PEAK16: SonicWall—A Nimble, Strategic Channel Partner

As PEAK16 comes to a close, I would like to recap some of the highlights from the numerous conversations with our world class and loyal VAR community.

From the stage, the close to 744 channel partners in attendance heard about the latest ways to protect customers while ensuring IT is a business enabler, especially in light of the growing pervasiveness of ransomware. I trust that all those who attended are leaving Las Vegas with expanded knowledge, tools and solutions to equip their customers to open their own ‘Department of Yes.’  We have an amazing VAR base who deploy and manage secure networks for 32 percent of the SME market (According to Infonetics Q1 2016).

We highlighted the new SonicWall Capture Advance Threat Protection Service which is fully operational and provides arguably the best Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) and ransomware prevention in the market. This cloud based service, available with SonicWall firewalls, provides advanced threat detection and sandboxing with a multi-engine approach to stopping unknown and zero-day attacks at the gateway and with automated remediation.

New Cloud Security Management Solution to meet growing demand for Security-as-a-Service

In order to help our VARs drive operational efficiency and meet the growing demand for security-as-a-service, SonicWall announced a technology preview of its Cloud Security Management Solution. This Cloud Global Management System (GMS) will enable partners to scale even faster, with streamlined deployment, management and reporting. We are in beta today.

PEAK16—The Buzz in the Halls

Beyond the official keynotes and breakout sessions, the buzz at Peak16 was around the upcoming acquisition of SonicWall by Francisco Partners and Evergreen. Announced earlier this summer, the sale will allow SonicWall to become an even more nimble and strategic network security solution provider. Our new Secure First Partner Program will help partners differentiate their offerings in the marketplace, while ensuring we provide the right partners increased profitability based on the level of value they provide to our customers.

“I started attending SonicWall’s PEAK again since it relaunched in 2014. During this period my company has grown in excess of 30 percent each year with SonicWall network security solutions and as a result just recently outgrew our office space and relocated to our own building two weeks ago. I don’t think this growth is by any accident, as the networking, contacts and content at these PEAK16 Conferences leave me charged up with new ideas and seeking new opportunities to expand our business,” said Steven J. Ryder, president, True North Networks, LLC.

It was great to reconnect in-person with our channel partners at PEAK16. Thanks to our loyal partner network, our solutions are actively providing secure access to more than one million networks, ranging from small businesses to leading retail and education institutions.

New SonicWall Capture Enraptures Partners at Annual PEAK16

Today’s advanced threats are designed to evade detection. An explosion of zero-day threats challenges every one of us. In 2015 alone, our solutions blocked more than 8.19 billion attacks. And most recently, the onslaughts of ransomware attacks have escalated an environment of fear. How do you defend against unknown zero-day threats? How can you turn that fear into greater security confidence? How can you say YES to new IT projects without regret? Many of the answers will be highlighted at SonicWall PEAK16.

This week, I am honored, as keynote speaker, to present the current market challenges and SonicWall’s strategic solutions at the PEAK16 Conference. Attending the conference at the Aria in Las Vegas is a sold-out crowd of more than 700 channel partners focused on network security. The conference will have a heavy focus on SonicWall Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and Content Filtering Service 4.0. We are also providing a tech preview of our Cloud Global Management System (GMS).

These are just a few of the solutions we will cover that will help turn fear and hesitation into confidence and progress. The PEAK16 Conference doesn’t stop there. We’ll spend two and half days covering more than 30 breakout sessions and providing both technical as well as business focused content to better enable our partners to better protect their customers. Our customers are already benefiting from SonicWall Capture.

Photo of the audience at PEAK 2016

“We did some evaluations of other sandbox solutions, but SonicWall Capture was the easiest to implement and most cost effective to license and manage. Because it’s offered as an upgrade to our firewall and only requires a firmware update, testing and eventual deployment into a production environment was really easy. We are looking at utilizing this at our other sites as we focus on multiple, layered approaches to security,” stated Zachary A. Radke of Santa Fe Senior Living.

