Aruba Formalizes Partner Technology Ecosystem with ArubaEdge

Recognizing the proliferation of emerging technology on wireless networks can wreak havoc on existing infrastructures, Aruba Networks has formalized a program to collaborate with other vendors to ensure interoperability and give its reseller partners some peace of mind.

The company has created the ArubaEdge Partner Program, which certifies and promotes end-to-end mobility solutions from technology partners leveraging the Aruba Mobile Virtual Enterprise (MOVE) architecture. “The objective of ArubaEdge is to create and sustain an ecosystem of partners to ensure we have interoperable solutions,” said Michael Tennefoss, VP of business development at Aruba. “Interoperability is so important because systems are much more complex than they used to be. Everything is blending together, so having seamless interoperability is really important in ensuring harmony and wirelike performance.”

Under the program, vendors have the option of becoming ArubaEdge Certified Partners, whose products are tested and validated to reliably interoperate with Aruba’s secure mobility infrastructure, or ArubaEdge Solution Partners, whose products go through a more detailed interoperability validation process and who must meet other requirements such as establishing joint support hotlines for customer support.

ArubaEdge Solution Partners’ technologies will be included in multi-vendor solutions at Aruba’s Executive Briefing Center at the company’s headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. “The Executive Briefing Center is all about multi-vendor experiences,” Tennefoss said. “Customers don’t go in and see Aruba’s name plastered everywhere. This is all about creating a mobility experience that allows customers to immerse themselves in an experience they’d be implementing with Aruba and other vendors’ technology.”

The center features six mobility experiences, Tennefoss said, and can be used by Aruba’s reseller partners as a way to demonstrate the value-add such a multi-vendor solution can provide.

“Partners can book the Executive Briefing Center themselves and use it as a West Coast sales office if they choose,” he said. The facility is also available for hosting events and includes demo rooms, meeting rooms and even full-service catering.

Having such an environment to show off the solutions is an advantage for Aruba’s channel partners, as it gives them the opportunity to discover complementary technologies and maybe even expand their product line, Tennefoss said.

“We get a lot of requests from companies that see sales opportunities with Aruba’s channel partners,” he said. “Also, we are always looking out for new technologies and complementary solutions such as enclosures to help our VARs provide an end-to-solution. When you’ve got the right resources, it becomes an easier upsell opportunity.”

Sign up for The VAR Guy’s Weekly Newsletter, Webcasts and Resource Center. Follow The VAR Guy via RSS, Facebook and Twitter. Follow experts at VARtweet. Read The VAR Guy’s editorial disclosures here.