Juniper Networks Reveals Latest Partner Program Updates

Juniper Networks wants partners to offer managed networking services in the latest version of the Juniper Partner Advantage (JPA) Program.

New Juniper Partner Designations

The vendor is updating its managed service provider (MSP) designation, which saw 44% growth in numbers last year. The new managed network provider designation will see partners use AI capabilities that the firm said can improve customer service and increase profitability.

“It’s going to be available for all partners, and it will help them evolve their own practice,” Juniper’s EMEA channel leader, Dale Smith, exclusively told Channel Futures.

Juniper Networks' Dale Smith

He said partners can use Juniper’s AI to “give great service to their customers but reducing their costs at the same time.”

Alongside managed network provider, there is also a new advisor designation, which rewards partners for influencing customer decisions an “optimizing customer success.”

“There is a stack of partners that provide a broader service to the enterprise customer, and we’re seeing that increase. The new advisor role gives that company a pivotal role to play when it comes to creating solutions and helping deliver decisions around our solutions to the customer. [We] ensure that they are incentivized and rewarded for that role.”

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Verticals 'Key to Success'

There is a greater focus on vertical specializations, too, in the new JPA.

“Vertical is really key to success,” said Smith. “We recognize that enterprise customers have unique use cases and requirements. Working with our partners in helping provide solutions into our key verticals like retail, health care and education [is] key for us to improve our sales output for this year. From a programmatic point of view, we’re wanting to reward them; we want them to be become specialized. So it’s something we’re doubling down on because it’s working for us tremendously well. As we build that out now for those key verticals, the question is, how many more can we expand into?”

Elsewhere, Juniper is helping partners drive sustainable outcomes for customers. This might include making progress toward key climate goals, including decarbonization, addition of sustainable technology, and reducing and recycling of waste.

“[We’re] helping them achieve certain accreditations, helping them get to the data faster, helping them make cost savings within the solution sale process. There’s a lot of great work there that we’re doing,” said Smith.

'Surgical Approach' to Collaboration

Juniper is also promising a more “surgical approach” to its go-to-market (GTM) activities and how it collaborates with partners. It will offer account mapping, GTM concierge services, investment, and dedicated planning through the entire customer life cycle.

“We’re really trusting the partners and our sellers to work together to collaborate on opening these doors and seeing an increased amount of activity together rather than the partner in isolation,” said Smith.

However, the exec ruled out a pivot to a ‘partner-first’ strategy that many vendors have been adopting. This sees internal sales teams compensated for sharing business with partners.

“We don’t look to increase compensation,” he said. “It’s just a natural part of who we are. We’re a channel organization and our sellers always work with our partners. What we’re trying to do is provide more structure and more tools and more investment to accelerate growth.”

Finally, Juniper is unveiling a Deal Central Dashboard. The new tool consolidates Juniper partner deals, quotes and marketing leads, streamlining the deal registration process and enabling partners to respond in two hours or less for 80% of commercial deals and six hours or less for strategic deals of less than $250,000.

These are the first updates to the program since HPE confirmed its acquisition of Juniper in January. Smith last month said Juniper partners were excited by the pending acquisition.