Congratulations to all our partners who are making an investment in time and travel. We are proud to work with you to deliver world-class security. Let’s turn fear and doubt into confidence. Let’s find all the different ways we need to say YES!

SonicWall Announces New “Reward for Value” for Channel Partners

I like cars. All kinds of cars. From high speed racers, to utility pickups and even classics like the 1961 Corvette I’m looking to restore in my spare time. Partner programs are a lot like cars. Some are basic and get you from point A to point B. Others are high performance vehicles designed to thrill. As we announce the new  SonicWall Secure First partner program and Reward for Value incentives at our PEAK16 conference this week in Las Vegas, we’ll unveil a program that I’d like to believe has a lot of horsepower, gives its drivers great controls, and is a dependable ride.

At the heart of the new program are our partnering engines designed to help our partners deliver the best security possible to protect their customers while creating more value for their business. We’ve tuned up all the partnering engines Incentives, Enablement, Support and Services.

For the incentive engine, “Reward for Value” recognizes and rewards partners for the full value they contribute to selling and supporting SonicWall solutions across the entire customer lifecycle. Whether it’s hunting a new sales opportunity, delivering a proof of concept, attaching incremental security services subscriptions to a sale or demonstrating vertical market expertise, Reward for Value delivers balanced up-front discounts and back-end rewards.

We’re also revving up new partner sales and SE trainings and accreditation tracks all built on a new partner enablement platform that delivers rich media training content and sales tools designed around the customer lifecycle. The new accreditations will provide valuable general knowledge on the threat landscape and cyber security, as well as on the latest SonicWall solutions like SonicWall Capture our new advanced threat protection offering.

Additionally, the Authorized Support Partner program is being announced to help partners builds out profitable support and services practices with their SonicWall solutions. Rich with support and services enablement that will ensure together we deliver customer success, this new program will recognize and reward Partners for owning their customers through deployment, support, optimization and upgrades. We’re also highlighting the momentum we’re building with our Security-as-a-Service and how partners can deliver managed security services on the SonicWall platform.

With close to 750 Partners attending from across the Americas, this is our largest and most successful partner event in the history of SonicWall. In fact, I’ve talked to Partners here who have attended every Peak we’ve hosted over 14 years! Talk about a loyal and dedicated Partner base. It’s humbling and an honor to count these companies among our Partners. And speaking of great Partners, I want to thank our platinum sponsors for co-sponsoring this annual event Tech Data, D&H Distributing, Securematics, SYNNEX and Ingram Micro. Without them none of this would have happened.

Our Americas business is running on all cylinders, the partnering engines are revving up and we’re thrilled to launch our Secure First partner program and Reward for Value. With the partner feedback and validation we’re receiving at PEAK, we’ve got our eyes focused on the road ahead and together with our Partners are speeding toward even greater success.

“SonicWall has proven to be a winner for us in our security practice. We have had a number of wins against other security products because of the support provided by SonicWall. PEAK16 is in that it enables me to engage with peers and enhance my skills,” says Jeffrey Grant, vice president of Tri-Delta Resources Corp.

“SonicWall understands partner challenges, enabling us to deliver thousands of customer centric solutions over the 25 years,” said Joseph Tassia, president of Nuoz.

I am meeting one-on-one with our partners this week to listen and help them further with their security mission. Follow @SonicWall on Twitter and SonicWall on Facebook with #YesPeak16 to join in the conversation and get updates. We want to hear from you.

Tech Data and SonicWall Partner to Build Industry Leading Security Solutions

The following is a guest post from Sid Earley, Vice President, SonicWall Solutions Group, Tech Data Corp.

