phone licenses with Zoom calling plans. Zoom says this will “open the opportunity for resale partners to easily offer the full Zoom Platform”.

The scheme also serves up a simple, unified framework for an easy-to-follow pathway, as well as incentivises continued growth with a revamped rewards system.

The fourth key benefit centres around expertise and transformation, with the inclusion of new competencies, accreditations, and a clear roadmap for partners to develop their expertise.

Lastly, Zoom Up is serving up additional marketing resources for partners, ranging from the Partner Demand Center for demand generation in any language, to additional marketing development funds for the highest levels of the programme.

“Just as Zoom focuses on delivering happiness to our customers, we strive to deliver partner happiness, which is why I am extremely excited about the introduction of the Zoom Up Partner Programme,” Padilla added.

“The introduction of Zoom Up is the next phase in our continued evolution and demonstrates our commitment to joint success with our partners.”

Cyber security asset and SaaS management specialist Axonius has announced an expansion of its UK and EMEA partner programme.

The firm said the revamped initiative will help specialist infrastructure resellers, such as those that specialise in cyber security and IT infrastructure, to better manage SaaS security.

The news follows the recent launch of Axonius SaaS Management, a platform designed to provide customers with a SaaS inventory that offers a comprehensive view into misconfigurations and data security risks.

The firm said channel partners can now also benefit by demonstrating “the value of having greater visibility into SaaS apps and how data flows between them”.

As part of the expansion, specialist independent service providers and infrastructure integrators will receive a range of benefits, including sales and technical training, an incentive scheme co-op marketing, as well as sales enablement content.

There’s also a 30-day assessment program for partners to leverage the Axonius platform for client assessments to boost value for both partners and customers.

“IT, finance, and security teams are seeking help with cyber security asset management and SaaS management to mitigate growing risks, and it is specialists that they are turning to,” explained Mark Daggett, vice president of worldwide channels and alliances at Axonius.

“For our partners, this offers a unique opportunity to solve serious SaaS security challenges and maximise their customers’ investments in their solutions.”

To meet demand for its services and support its 150+ partner base, Axonius has more than quadrupled the size of its channel team over the past year.

During this period, the firm’s partner program experienced 60% channel growth in EMEA and expanded into both APAC and LATAM regions. The scheme also now drives more than 75% of new annual recurring revenue.

“It’s impossible to secure what you don’t know is there, and with the continued explosion of SaaS applications contributing to less visibility into an organisation’s IT landscape, it’s no wonder demand for SaaS security solutions has skyrocketed,” commented Anika Registe, Axonius’ Director of Channel EMEA.

“We’re thrilled to be able to expand the focus of our partner programme in the UK and EMEA to deliver a comprehensive approach to securing the SaaS application stack for all systems integrators, infrastructure resellers, and their customers.”

Application intelligence specialist Veego Software has announced its new Qonnect Partner Programme, which has been designed to help partners offer custom-designed solutions and open up new revenue streams.

The initiative aims to enable players in the connected home ecosystem – such as CPE OEMs and ODMs, Wi-Fi management and optimisation solution providers, middleware, and more - to join forces to offer digitally transformative solutions for the connected home.

Ultimately, the Qonnect Partner Program combines Veego’s range of products, technology and unique QoE data, with partners’ solutions and customer understanding, the firm says.

“Veego Qonnect enables program participants to leverage their customer base and products; providing customers with early exposure and hands-on experience of new products, technologies and applications, accelerating time to market of new technologies and applications through pre-integration, testing and demonstration, increasing and expanding monetisation opportunities for both in-home and third-party offerings,” Veego said in a release.

“It also enables partners to enjoy recurring revenues from high-margin applications powered by Veego’s unique Application Intelligence data.”

With Qonnect, partners provide their CSP customers with “off the shelf” and custom-designed solutions for a range of use cases.

These include proactive notification of connectivity issues for home users in real-time, Veego says, as well as prioritisation of consumed application with the hom and deflection of tech support calls with surgical Auto-Repair and Self-Care. These can also help optimise tech support field visits and recognise consistently suffering users before they call.

