Services Partner Path — Breakaway 1=5

From the beginning, our NextWave partner program has been the catalyst for partner change, guiding our partners to success by enabling them to capitalize on market transitions. The cybersecurity market is currently at an inflection point, fueled by the rapidly growing hybrid workforce, and customers are increasingly reliant on cyber experts to protect them from sophisticated threats. Our partner ecosystem is key to our ability to deliver the solutions that customers need. We’ve seen many of our partners shift to a services-led model that enables them to be trusted consultants to our joint customers.

To support this change, we continue to invest in and evolve our partner program, so our partners can easily meet customers' needs. This concept is at the heart of our updated NextWave Partner Program framework, made up of five paths:

• Solution Provider – Partners who resell and/or integrate Palo Alto Networks products and services to create solutions that deliver business outcomes for customers.
• Managed Services Security Provider (MSSP) – Partners who build, sell and remotely manage Palo Alto Networks-based security solutions that deliver business outcomes for customers.
• Cloud Service Provider (CSP) – NextWave partners can work with select CSP partners to address customer demand to purchase Palo Alto Networks products via a marketplace.
• Distributor – Partners who help extend Palo Alto Networks reach by addressing global customer demand for Palo Alto Networks products, services and support.
• Services Partner – Partners providing services for customers adopting the Palo Alto Networks security platform.

Services Partner Path

In our continued effort to embrace all partner types, the Services Partner Path is for partners who provide services to help customers adopt the Palo Alto Networks security platform. Our new NextWave Services Path, Service Specializations and Service Proficiencies will continue enabling partners to solve complex security problems all the way through deployment to lifecycle management.

The partners that best fit this path are those that want to engage with our customers by providing a service and choose to refer security business rather than resell. Within this path, Services Partners are divided into three categories:

• Professional Services – Technology advisors, consultants and system integrators who help with cloud migrations, as well as provide implementation services for Palo Alto Networks products.
• Training Services – Deliver Palo Alto Networks-specific training or cybersecurity training that is complementary to Palo Alto Networks.
• Cyber Risk Management – Insurance or legal firms.

This path offers Service Partners numerous opportunities to expand their services business with Palo Alto Networks. Some of these include:

• Enable differentiation through free online sales and technical training, specializations and CYBERFORCE.
• Enhance profitability through deal referral incentives, deal protection on all referral opportunities, as well as specialization incentives.
• Expand opportunities through our service specializations as a Certified Professional Services Partner or Authorized Training Partner. Both positions are by invitation only.
• Empower success with NextWave Partner Portal access, Palo Alto Networks partner events and Not-For-Resale (NFR) discounts.

Interested in joining over 2,000 (and growing) partners who have become a part of the Services Partner Path? Learn how on the partner portal.

There has never been a better time to become a NextWave partner. Learn how to join and stay informed on the evolution of our award-winning NextWave Partner Program with our Breakaway 1=5 blog series. Within this series, you can learn more about the updated NextWave Partner Program framework, commercial incentives for partner success, our partner blueprint for success, the NextWave Program product and service specializations, and the value of CYBERFORCE.