5 Companies That Came To Win This Week

For the week ending April 14, CRN takes a look at the companies that brought their ‘A’ game to the channel including Intel, Gluware, Cribl, Sprout and Netskope.

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The Week Ending April 14

Topping this week’s Came to Win list is Intel for an innovative new program that will provide channel partners with connectivity data that will help them address customers’ network issues.

Also making this week’s list are network automation provider Gluware and data observability tech developer Cribl for launching revamped partner programs that, in both cases, represent the companies’ efforts to take their channel operations to a higher level.

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Sprout, a women-led MSP startup, is on the list for its mission to move the needle in further encouraging woman leaders in the IT channel. And Netskope made it this week for ranking No. 1 in Gartner’s 2023 Secure Service Edge Magic Quadrant.

Intel Arms Partners With Rich Network Insight By Turning PCs Into Sensors

Intel wants to equip IT vendors and solution providers with advanced capabilities to fix network issues by giving them real-time access to connectivity data from PCs.

This week the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip giant wins kudos for unveiling a new program to give partners access to Intel Connectivity Analytics, a commercial software service that creates “unique networking and system insights” using driver-level telemetry data captured from Intel Wi-Fi 6 chipsets in laptops and desktops, said Eric McLaughlin, general manager of Intel’s Wireless Solutions Group.

Intel Connectivity Analytics is meant to help partners develop advanced solutions for fixing network issues and improving the end-user experience for PCs in offices, homes and other environments.

The real-time insight generated by Intel Connectivity Analytics can help partners deliver solutions around network performance optimization, dynamic bandwidth adjustment for critical usages, performance monitoring and technical support for client networking, security threat detection and issue resolution as well as asset tracking and facility resource management.

Gluware Launches Partner Program For Resellers Targeting Network Automation Opportunities

Network automation specialist Gluware wins applause for going all-in on the channel with a revamped channel program.

The Accelerate Partner Program, launched this week, is aimed at partners that want to capitalize on the growing demand for network automation while adding a new recurring revenue stream, Colin Henry, vice president of channel sales at Gluware, told CRN.

Henry said the program marks a new level of “maturity” in Gluware’s channel strategy as the company shifts from being a channel fulfillment company to a channel-first business.

Resellers in the Accelerate Partner Program can launch new revenue streams through Gluware’s low-code/no-code network automation. Glueware’s services are suited for partners who service highly regulated enterprises, distributed workforces, those prone to network outages due to manual error and configuration drift, and those facing network complexity due to mergers, acquisitions and consolidation, according to the Sacramento, Calif.-based company.

Gluware’s Accelerate Partner Program offers simplified deal registration, sales incentives, co-selling opportunities, training, go-to-market support and joint-marketing. The company also introduced the Gluware Accelerate Partner Portal, which gives partners a hub for sales tools, product information and performance metrics. These features give new and existing partners easier access to high-margin opportunities for recurring revenue, professional services and incremental deal registration, according to Gluware’s Henry.

Data Observability Startup Cribl Bolsters Partner Program

Staying with the topic of channel program initiatives, data observability tech developer Cribl is stepping up its channel game with an expanded partner program with new MSSP and professional service specializations, deal and revenue protection, and a revamped partner portal with new self-service capabilities.

Cribl has had a partner program since 2019, but until now its partner operations have been relatively informal as the company focused on evangelizing its observability technology and recruiting early adopter partners, channel chief Zac Kilpatrick told CRN. But with the company’s increased partner roster and growing partner deals and sales volumes, the new Cribl Partner Program is designed to provide “the foundation for [partners] to trust that we’re going to help them build their businesses,” Kilpatrick said.

The expanded program is not only centered on jointly generating revenue, but also on measuring partner engagement, enabling partners through certification, helping partners differentiate themselves in the marketplace, and creating pathways for partners to advance within the program, according to the company.

The two-tier (Premier and Elite) program includes deal registration, deal and revenue protection processes and policies, an engagement model for working with Cribl’s sales representatives, and protection for market development fund access.

The program also includes new MSSP and Professional Services specializations and offers certifications through the Cribl University program. And the new partner portal is designed to enable self-service access to marketing tools, content and resources, including materials for running marketing campaigns, and for submitting MDF requests.

Six Tech Executives Unite To Form Sprout, A New Women-Led MSP

Six industry veterans have combined their expertise to launch Sprout Technology Group, a women-led MSP with a mission to move the needle forward to further encourage woman leaders in the IT channel.

The company aims to bring together a collective of strategic advisers to offer unique technology solutions and services to customers around the globe. Sprout is based in Troy, Mich., and services customers in the U.S., South America and the U.K.

At Sprout, Allison Cohen will serve as CEO, Belinda Grunewald as COO, Yesica McDaniel as global CSO, Travis Woods as CIO and Richard McKinnon and Brent Yax as board members.

Cohen has been an event director at CRN parent company The Channel Company for more than 12 years; Woods has been CEO of Fort Point IT, a San Francisco-based MSP, since 2019; Grunewald is a partner advocate for Troy, Mich.-based MSP Awecomm and held previous roles as managing director, president and business consultant at companies outside the channel; Yax is the CEO of AweComm; McDaniel is the chief sales officer at Sacramento, Calif.-based MSP DVBE Technology Group; and McKinnon is the CEO of DVBE.

Cohen is leaving her position at The Channel Company, but the five others will maintain active roles in their respective MSPs.

The seed for a new MSP started with McKinnon who, after years of doing business in the IT space, saw the barrier between women and men in technology. And the six forming the MSP all liked the idea of something bigger and unique.

Netskope Comes Out On Top In Gartner SSE Magic Quadrant

Netskope was ranked No. 1 in Gartner’s 2023 Secure Service Edge Magic Quadrant this week, coming out on top for both vision and execution.

Originally best known for its CASB technology, Netskope has expanded to provide a full SSE offering, its Netskope Intelligent SSE platform.

Gartner cited Netskope’s “strong revenue and growth” compared to other SSE vendors and said the company “appears frequently” on customer shortlists for the technology. Gartner also pointed to Netskope’s “advanced” capabilities on data security, a simplified SKU and packaging model, and a “strong” ZTNA offering that includes capabilities around in-line DLP inspection.