Veego’s core technology is “seeded” and leveraged to address up-to-date customer trends, it says, with the platform designed to support future use cases for the evolving market and customer needs. Partners can create a growing portfolio of app-aware applications and monetisation opportunities while increasing customer stickiness.

“The new programme opens access to a collaboration framework where program partners can join forces with us to provide advanced digital transformation solutions to Connected Homes in their respective service areas,” said Amir Kotler, CEO of Veego.

“The solutions will combine Veego’s Home Insight Platform with unique QoE data and partner solutions to provide a more intimate customer understanding.”

Dell Technologies has overhauled its partner program in a move designed to streamline its incentive structure for channel partners.

The refresh for the fiscal year 2023 combines the vendor’s traditional channel ecosystem with OEM and cloud. The new initiative will feature a single incentive structure, as well as a single-tier structure and a sole set of tier requirements for Dell solution providers, cloud services providers and OEM partners.

“These changes will enable partners to focus on positioning the best solution for their customer, while earning consistent, lucrative incentives, regardless of route to market,” said Dell Technologies’ global channel chief Rola Dagher in a blog post.

To further simplify its engagement model and fuel partner growth, Dell also announced enhancements in other key areas.

The vendor revealed it is continuing to double down on storage, with the 5X tier accelerator for mid-range storage and a new 2% incremental rebate kicker for acquisition and Tech Refresh opportunities.

The tech giant said it has simplified the competitive swap and tech refresh processes, and has extended tech refresh to include server leads.

Dagher also revealed further investment into OSC updates with added dedicated team members to assist with quoting – ultimately making the process quicker for partners and their customers.

Elsewhere, all eligible metal tiered partners now have access to license resell and rebate via ‘Access for VMware’, while Dell is also expanding the new business incentive for Client to include Dell displays and Client Peripherals.

“Together these enhancements will help our partners grow, expand their customer base and increase their profit potential with Dell Technologies,” Dagher added.

The partner programme changes follow a strong period for Dell, with Q3 year-to-date figures showing that partners grew orders revenue by 31% year-over-year and delivered more than 50% of the vendor’s orders revenue.

“As we set out to capture the $1.3 trillion market opportunity ahead, we remain committed to our partner promise,” Dagher said.

Infrastructure automation specialist Puppet has announced a new global channel partner programme, slated for the first half of 2022.

Built around a new competency-based model as opposed to a traditional tiered revenue approach, the initiative has been designed to focus on partners with unique specialisations, the firm said.

In an announcement, Puppet also revealed it is lowering the threshold for becoming a reseller partner and making it easier to maintain that status from year to year.

“This is a very exciting time for Puppet. Via our new competency-based programme, we are well equipped to expand our capabilities and meet channel partners with the insights and options they want and need,” commented Paul Heywood, Puppet’s Chief Revenue Officer.

“We’re excited to set a strong foundation for the channel and soon offer new products that resonate across the pragmatic enterprise.”

As organisations increasingly digitise their operations and adopt hybrid, multi-cloud strategies, they also introduce vulnerability and complexity into their IT infrastructure.

Alongside its global channel partner base of almost 200 businesses, Puppet helps organisations prioritise the security and compliance of their IT assets, safeguarding critical infrastructure and applications.

The Portland-headquartered firm said it will continue to invest in its various channel initiatives, including the upcoming launch of its new partner portal, co-marketing technology, as well as its learning management system.

Thanks to its ServiceNow integration capabilities, Puppet added that partners can expect to see increased value with the programme’s new competency-based model.

Sebastian Scheuring, CEO of German IT service provider and Puppet partner bitbone, said the programme will bring the infrastructure automation firm closer to its partners.

“The partnership with Puppet is essential for us as a system house and their new programme unites us further,” he said. “Automation is becoming increasingly important - not only for large companies, but especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Recurring tasks, as well as the lack of specialised personnel, can only be managed in this way.”

BigChange has announced the launch of a new UK channel programme, designed to provide partners with revenue-generating opportunities from the fast-growth field service software market.

Leeds-based BigChange provides field service management software to almost 1,700 field-based organisations around the world.