The Peak 2016 conference is taking place next week from Aug. 28-31 in Las Vegas. The partner education conference offers an opportunity to learn and explore how to push beyond traditional boundaries and safely dive into cloud, mobility and the Internet of Things. It’s an opportunity to gain insights about security trends, ways to grow their business with SonicWall. As a distribution sponsor,Tech Data is proud to partner with SonicWall to provide education and consulting for resellers focused on industry-leading solutions.

As the need for security solutions have increased, so has the number and complexity of cyber threats. According to Gartner, the market for cybersecurity software and services is about $75 billion, and is expected to reach $170 billion by 2020. Tech Data is committed to developing security solutions that help identify, protect against and respond to this rapidly evolving landscape. Tech Data offers comprehensive security solutions that meet the evolving needs of this dynamic market, helping you protect your business and your customers’ data.

While our Tech Data Cloud business unit has been enabling our customers for more than five years, and continue to innovate, we recently introduced two new dedicated teams to further support our customers in a very dynamic market. In May, Tech Data launched its Security and Information Management business unit, which is strategically focused on the delivery of customer enablement tools, including security assessments and professional services, to help solution providers build security practices and increase their overall knowledge of the market. In July, Tech Data launched its new Internet of Things (IoT) business practice, Smart IoT Solutions by Tech Data. The new practice is designed to aggregate IoT solutions and provides a simplified route to the rapidly expanding IoT market for solution providers.

Tech Data also provides best-in-class customer service and customized partner enablement programs including sales and technical training, lead generation and marketing services. We are committed to arming you with the tools and services your business’s security network needs to grow your business and meet evolving market demands, reduce distractions and ultimately increase profitability.

 Curtis Hutcheson, VP and GM of SonicWall and One Identity

SonicWall offers industry-leading security solutions. Together with Tech Data’s dedicated team of industry experts including software licensing specialists, system engineers, and product sales champions we will work with you and your sales team to establish a customized, value-added channel enablement strategy that works for your business.

Please plan to visit us at booth #103 during the event for a one-on-one consultation. See you in Las Vegas!

Engage in event activities and follow the conversation on Twitter at @SonicWall and @Tech_Data using the conference hashtag #YesPeak16.

Ingram Micro and SonicWall at PEAK: Innovating Security Solutions Sales Cycle

Note: This is a guest blog post by Eric Kohl, Vice President, Advanced Solutions, Network Security, Ingram Micro

With a proliferation of devices and increasingly sophisticated threats driving expanded opportunity around security, I think we can all agree that it’s worth the time and trouble to build a robust security practice. Our role at Ingram Micro is to show you ways to shorten the security sales cycle to help drive profitability while also positioning your business as a trusted security adviser.

While we have a dedicated team of SonicWall experts who will help you go to market with confidence, I’d like to challenge you to think beyond that to the other ways Ingram Micro can support your security practice. You can do that at the upcoming annual SonicWall PEAK16 Conference, Aug. 28-31 at the Aria in Las Vegas where we are a platinum sponsor and looking forward to meeting all of the 700 attendees. We offer security consulting and education, channel enablement services, and marketing support that help you profitably sell SonicWall solutions. We also provide real-time support, certified technical expertise, technology help desks, dedicated order management and more, so that you can provide your customers with the most up-to-date security solutions and support available. But what you might not know is how our portfolio of professional services can help you better protect your existing customers and open the door to new ones. Identifying weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your customers’ infrastructure can provide a springboard for discussions about the impact of those gaps in security coverage, drastically shortening the sales cycle by providing tests and assessments as an extension of your team’s experts, and following up with reporting and consultation. Once we’ve identified those weaknesses, our technology consulting team can back you up with proof of concept and demos all geared to help you fully secure all of your customers’ environment from devices through the network and right into the cloud.

Attendees at Peak Performance 2015

At PEAK16 next week in the Solutions Expo, stop by Ingram Micro Booth 101 to learn more about how Ingram Micro can help you shorten the sales cycle. (Plus, when you drop your business card at the booth, you could win a yeti cooler in our raffle!). Follow the conversation on Twitter with the conference hashtag #YesPeak16 @SonicWall and @IngramTechSol.

