Juniper Launches New Services Specialization, Playbook

Juniper Networks this week released the first of three new services specializations designed to give partners an edge when implementing Juniper gear, a specialization the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based vendor says falls in line with its partner-dependent channel strategy.

Juniper's Implementation Specialization, which is offered free to qualified J-Partners, also gives VARs a tell-all reference playbook for designing, developing and deploying Juniper technologies. The book was created by a team of Juniper engineers and select Elite J-Partners.

VARs said the playbook captures a good deal of industry best practices for implementation and also reveals the DNA for a host of Juniper products. Having that information at their fingertips saves partners valuable time and makes it easier for them to standardize new services, understand how products work and get the job done right the first time, which few hang-ups.

"One of the key differentiators with Juniper is that they let partners lead with their own brand," said Phil O'Reilly, CEO of Solunet, a Melbourne, Fla.-based solution provider, who was active in the playbook's creation. "They're going to pretty extraordinary lengths to support the partners' brands."

O'Reilly said the new specialization, along with the detailed "cook book," will enable Juniper's mid-level partners to better sell and implement in the enterprise space and drive high-margin services around those implementations.

"This is another key part of the architecture that they're building to address the channel's need to drive the enterprise," he said. "The playbook is sort of the instruction set and check list to make sure nothing is missed."

According to Steve Pataky, Juniper's vice president of channel development and programs, the implementation specialization recognizes and rewards partners based on technical expertise and not product revenue. It is also horizontal in focus, meaning it targets specific products, as opposed to general markets or technology categories, which opens to door for more acute specialization. Additionally, the specialization and accompanying playbook are offered free of charge to qualified J-Partners.

Lori Cornmesser, Juniper's vice president of global channels support and services, said the goal of the implementation specialization and the tell-all playbook -- which will be offered as a downloadable PDF so it remains up to date -- is to help Juniper partners enhance, expand and standardize their technical expertise quickly without incurring added costs.

"The implementation playbook really speaks to: here is the evidence that we're really promoting the partner brand," she said. "It really becomes the DNA for implementing Juniper products."

Cornmesser said the playbook offers information on implementation and troubleshooting to give partners a much stronger grasp of the technologies they sell and deploy, and makes that information standard across all partners.

Pataky said the new specialization will "enable our partners to spend less time and expense on training and more time servicing clients and building up their revenues. The goal here is to recognize and reward our partners and help strengthen their overall business value and unique services expertise."

He said the specialization will let partners make a difference at the enterprise level and extend the value of Juniper into the enterprise. Additionally, arming partners with the necessary knowledge lends itself to better end-customer satisfaction, something that benefits both Juniper and its partners.

O'Reilly agreed.

"It'll give people a fairly common path to do their thing," he said. "They can go from point A to point G or H with confidence based on a specific set of deliverables. That will lead to increased customer satisfaction."

The Implementation Specialization and playbook are available now. Cornmesser added that Juniper also plans to unveil two more Service Specializations and corresponding playbooks later this year. Those specializations will focus on technical support and education, she said.

O'Reilly said the new specialization and the ones that are to follow will help partners that may not be as sophisticated with Juniper gear as they'd like to be gain new expertise and, in turn, enter new accounts.

"I think this is going to encourage people to get more certifications," he said. "It'll also give partners more long-term enterprise penetration."