The firm has now started recruiting channel partners across the UK to complement its in-house sales activities, with five businesses already signed up – including PRS Telecom and Penmark Digital.

Announcing the programme, BigChange revealed that partners will gain exclusive channel access to one of 18 geographical UK territories, as well as the opportunity to earn an initial commission and recurring revenues from reselling and implementing the BigChange platform.

“BigChange is a field service software specialist, with a best-in-class cloud platform and fast-expanding customer base,” commented Paul Witter, chief partnerships officer at BigChange. “We are investing heavily in innovation and expansion, and the time is right to invite the channel to join us.”

BigChange’s job management offering bundles CRM, job scheduling, vehicle tracking, field resource management, financial management, and business intelligence into a single, easy-to-use platform. It’s user base of almost 1,700 organisations span sectors such as building maintenance, construction, and environmental services.

The company’s new partner programme follows a significant round of funding back in 2021, which saw a £75 million private equity investment from Great Hill Partners to fund further growth and innovation.

“The field service sector is ripe for digital transformation, with companies of all sizes turning to technology to automate processes, cut costs and improve capacity, cash flow and customer service. Without change, many will find it difficult to compete and grow,” Witter continued.

“BigChange is particularly suited to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses adopting field service management software for the first time, and those replacing legacy systems that lack functionality and don’t integrate well with other software products.”

Data protection and cyber security specialist Acronis has enhanced its channel partner programme with a host of new features and benefits.

The update to the company’s #CyberFit Partner Programme now places a greater emphasis on supporting partner development, particularly for cloud-based services, as well as increasing marketing and social media visibility with pre-packaged automated content. It will also offer competitive professional and financial assistance to partners willing to migrate, Acronis said.

“With these new updates, we are helping to lead the cyber security industry with and for our partners,” commented Acronis channel chief Alex Ruslyakov. “We pride ourselves on the strong relationships we have with our partners, and are always looking for ways to make them more successful, which in turn leads to our success.”

That success has so far seen Acronis’ ecosystem more than double since 2018, with over 750,000 businesses now utilising its Cyber Protect platform. Last year, the firm revamped its partner programme as a unified initiative for providers and resellers.

For 2022, Acronis is emphasising a new focus on service providers and cloud distribution partners, with no revenue threshold, straightforward programme requirements and a dedicated account manager.

Partners can leverage joint business planning, financial benefits for Gold and Platinum members, an on-demand virtual demo lab, as well as a slew of sales and marketing automation tools.

The scheme also promises a competitive migration program, access to Acronis’ #TeamUp initiative for potential partnerships with sports teams, and an NFR programme that provides Acronis software licenses for partners’ internal usage.

“We understand the various roadblocks experienced on cloud transformation journeys and strive to continuously update and improve our programme and deliver outstanding benefits and tools to facilitate partner’s growth and decrease operational costs, delivering them to the front of innovation and leading the industry to new fertile ground,” Ruslyakov added.

Acronis is hosting its #CyberFit Partner Kickoff virtual event on 2 February, during which the firm will detail its approach and plans for 2022 to partners and distributors.

Civo has announced the launch of its new Partner Programme, which has been designed to bring customers and partners the best services on the market.

The company says its new initiative aims to support partners’ growth ambitions, as well as encourage the industry’s brightest minds to collaborate on “reshaping the cloud-native landscape”.

Based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, Civo is the first pure-play cloud-native service provider powered solely by Kubernetes. With the world’s first production-ready Kubernetes platform to run on K3s, the firm is aiming to challenge the major cloud providers with cutting-edge services.

Supported by the its sales and engineering team, Civo’s new programme will see partners bring sales leads to Civo in exchange for commission, enabling them to move up through the partner tiers and grow their income.

There are also exclusive benefits that include a no-fuss referral scheme, as well as free Civo credit to host applications on the firm’s production-ready managed Kubernetes platform.

“Users of Civo benefit from a streamlined application hosting experience, ensuring organisations can focus more of their energy on development – and less on managing infrastructure,” Civo said in a press release announcing the launch.