See you there!


Eric Kohl, Vice President Advanced Solutions, Network Security, Ingram Micro

Eric Kohl serves as vice president, Ingram Micro’s Security Business Unit, responsible for driving the strategy and execution of U.S. sales, vendor management, marketing and market development efforts for IT vendors and solution providers within that business unit. Since joining Ingram Micro in 1998, Eric has served as senior vendor business manager for Ingram Micro U.S. and worked in various roles in both product management and purchasing. Originally from the East Coast, Eric lives in sunny California with his wife and two children. He remains a die-hard Red Sox fan, is an avid reader and hack golfer.

Sneak Preview of the Art of the Hack with Rob Krug

Well, it’s Peak16 time again at the Aria in Las Vegas.

Did you enjoy Peak 2015? Then check this out ““ they are actually putting me on the main stage this year. If you thought that last year was entertaining, wait till you get a load me this time.

Don’t miss my main stage presentation on Tuesday, August 30, “The Art of the Hack”.

I have been analyzing the latest threats, exploits and breach scenarios, and between you and me, it’s pretty sinister out there. To highlight key information, I have some surprises in store. What better way to deliver a fresh look at the security threat landscape than on the main stage and the big screen. I would love to divulge the details but what’s the fun in that?

Go to the PEAK16 site to get the latest agenda, with all of the keynotes, business and technical sessions on SonicWall network security, access security and email security. This is going to be an awesome event with our channel partners.

I can’t wait to see you there. In the meantime, check out these videos – and follow PEAK16 on Twitter at @SonicWall #YesPeak16 on Twitter.

D&H Distributing Conveys the Benefit of Distribution to Partners at Peak 2016

The following is a guest blog post by Michael Schwab, Co-President at D&H Distributing

As a distribution sponsor of Peak 2016, we’re thrilled to enhance our ongoing relationship with SonicWall and meet with the company’s influential base of partners. At this year’s event at the Aria in Las Vegas, Nevada, Aug. 28-31, we will continue our dialog with SonicWall solution providers on the value we can deliver as a distribution partner. D&H is proud to offer exclusive programs, including our new Pre-Sales Support program, dedicated Cloud Specialists, Partner Services marketing materials, the Incentives Rewards loyalty program, and educational opportunities through both trade events and our state-of-the-art Solutions Lab training platform. These services help partners acquire product knowledge, increase purchasing power and gain incremental revenues, including through solutions like the SonicWall security products.

We endorse a consultative approach with our channel resellers, investing time, effort, and a dedicated account person toward helping each customer grow his or her skills set and core competencies. D&H positions its customers to succeed, helping them to leverage lucrative opportunities ranging from business continuity, to upgrade and total technology refresh projects, to ushering-in the new modern workplace with hosted services and seamless mobile technologies.

Our growing relationship with SonicWall is important to us, being part of our focus on the SMB marketplace. This is why series such as the industry-leading SonicWALL TZ Unified Threat Management (UTM) firewalls, the SonicWall NSA next-gen firewalls and the SonicPoint wireless access points are ideal offerings for our mutual customer community.

View of the SonicWall and D&H Distributing booth at Peak16

Partners can speak to a D&H SonicWall Specialist, part of our world-class Solutions Specialist Team, and other D&H personnel at booth #105, to find out how to benefit from our personalized service model. Attendees can enter to win a $500 American Express gift card giveaway, to be announced Tuesday, August 30 at 5:30 p.m. during the show.  Visit www.dandh.com/peak to find out how to take advantage of the comprehensive business support services that D&H provides. New customers are eligible for a $100 American Express gift card after their first $1,000 purchase.

Be sure to mention us when you participate in social media with #YesPEAK16, @dandh, @SonicWALL. And join in the fun by posting about your SonicWall installation in the event’s social media sweepstakes, using #YesPeak16 and/or #Peak16Selfie. SonicWall partners can follow D&H on Twitter, visit us online at dandh.com, or contact their SonicWall Solution Specialist at SonicWALLSpecialist@dandh.com.

