How the All-New SecureFirst Partner Program Puts Partners First
A firsthand look at SecureFirst’s next era.
For more than 30 years, SonicWall’s successes have been made possible by our vibrant and growing partner community. They’re more than just partners to us — they’re trusted ambassadors for SonicWall, trusted advisors for their customers, and trusted experts in the field of cybersecurity at large.
And in turn, they’ve relied on us to keep innovating, and to continue delivering products and solutions that safeguard networks around the globe. This level of mutual trust isn’t just beneficial — it’s crucial. Not only does it help ensure shared success, it also enables a greater level of collaboration in fostering that success.
As we began looking to update and enhance our award-winning SecureFirst partner program more than a year ago, this collaboration helped form the basis of those efforts. No one has a better idea of what a partner program should look like than our partners themselves. We asked our partners what they wanted to see in a partner program, and what would most effectively help drive their success.
The result? An all-new SecureFirst partner program that truly puts our valuable partner community first. It represents the next step of SonicWall’s outside-in approach to listening to partners, and also serves as an investment in the growth and prosperity of those who have driven SonicWall’s success.
First Things First
Our global channel community is highly diverse, comprising more than 17,000 partners serving in every industry, in just about every country you can think of. As we spoke with partners, we got a more complete picture of the challenges and opportunities faced by our partner community at large. The invaluable feedback we received informed significant enhancements to the SecureFirst program, with an emphasis on the key areas most frequently mentioned.
This new era of SecureFirst is designed to give partners more of what they need to be successful, to reduce time spent and to maximize value. We increased Marketing Development Funds to foster mutual growth, lowered the threshold for partners to achieve rebates, increased discounts and provided highly competitive customer deal registration.
These enhancements empower each individual partner to thrive and excel in their respective industries, while leveraging their own unique business models.
Our goal with these changes is to take a more active role in helping our partners grow their businesses.
On Track to Succeed
But with such a diverse group of partners, we’ve acknowledged from the beginning that finding any kind of one-size-fits-all approach would be impossible.
That’s why the new SonicWall SecureFirst Partner Program consists of two separate tracks: Velocity and Mastery. The Velocity track emphasizes speed to market and a lightweight experience, while the Mastery track is for those looking to become experts in the SonicWall platform.
These tracks ensure that partners can choose their level of engagement with SonicWall — but regardless of their choice, partners will have access to competitive pricing and tools to increase efficiency.
Superior Benefits for Service Providers
As threats become more sophisticated and the attack surface continues to grow, many organizations are now enlisting the help of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs). These “virtual CIOs” help shield their customers’ cloud-based, on-premises or hybrid IT environments from cyberattacks.
But while the demand for these service providers continues to increase, so do the demands placed on them. After speaking with MSP/MSSP partners specifically, SonicWall developed the Service Provider Overlay to help meet the specific needs of our service provider partners.
Designed to work in combination with the Velocity and Mastery tracks, the SecureFirst Service Provider Overlay was developed to accommodate any business strategy.
This option offers access to simple and flexible pricing and billing models, exclusive tools, personalized support, monthly billing options with no commitment, and more. When they partner with SonicWall, service providers get increased earning potential and profitability as SonicWall invests in their practice, and their customers get a broad portfolio of best-in-class cybersecurity solutions.
The Tools You Need to Drive the Outcomes You Want
We know it doesn’t help anyone when the most powerful tools for driving success are only available to those who are already successful. With SecureFirst, partners gain access to SonicWall partner benefits from the beginning, without having to dive into training or business planning commitments.
These benefits are designed to bolster every aspect of a partner’s business and fall into four major categories: Awareness, Sales, Enablement, and Technical Assistance. They range from the SonicWall Partner Marketing Playbook and readymade campaign materials to deal registration and access to a wide range of subject matter experts.
Isn’t It Time You Came First?
You already know SonicWall offers best-in-class products at a lower total cost of ownership. And with its industry-leading collection of benefits, a clearly defined path for advancement, and flexibility built directly into the program, we’re confident you’ll find the enhanced SecureFirst Partner Program offers a superior partner experience as well.
New partners will begin seeing these changes at the time of onboarding. However, to help ensure a smooth transition to the new program, there will be no immediate changes to how existing partners do business with us. These partners will have ample time (until Feb. 1, 2024) to collaborate closely with the SonicWall team regarding switching to the new program.
Learn more about the improvements coming to the SecureFirst Partner Program— and if you’re ready to start enjoying the benefits of our SecureFirst Partner Program, sign up to become a partner today!
