CRN Exclusive: Verizon Rolls Out Rapid Response Retainer Program To The Channel

Verizon is rolling out its cybersecurity portfolio into the channel. The carrier's Rapid Response Retainer program will now be available for its VAR and master agent partners to sell to their end customers, Adam Famularo, Verizon's global channel vice president told CRN.

Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon revealed availability of the security offering to partners at XChange 2015 in Washington, D.C., hosted by CRN parent company The Channel Company.

Making Rapid Response Retainer -- otherwise known as "Triple R" to the carrier -- available through the channel will allow Verizon's VAR and agent partners help their customers manage risk and react to security threats.

[Related: CRN Exclusive: Verizon Expands Partner Program To Public Sector; Partners Predict Growth]

"It's like an insurance policy for the CIO or the CSO," Famularo said.

The new program combines Verizon's security offerings with its infrastructure. According to Famularo, Verizon provides much of the backbone of the Internet -- about 70 percent. "This is essentially us leveraging our expertise and ownership of the network, and doing forensics on the network. If you have any kind of breach, we can come in, analyze it, understand where it came from, and stop it from happening again," he said.

Partners can resell the Triple R program to its customers, and Verizon handles delivery of the services, Famularo said. The program includes cyber incident capability assessments, and designated security experts from Verizon that can go out to customer sites.

"These experts, in essence, are on retainer and ready to go, and if not for a data breach, they can be used for other types of security services if [a customer] wants them to come on site," he said.

Verizon's Triple R program was introduced to enterprise end customers earlier this summer. After receiving positive feedback through direct sales, the carrier believed the program was a natural fit for many of its partners, Famularo said.

"Most of our partners either sell some kind of security software, or security service of their own. This program complements what they are doing today," he said.

Because it's not software, Triple R won't compete with security offerings that Verizon partners are already selling, Famularo said. "We are bringing our deep level of forensics to the table that they don't have … Our partners can bring this to market with their own security offerings."

For partners who specialize in networking, security is a natural extension, Famularo said. "This is going from selling networking services, to protecting and securing the network," he said. "These partners are excited about it."

As of publication time, four partners had signed up for the new program at Verizon's booth during XChange 2015, Famularo said. Partners are already talking about adding services they might specialize in to the offering, like desktop security software, he said.

"Partners can add this program as just another layer for data breaches," he said.

Verizon also announced availability of its Secure Cloud InterConnect (SCI) for reseller partners at XChange 2015. The offering allows customers to take their own private networks and attach to a cloud provider, such as Amazon. SCI extends the same level of protection that private networks enable into their public cloud environment, Famularo said. The offering was previously available only through master agents.

PUBLISHED AUG. 11, 2015