NextWave Program Evolution, Redefining Next-Generation Security Provider Engagement

It is a great honor to share that Palo Alto Networks recently conducted a global partner satisfaction survey where we achieved a Partner Net Promoter Score of 58 (a score of 50 or higher is considered excellent). To all the partners reading this, thank you! This achievement underscores the strong ties we’ve built with you; the game-changing differentiation of our Next-Generation Security Platform; and, our steadfast commitment to continue evolving our NextWave partner program.

It inspires us to keep redefining how we engage with and enable you to become next-generation security innovators – experts equipped to help mutual customers around the globe prevent successful cyber breaches.

It goes without saying that the cyberthreat landscape is constantly evolving. Today, many different vendors are clamoring about how their pseudo “platforms” – often legacy technologies cobbled together – are the best way for customers to protect themselves against the latest threats. In all of this noise, analysis of some of our most successful partners’ practices indicates that the best way for you to help your customers sift through what’s real and what’s not is through side-by-side technical comparisons.

Our partners who have the expertise to assist in the technical evaluations by becoming next-generation security innovators create deeper relationships with their customers and are more profitable.

With the newest updates to our NextWave Channel Partner Program, we are committed to helping enable this, fostering your success not just by enabling technical differentiation and specializations, but also by enhancing your profitability opportunities, simplifying the way we interact with and support you, and helping you build sustainable, breach prevention-focused security practices. Below are highlights of note in each of these areas.

New differentiation and specializations so you can scale and strengthen your expertise in our technology and become next-generation security innovators:

• Pre-sales training added to our enablement framework
• Comprehensive set of pre-sales, sales and post-sales individual accreditations and certifications
• Nine pre-sales specializations with different levels and expertise by role
• Roles: foundation, associate and professional
• Expertise: cybersecurity, platform, endpoint, mobile, data center, platform, cybersecurity and data center.
• TRAPS advanced endpoint specialization
• Partners who achieve this will be granted the highest deal registration protection (up to 25 percent) for one year.

New profitability opportunities to achieve higher deal closure rates and reduce cost of doing business include:

• Improved Diamond and Platinum partner margins that reward partners who exceed quarterly growth targets
• Predictable NFR discounts based on NextWave level
• Real-time reporting on the utilization of NFR equipment, NFR return-on-investment and proof-of-concept activities

 New loyalty features make it easier to invest in and grow with Palo Alto Networks:

• Simplified partner framework with new Silver-level requirements
• Global availability of the highest NextWave Diamond-level partner status
• An upgraded deal registration system
• Updated Partner Learning Center
• New renewals platform

We are pleased to bring these updates to the program and are dedicated to continue helping drive the development of our next-generation security partners and innovators around the globe!

For more information about the updates to the program, please go to our Partner Portal, NextWave Channel Partner Program page where you can find requirement details, overview presentation and partner webcast replay.