Thanks. We look forward to working with you to realize new opportunities in 2016.


Michael Schwab began his D&H career in 1989 as an outside sales rep. in the Philadelphia area. In 1991, Michael joined the corporate group in the Harrisburg headquarters as director of merchandising. Over the years, he has overseen D&H’s staff of product managers, which has grown from a department of two to the current group of 50+.  In 1999, he was promoted to vice president of purchasing where Michael played an integral role in establishing relationships with major D&H partners including Lenovo and Cisco Systems. Michael assumed the role of co-president, along with his brother Dan Schwab, in May 2008. In their inaugural year as co-presidents, Michael and Dan Schwab were ranked in Everything Channel’s list of the Top Executives in 2008, and have been named to its Top Executive lists every year since, including the #1 spot on the 2011 “SMB Superstars” list.

Michael has been instrumental in leading D&H toward various industry and regional distinctions and awards, including the Central Penn Business Journal’s Business of the Year award 2011, and 2012; that magazine’s #1 Privately-Held Business from 2011 to 2014; The ESOP (Employee Stock Option Program) Association’s AACE Award for best communications program by an employee-owned company; and a host of vendor partner awards.

Michael earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics at the University of Pennsylvania in 1985 and completed a law degree in 1988 at Villanova. Prior to D&H, he worked for the leading accounting and consulting firm Arthur Andersen.

Securematics Distributes Advantages to Partners as a Sponsor at Peak 2016, Aug. 28-31

Note: This is a guest blog post by Jon Bennett, Senior Director of Sales at Securematics.

As a sponsor of the Peak16 conference – Govern Every Identity and Inspect Every Packet – at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas, we want to tell you about the excellent team at Securematics and invite you to come spend some time getting to know us from Aug.28-31. We are proud to continue our relationship with SonicWall network security, secure mobile access and connected security solutions and look forward to presenting our value added programs to SonicWall’s solution providers.

Securematics has a team devoted to channel partners and our vendors. The channel environment is constantly evolving and our solutions have to evolve, as well. Partners talk about the “known vs. unknowns” in network security, and much like finding vulnerabilities in a network, Securematics is dedicated to finding focused Solutions and new opportunities. By having a presence at PEAK 2016, Securematics will announce our go to market strategies, security solutions, and exclusive programs like our E-Rate Advantage Program. E-Rate Advantage Program has already helped our channel partners to secure more than $5 million in annual contract revenues since it was launched in August 2015. The demands on today’s network security reseller and managed service provider have evolved. Our programs focus on the growing needs of our partners, providing them technical support, custom credit options, and training.

“Our top priority is to provide our channel partners with the insight, training, technology and support needed to meet customers’ needs and grow their businesses more profitably, and we look forward to continuing to help them build on the success they have already achieved through Securematics.” says Brian Vincik, vice president and general manager at Securematics.

Take a peak at a video highlighting channel partners who attend PEAK16 each year and the opportunity  they gain by attending.

If you or your team want to get to know Securematics more, we’ll be here at booth 106 throughout PEAK, and we can’t wait to talk to you. Stop by our booth enter to win a Phantom 3 Drone by DJI. Be sure to follow the conversation @Securematics and @SonicWall with #YesPEAK. You can still register today: http://www.dellpeakperformance.com/.

Thanks and See you soon!

Jon Bennett | Senior Director, Sales
Securematics, Inc.

SonicWall Announces Channel Partner Award Winners at EMEA PEAK16

EMEA PEAK 16

Last week, SonicWall hosted more than 230 enthusiastic partners at our EMEA PEAK16 event and the information exchange was a valuable one for all of us. The city of Valetta in Malta, with its ancient stone walls and fortresses which have provided defense against attacks throughout history, proved an appropriate location for a security conference. The feedback we received from partners reaffirmed that as threats continue to evolve, customers need to constantly stay at least one step ahead of them. We heard the clear need to allow IT to move away from being an obstacle to the business to becoming an enabler, with technologies that protect from threats, but still provide easy access for all workers, especially those who are mobile or remote.

