VeloCloud Unveils Security Technology Partner Program For Combined Security, SD-WAN Solutions

SD-WAN specialist VeloCloud on Tuesday introduced an SD-WAN Security Technology Partner Program. The new program pairs VeloCloud's cloud-based SD-WAN technology with security solutions from some of the leading security vendors that enterprise customers are using in their branch offices, data centers and cloud environments.

Business customers often have multiple security solutions deployed within their increasingly complex IT environments today, and integrating them all is a burden. For customers interested in SD-WAN, channel partners can simplify the integration and management of multiple security solutions using VeloCloud's APIs, Sanjay Uppal, VeloCloud's CEO and co-founder told CRN.

"Getting technology companies to work together is a big benefit for the channel, and it makes it easier for [businesses] to consume IT," Uppal said.

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VeloCloud's Technology Partner Program includes access and integration with VeloCloud's APIs via a software developer kit for security vendors and solution provider partners. VeloCloud is also opening up its virtual network function (VNF) framework for both cloud and premise-based application services insertion.

While VeloCloud has security components baked into its SD-WAN solutions today, the company wanted to partner with the best-of-breed security providers, said Mike Wood, vice president of marketing for VeloCloud. The company's technology program today includes seven technology partners across three components of security – network security, cloud security, and management security.

Network security partners include Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Check Point, VMware. Zscaler and Forcepoint are its cloud security partners, and IBM Security is its management security partner.

VeloCloud partners will be able to order new services, monitor and enable self-service of SD-WAN and security services for its end customers using VeloCloud's APIs.

MetTel, a New York-based communications solution provider and VeloCloud partner, has been deploying SD-WAN, but the biggest add-on to these deployments has been security, said Ed Fox, vice president of network services for MetTel.

"We get asked by our customers all the time if we can get rid of their two boxes, so we've been working with VeloCloud to virtualize our Fortinet instances," Fox said. "VeloCloud's acknowledgment of this space and commitment to adding security partners makes life much easier for us."

Mountain View, Calif.-based VeloCloud said the combination of its technology with solutions from some of the most popular security vendors today would drive new business for partners.

'If customers choose to standardize on VeloCloud's SD-WAN, they can now get Palo Alto or Fortinet's products too, for example," Uppal said. "Now, partners will not only sell SD-WAN but some security features as well."

MetTel's Fox said that VeloCloud's combined SD-WAN and security approach would help partners get solutions to their customers quicker, with support from the VeloCloud team. The security addition will help partners land more sales and remove the barrier to entry for SD-WAN for some customers, he said.

VeloCloud is focusing on security as the first component of the technology partner program, but the company plans on introducing programs targeting other IT components that will each include a specific set of associated partners, Wood said.