The Gately Report: Recent Acquisitions Benefiting Fortinet Partners

Fortinet partners are gaining new opportunities from the vendor’s recent acquisitions of Lacework and Next DLP.

That’s according to Ken McCray, Fortinet’s vice president of channel sales. Fortinet acquired Lacework in June and Next DLP in August. Lacework provides AI and machine learning (ML) technology, data collection, a proprietary data lake and a code security offering, while Next DLP specializes in insider risk and data protection.

“The acquisitions of both Lacework and Next DLP have introduced deeper integrations into the Fortinet Security Fabric, enabling us to expand our cloud-native security offerings as well as our data loss prevention (DLP) and insider risk management portfolio,” McCray said. “As a cybersecurity leader, we’re seeing a growing number of organizations that are impacted by resource constraints and skill gaps in cybersecurity, while they also simultaneously navigate the complexity of managing a patchwork of disparate security tools.”

With the introductions of Lacework FortiCNAPP and FortiDLP, Fortinet is “empowering partners of all sizes to become trusted advisors to help their customers more effectively address these challenges, helping customers better secure their cloud environments and more effectively manage data security,” he said.

Related:Fortinet Acquires Data Security Provider Next DLP

“Moreover, these new solutions open up new revenue opportunities for partners, allowing them to tap into the growing markets,” McCray said.

Investing In Fortinet Partners

In terms of Fortinet’s Engage Partner Program, the vendor understands that partners “shouldn’t be forced into a one-size-fits-many model,” McCray said. They own the customer relationship across the sales cycle, and Fortinet needs to reward that model. 

“We’re focused on ensuring our partners’ investment in Fortinet aligns with their business model, and drives their profitability – making sure the ROI is there for them, as well as supporting their go-to-market strategy,” he said. “As part of our ongoing commitment to our channel partner community, we are continuing to focus on building efficiencies into our program, and providing tools and resources that make it easier to do business with us.”

Scroll through our slideshow above for more from Fortinet’s Ken McCray.