This week’s EMEA PEAK16 event reinforced for us that it’s more important than ever to provide a security portfolio that helps our partners reinforce their roles as trusted advisors. Partners took advantage of business and technical sessions designed to give them insight to the cyber threat landscape and how the Security portfolio drives real solutions to today’s threats.

EMEA PEAK16 wrapped with the recognition of those partners who exemplify commitment to the SonicWall portfolio and achieved substantial sales growth over the last year. The awards highlighted partner excellence Distribution, Channel Partners, New Partners and the coveted Project of the Year. Congratulations to the following winners:

  • 2015 SonicWall EMEA Best Distributor –Exertis
  • 2015 SonicWall EMEA Best Performing Partner –NetThreat
  • 2015 SonicWall EMEA Best New Comer –Ineo IT Solutions
  • 2015 SonicWall EMEA Special Jury Award –Data-Sec
  • 2015 SonicWall EMEA Project of the Year – Nalta Consultancy

EMEA PEAK16 was a great reminder of the commitment to mutual success we share with our Security partners, and the importance of our very important mission to protect our mutual customers from today’s ever evolving threats. Events like EMEA PEAK16 ‘with the opportunity for networking, along with educational sessions and new product information’ are key to our partner-dependent go-to-market strategy. I think the words of our partners sum it up best:

PEAK16 in Malta

“For me it was one of the best EMEA PEAK´s of the past years – great news, networking, direct contact in order to give feedback and get hot information directly from product-management, engineering, executives and had a lot of FUN! “Work hard – Party hard” and Business is made by people ““ that is one of the secrets to success!” said Nicolai Landzettel, CEO, Data-Sec UG

All of the sessions were interactive where we received strong, positive feedback on the progress of our portfolio and programs and validated the investments we are making to improve partner profitability, expand our sales and technical enablement offerings and build out our partner tools and infrastructure. Each of these elements are being optimized to better align with customer needs and partner engagement models. At EMEA PEAK16, we announced:

  • Enhancements to our Deal Registration program to make it more inclusive of SMB opportunities to reward partners who originate new customers and opportunities
  • Our partner Reward for Value framework which provides incremental discounts now available to partners with technical capabilities who deliver a proof of concept to their customers
  • New strategies for sustained partner sales and technical enablement including expanded curriculum and delivery options
  • A new sales accreditation program recently rolled out to the Security sales teams is now available to all Security Solutions Partners in July 2016. Designed to help continue driving the momentum behind the 30% increase in SonicWall certified Network Security partners over the last year, the program covers the full SonicWall portfolio and includes online learning, tools, training and accreditation.

We look forward to a continued strong year with our EMEA partners as we drive further advancements and enhancements in our portfolio and products and fulfill our mission to protect our mutual customers.

SonicWALL Channel Partners Come for Knowledge and Leave with Power at EMEA PEAK16 in Malta

Today, we are so excitedEamon Moore managing director of EMIT
to be here at the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Valetta, Malta with more than 230 of our security-focused partners, for the annual SonicWall Security EMEA PEAK16 conference. This is SonicWall Security’s opportunity to affirm our commitment to our channel partners and to work together to protect our customers.

