Versa Networks, the leader in SASE, today announced that the Versa ACE Partner Program has earned the top 5-Star rating in the 2021 Partner Program Guide published by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company.
This annual guide provides a conclusive list of the most distinguished partner programs from leading technology companies that provide products and services through the IT Channel. The 5-Star rating is awarded to an exclusive group of companies that offer solution providers the best of the best, going above and beyond in their partner programs.
“As a Technology Services Provider, cloudIT delivers custom cloud, IT, security, voice, and design services all through one company,” said Vince Kent, Chief Executive Officer, cloudIT. “And partnering with Versa, the SASE leader in the industry, will provide us with the technology and innovation to enable us to add our value and differentiate ourselves from the competition. The Versa ACE Partner Program will provide us with the critical enablement and marketing support to take advantage of the projected double digit SASE market growth.”
Launched earlier this year to address the rapid growth in SASE, the Versa ACE (Accelerate, Captivate, Engage) Partner Program is the company’s first formal global channel partner program for VARs, SIs, SPs and MSPs. The program expands the ecosystem of highly engaged Versa partners delivering unique customer value through the differentiated Versa SASE and Versa Titan solutions. The program provides formalized sales, pre-sales, and technical training focused on enabling partners to build specialties and become SASE Specialized and/or Titan Specialized. The Program offers partners the industry’s first SASE accreditation. Versa ACE Partners are rewarded for achieving competency and expertise in their specialty areas and are eligible for discount, sales and marketing benefits to open new revenue opportunities.
“As Versa’s European high-value distributor, Nuvias was excited to be part of the roll-out of their new ACE partner program,” said Alex Chartres, Nuvias Group Business Manager for Versa Networks. “SASE is an important technology that will revolutionize business solutions, and Versa Titan democratises access to SASE for all business sizes, making it simple and affordable. The launch of Versa’s ACE partner program has helped Nuvias take the SASE opportunity to European partners rapidly and effectively, and we are looking forward to further extending the Versa Titan channel, accelerated by this award-winning program.”
Given the importance of IT vendor channel programs, each year CRN develops its Partner Program Guide to provide the channel community with a detailed look at the partner programs offered by IT manufacturers, software developers, service companies, and distributors. Vendors are scored based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support, and communication. The 2021 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/PPG.
“Partnering with the SD-WAN leader and leveraging the ACE 5-star industry rated partner program branding allows us to promote ourselves and our value-add to our customers,” said Nafsika Katsoglou, Head of Data, Cloud and Security at Virgin Media Business. “The ACE Partner Program provides us with the sales, technical and marketing enablement support that are critical to fulfilling our role as trusted advisors and business problem solvers. Together with Versa, we are prepared to capitalize on the SD-WAN market opportunity through the delivery of differentiated solutions.”
“As innovation continues to fuel the speed and intricacy of technology, solution providers need partners that can keep up and support their developing business,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “CRN’s 2021 Partner Program Guide gives insight into the strengths of each organization’s program to recognize those that continually support and push positive change inside the IT channel.”
The Versa ACE Partner Program provides partners with a ramp to revenue plan which enables them to quickly onboard and successfully start generating pipeline within 90 days. Included in the ramp-up resources is enablement through Versa Academy, a global learning platform. The program structure requires that partners complete the prescriptive sales, pre-sales and technical training and certifications to successfully facilitate customer engagements that deliver unique customer value.
“It is rewarding for the Versa ACE Partner Program to receive CRN’s top rating in its annual Partner Program Guide, especially considering the program is less than a quarter old,” said John Atchison, Head of Global Channel Marketing with Versa. “Versa has a long history of working in the channel, and CRN and our partners alike recognize the value our new program delivers by enabling partners to capitalize on the rapidly growing SASE market opportunity and become their clients’ full-service provider of the industry’s leading SASE solutions. Versa ACE partners benefit from a program structure which fosters a synergistic relationship for growth, new opportunities, and prosperity both today and into the future.”
The Versa ACE Partner Program is the formal global channel partner program for VARs, SIs, SPs, and MSPs. The Versa ACE Partner Program structure and framework are built on three core tenets to accelerate time-to-revenue by building skills and expertise in partners’ area of specialty; captivate and retain market attention through the delivery of unique, differentiated customer value; and engage with customers to build trust and foster customer loyalty and preference for Versa SASE solutions. The program is created to generate new recurring revenue opportunities and increase profitability and margins through the creation of new partner value-added services. These services complement Versa SASE solutions and enable partners to differentiate themselves from their competitors. With Versa, partners are set up for success today and into the future. For more information or to join the Versa ACE Partner Program visit https://versa-networks.com/partners/.
About The Channel Company
The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, it connects and empowers technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by nearly 40 years of unequalled channel experience, it draws from its deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com. Follow The Channel Company at Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
About Versa Networks
Versa Networks, the leader in SASE, combines extensive security, advanced networking, industry leading SD-WAN, genuine multitenancy, and sophisticated analytics via the cloud, on-premises, or as a blended combination of both to meet SASE requirements for small to extremely large enterprises and Service Providers. Versa SASE is available on-premises, hosted through Versa-powered Service Providers, cloud-delivered, and via the simplified Versa Titan cloud service designed for Lean IT. Thousands of customers globally with hundreds of thousands of sites trust Versa with their networks, security, and clouds. Versa Networks is privately held and funded by Sequoia Capital, Mayfield, Artis Ventures, Verizon Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Liberty Global Ventures, Princeville Global Fund and RPS Ventures. For more information, visit https://www.versa-networks.com or follow Versa Networks on Twitter @versanetworks.
Versa Networks, VOS, the Versa logo, and Versa Titan are or may be registered trademarks of Versa Networks, Inc. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
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