Juniper Networks Revamps Partner Program To Zero In On Software, Recurring Revenue: Exclusive

‘We are making the transition [to software and services] together with our partners,’ says Helda Lopes, head of Global Partner Programs and Marketing at Juniper Networks.

Juniper Networks has redesigned its global partner program so that partners can focus more on software and earning recurring revenue and less on transactional sales.

As part of the makeover, Juniper introduced new specializations and incentives for partners, as well as revamped its partner portal on Monday at its NXTWORK 2019 Americas customer and Partner Summit in Las Vegas.

"We are making the transition [to software and services] together with our partners. We are building the infrastructure to support the smooth transition into cloud-related services and recurring business model, and we are working with our partners to do it by taking their feedback and understanding their needs," Helda Lopes, head of Global Partner Programs and Marketing at Juniper Networks, told CRN in an email.

[Related: Ex-Cisco Execs Sell Mist Systems To Juniper Networks For $405 Million]

Juniper Partner Advantage 2020 is a strategy that the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company introduced to partners on Monday that will simplify how solution providers grow their businesses and get support from Juniper, especially around emerging opportunities, the company said.

Juniper acquired AI-powered networking startup Mist Systems in March for $405 million. Now, the company has unveiled a joint Juniper-Mist Specialization that will empower partners to sell AI solutions into the enterprise. Juniper also introduced new SaaS and Managed Services specializations to help partners develop and build out recurring revenue streams.

"We are enhancing our reward programs by allowing partners to get incremental rewards as they build specializations," Lopes said.

Partners making the transition to software and next-generation services, or those that are still very early in the process, can take advantage of new incentives and rewards from Juniper. Specifically, the new incentive programs have been created to help partners co-investing with Juniper grow their enterprise business. Juniper said the new partner incentives are focused on generating growth of Mist and Juniper solutions and "paying double-digit rebates on growth technologies such as software, cloud and SD-WAN."

Lopes said that Juniper is also making incremental investments in partners who invest in building technical, sales and services expertise in Juniper technologies.

Partners will have access to new programs and campaigns to drive new business growth and grow deeper into existing accounts, including joint marketing funds. Juniper is also rolling out a new sales education curriculum to help partners learn and sell emerging technologies, such as AI, cloud and managed services.

As part of its partner simplification efforts, Juniper introduced a brand-new Partner Relationship Management (PRM) platform to simplify the process of partnering with Juniper, Lopes said.

The PRM platform gives partners one place to interact with Juniper and view their deals. The platform includes onboarding help, day-to-day business management, contact management, and real-time compliance and incentives status. Located within the PRM platform is the redesigned its partner portal, which simplifies how partners access market development funds and education, Lopes said.

"A huge part of the new tools and resources is the 'Always-On' partner enablement digitized platform," she said. "We are enabling our partners with not only technical capabilities but also sales training content, so partners are truly enabled to grow their business in new areas, such as AI, cloud, software and subscription models."