The conference comes at a time when the cyber threat landscape is hotter than ever. We can’t deny the headlines reporting how enterprises of all sizes are under attack. And it’s clear that most of these enterprises are ill-prepared to keep pace with the threats or deal with the inevitable breach. This is where SonicWall Security’s Channel comes in. These talented organizations are where enterprises must turn to seek advice and action on how to protect their brands, their assets and IP, and their customers. Together with our Partners, SonicWall Security is on a mission to protect our customers!

excelsior_1

If you are a CISO how do know if you can defend against the countless known and unknown threats? Is your customer data safe? What to do about ransomware? We recently launched a worldwide campaign focused on helping these CISOs understand how they can address these security threats that prevent them from supporting the business of their enterprise and swiftly move from being an obstacle to an enabler. We help them become the Department of Yes. SonicWall Security EMEA Peak16 details for our partners how to architect and deliver the security solutions that turn “no” in to “yes.” How to break down the siloes that exist between all the traditional elements in a security blueprint. I am excited to spend the next few days showing our partners how by leveraging our SonicWall network security and SonicWall One Identity portfolios; we can inspect every packet and govern every identity in a seamless, integrated way that delivers superior security.

We recently saw a great guest blog by Eamon Moore managing director of EMIT our premier partner in Ireland, highlighting what he is looking for this year to expand his knowledge and networking with peers across Europe. With the packed agenda and expert speakers, we hope to inspire our Partners to drive conversations with their customers that go well beyond bits and bytes, to approach a security strategy in a different, connected way. In doing so, our Partners will be able to add more value as the trusted advisor and enable their customers to become the Department of Yes.

We are looking forward to meeting up with Jason Hill, Sales Director for Exertis VAD Solutions, our premier partner.

“Our relationship with Sonicwall spans nearly two decades, in 2017 we will celebrate our 20th anniversary, and I know the commitment from both parties makes our relationship rock solid. SonicWall Security has opened up new opportunities for us and more importantly our channel, and we are looking forward to working with our partners to provide comprehensive security to their end user base.

Peak 2016 in Malta will be packed with the latest solution and product updates. We never miss attending these events as they are the perfect opportunity to catch up with the staff from SonicWall, meet our channel partners and learn together.” Jason Hill, Sales Director, Exertis VAD Solutions, United Kingdom.

EMEA Peak16 also provides a great forum for SonicWall Security to outline all of the new programs, tools, resources, enablement and incentives we are investing in to help our Partners build an even more significant and profitable practice with SonicWall Security.

Key among these are our new Reward for Value structure, where partners earn the maximum reward for the value they add to selling and implementing SonicWall Security solutions. We’ll detail how identifying new opportunities, building technical expertise and executing a successful proof of concept all translate into building a more profitable practice. We are also announcing new partner enablement; a specific accreditation focused on how to help their customers become a “Department of YES.”

A significant portion of the agenda is also dedicated to deep dives into our product portfolio, both the evolution and latest features of long-standing products like our SonicWall next-gen firewalls, SonicWall Secure Mobile Access and  SonicWall Email Security that many of our Partners have made mainstays of their security solutions for many years, as well as new and exciting security services such as SonicWall Capture ATP. Partners tell us that our rock solid portfolio and recent innovations in these areas inspire them, and we are confident we can Wow them with this at EMEA Peak16.

Finally, SonicWall Security EMEA Peak16 is a tremendous opportunity for feedback from our partners on what we can do to enhance and support their business. I’m excited to continue this two-way communication where our partners advise us on our products and programs, our sales investment and sales motions, helping improve our support and the overall customer life cycle experience we jointly deliver. As the head of sales, I’m hoping to learn how we can team most effectively with our Partners to compete and win incremental business. We have built a deliberate and fully dependent go-to-market model on our partners, and it’s important to me that we are the best business partner we can be to them and that we strive to be easy to do business with.

And one last thing, as my 25 years of working with partners has taught me, an event like SonicWall Security EMEA Peak16 is also an opportunity for us all to get to know each other better, to connect on a personal level and have some FUN! We are united in our mission to protect our customer and the more personal our bond, the more effective we will be in our pursuit of this very important mission.

For those who cannot be with us, I encourage you to follow the ongoing discussion on Twitter with #EMEAPEAK16, #PartnerDirect, @SonicWall @SonicWallChannelEMEA and post your comments below.