Dive Brief:
- Security and networking provider Netskope introduced a new program for managed service providers and telecoms on Wednesday, touting simplified discount structure and a self-service orchestrator for client onboarding.
- MSPs can use the company’s new Partner Orchestrator to obtain tenants and entitlements for their customers. They can also use the tool to port licenses and provision customer environments. License portability is a new feature for MSPs in Netskope’s partner program.
- Netskope aims to reduce customer onboarding time for partners, as demand rises for single-vendor SASE deployments. “We recognize that partner economics are changing, and for partners to rapidly scale their business, the operational cost per customer must also reduce at scale,” Kristin Carnes, VP of global channel programs and strategy at Netskope, said in the announcement. “What we’re introducing helps to speed up time-to-value and keeps service provider partners in full control.”
Dive Insight:
Netskope promoted “simplified and flexible” pricing when it first launched an MSP program three years ago, but the new program shifts away from prior SKU-centric discounts. Pricing previously varied by product. Now, discounts are standardized across products and depend on the partner tier.
“This gives the MSP predictable pricing that allows them to promote Netskope products without involving our sales teams,” Carnes told Channel Dive in an email.
Reducing the need to contact sales representatives is integral to speeding up sales and onboarding. Netskope’s program gives partners access to its team for support on deals proportional to their placement in the vendor’s three partner tiers. Tier status is based on how much revenue partners commit to Netskope.
Netskope counts many large telecoms and global systems integrators in its partner base, including Orange, BT and Deloitte, in addition to resellers and distributors. While doing business with enterprise firms, MSPs often implement and manage Netskope technology sold by a vendor or another partner, according to CEO and Chairman Sanjay Beri. Midmarket customers often work with a single partner.
“They sell, they implement and they manage,” Beri said in a June 3 Earnings call. “Our focus is really on all of those to make sure that we cover the different needs of enterprises.”
The program also includes access to service creation workshops and deal protection for partner-sourced opportunities.
Netskope went public on the Nasdaq last fall and is expanding its channel partnerships as a result. The company told CRN Thursday there are approximately 120 partners in the MSP program currently.