Civo also announced its first premier partner in Fullstaq, a fast-growing cloud-native IT service company that works with both startup and enterprise businesses.

The first certified Kubernetes consultancy agency in The Netherlands, Fullstaq will work with Civo to provide customers with expert guidance on making the jump to Kubernetes.

“Civo offers a great managed Kubernetes environment that enables customers to spin up clusters at low costs,” explained Gerrit Tamboer, Fullstaq CEO. “The ‘plug & play’ concept makes it really easy for companies to set up their applications in an easy and budget friendly way.”

Civo said its new Partner Programme forms part of its mission to “cut through the opaqueness and complexity” that characterises the big cloud providers.

“Our partner programme is designed to empower Civo customers and our partners with the best services on the market,” said Mark Boost, CEO & co-founder of Civo. “We are excited to have partners like Fullstaq who are helping improve the Civo offering by making the move to Kubernetes easier than ever.”

Identity resolution specialist Neustar has announced the arrival of its new Ultra Secure Partner Program (USPP), alongside the appointment of a new global channel lead.

The revamp has been designed to provide enhanced access to its range of cloud-based security solutions, globally distributed network, and family of security services to help partners grow their cloud security portfolios.

To lead this channel expansion effort, Neustar also announced the appointment of Jeremy Nicholls as its new vice president of Global Channels.

Ahead of joining the business back in January 2021, Nicholls held the position of VP of Global Channels & Alliances at Arbor Networks for 9 years. The industry veteran has also previously held channel and direct leadership roles at Niksun, Polycom and Ericsson.

“We’ve reimagined Neustar Security Solutions’ partner programme to make it as compelling as possible,” Nicholls commented. “Now a simple and value-driven programme based on partner engagement levels, we offer highly competitive margins and unrivalled support to our partners.”

With its new standardised tiered structure, the initiative aims to offer clarity on expectations from both parties, complete with consistent practices, policies, and discounts.

The USPP also offers varying benefits and expectations to partners depending on the commitment they made, with perks increasing in higher tiers, Neustar says.

At higher levels, partners can leverage benefits such as higher discounting, qualified sales leads, training and support, account mapping, and access to the company’s specialists and expertise. There’s also focused marketing support, such as promotional materials, customisable collateral, special programme funding, as well as case studies to help generate more business.

Discounts have also been increased throughout the programme to facilitate leading margins for partners depending on tier and engagement levels.

Neustar says its new programmes are specifically targeted to expand sales and support coverage for its products in the US, Canada and Europe, with further opportunities in Latin America and Eastern Europe.

“As the world continues to move to the cloud, Neustar Security Solutions is uniquely positioned to partner with organisations who want to grow existing, and secure new customers based around cloud security, where they can wrap their own incremental services to the offerings,” Nicholls added.

Infrastructure software as a service (SaaS) provider Nebulon has announced its new smartPartner programme, as well as new incentives in the form of Nebulon smartStart and Nebulon smartRewards.

The firm says the additions have been designed to help reseller partners significantly accelerate and grow both their revenue and margins in the current saturated market.

The smartPartner programme will provide resellers with access to Nebulon’s differentiated application infrastructure – smartInfrastructure – to help win incremental business and drive more revenue compared to hyper-converged offerings.

The initiative will also offer access to incentives for its members to help them close new deals quicker, as well as boost their recurring revenue-based solutions, the firm said.

“It’s no secret that the channel has experienced limited margins and growth as a direct result of overly-distributed hyper-converged platforms,” commented Tim Pitcher, Nebulon’s Vice President of Sales.

“With smartInfrastructure we are excited to offer our reseller partners a unique and differentiated cloud-managed, on-premises solution which enables them to overcome these challenges while significantly accelerating their business growth.”

Through the smartPartner programme, resellers will have access to the two new incentive schemes – smartRewards and smartStart.

A tiered ‘frequent seller’ programme, smartRewards offers partner members rebates based on their Nebulon ON SaaS subscription sales. There are Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers, with each level offering incremental rebates.

The second programme, smartStart, aims to accelerate early wins with smartInfrastructure, Nebulon says. The initiative provides a rebate on Nebulon Service Processing Units (SPUs) on a partner’s first deal, with members qualifying for additional smartStart incentives when moving up the tiers.

Dev Tyagi, chief sales and marketing officer at Boston, who recently partnered with Nebulon to resell its offering, said the programme was a stamp of commitment to the channel.

“We are really pleased that Nebulon has opted to take a partner-first approach with this new programme and with smartInfrastructure we are able to offer and innovative and differentiated product, which has the potential to provide a much more effective business solution for our customers,” he said.

AvePoint, the largest data management ISV for Microsoft 365, has cut the ribbon on its first global partner programme for both new and existing partners.

The initiative expands on previous regional programs and has been designed to meet the unique needs of MSPs, VARs, cloud consultants, and DevOps partners, equipping them with the tech and resources needed to create revenue opportunities in the collaboration security market, the firm said.

"The Microsoft ecosystem presents a huge economic opportunity for partners who can build purpose-driven services around it with AvePoint technologies," said Jason Beal, senior vice president of Global Channel and Partner Ecosystems, at AvePoint.

"The number of Microsoft Teams active users increased by more than 100 million since the start of the pandemic, with many of those organisations forced to rush through their digital transformations without having all of their security, compliance or data retention plans in place. That is an attractive opportunity for partners who can help consolidate and protect and govern data from exposure and loss."

AvePoint says its new global partner programme will enable partners to “maximise the full economic opportunity” that its technology offers and capitalise on the digital collaboration wave, as the only ISV offering an all-in-one approach.

The scheme has been designed to provide partners with generous compensation and incentives, training and enablement, round-the-clock support, and marketing and co-selling opportunities. There’s also access to AvePoint’s team of Microsoft 365 experts, as well as IP co-creation for the opportunity to co-build unique products.

Additionally, the programme features a two-tier system of authorised and invested partners, with the higher level offering additional support, resources, and discounts for top partners.

There’s also a partner advisory council that can help shape future programme developments, as well as a community champions programme to help highlight important partner voices, AvePoint added.

The move swiftly follows the news that the company is now trading on the NASDAQ.

"Through the process of going public, we now have over 250 million cash on hand that will be used, in part, to ambitiously invest in the success of our partners and our combined business growth," said Dr. Tianyi "TJ" Jiang, CEO and Co-Founder of AvePoint.

"The channel is one of the most important expansion vectors for AvePoint, so we've made it a priority across all business departments in order to realise company goals."

Cloud email and collaboration security specialist Avanan has formally cut the ribbon on its new Global Channel Partner Program.

The initiative has been designed to offer VARs, MSPs, and MSSPs the opportunity to extend Avanan’s patented pre-delivery protection, which stops the delivery of malicious emails before they reach the inbox.

Compatible with collaboration apps such as Microsoft Teams and file-sharing platforms like Dropbox, Avanan scans emails after default security software but before the inbox – which the firm says leads to a 99.2% reduction in phishing emails reaching their destination.

The new Global Channel Partner Program will be led by Michael Lyons, the firm’s vice president of Global Channels, who is focused on global growth of the entire channel ecosystem.

“With a channel first commitment model, Avanan invested early into a seamless, easy-to-navigate, tier-less channel partner program that gives partners an even playing field opportunity to reach success together,” Lyons commented.

Back in 2020, Avanan launched its Partner Portal, which has been designed to make it easy for partners to onboard and start selling. With a one-click, zero-touch deployment model, it offers instant protection for end-users, as well as a fast and increasing revenue stream for service providers.

Avanan says this solution offers channel partners an easily deployable product with short evaluation and POC times.

The channel programme announcement marks the next step in what has already been a busy year for the company. Behind the scenes, it has added to its executive headcount, including Chris Blum as vice president of Marketing, while its sales engineering staff have also been expanded.

Avanan has also recently started a Partner Success programme and allocated a budget for marketing and partner activities to help increase channel revenue.

“As we continue building out the program globally, we welcome partners looking to engage with a vendor that prides itself on the ability to easily do business,” Lyons added.