Westcon-Comstor has launched Partner Growth Circle, an initiative developed with Palo Alto Networks to grow selected channel partners across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
The programme is designed to help partners expand their Palo Alto Networks businesses through business planning, training and growth support, the companies said.
Tidiane Lo, VP of Westcon MEA at Westcon-Comstor, said the programme currently includes 50 selected channel partners across EMEA, with Africa accounting for more than 12% of participants.
“We have focused on partners with the ambition and potential to grow their Palo Alto Networks business, and each participant will work with us to develop a joint business plan covering priority solutions, target accounts, pipeline objectives and the support needed to deliver against them,” said Lo.
Each partner will have objectives aligned with its individual business plan, rather than a single growth target applying to all markets and participants.
“Success will be measured through clear KPIs covering pipeline development, growth in sales and technical skills, and the execution of agreed marketing activities. We will review progress quarterly so that the programme remains focused on measurable outcomes and sustainable growth,” Lo continued.
Partners that meet the programme's requirements will qualify for additional benefits, including services workshops, certification support and demand-generation funding.
They will also have access to Westcon-Comstor's existing services, including its Tech Xpert community, 3D Lab virtual demonstration environments, and sales and pre-sales support.
Westcon-Comstor will also use Intelligent Demand, its analytics-based sales and marketing programme, which applies predictive data analysis to help partners identify sales opportunities more likely to close.
Lo said partners' performance would be assessed against the key performance indicators (KPIs) and commitments agreed at the start of the programme.
“This gives us a consistent way to assess progress while recognising that partners operate in different markets and have different growth opportunities,” he said.
Access to additional funding and dedicated growth support would depend on partners meeting their agreed commitments, he noted.
“Where progress falls short, we will be able to identify that through the review process and understand where further focus may be needed. Partners that do not meet the agreed requirements will not qualify for those additional benefits and would not automatically be invited to participate in the following year’s programme.”
The initiative builds on the existing distribution relationship between Westcon-Comstor and Palo Alto Networks across multiple EMEA markets. Previous joint initiatives include SASEvolution, which combines Palo Alto Networks' Prisma SASE offering with Westcon-managed services for channel partners.
The programme was introduced after the recent WestConnect event in Barcelona, which brought together partners from across EMEA and senior representatives from both companies.
Daniel Hurel, senior VP of Westcon EMEA go-to-market at Westcon-Comstor, said demand for Palo Alto Networks solutions remained strong across EMEA as organisations responded to opportunities and risks associated with AI.
“The Partner Growth Circle is about helping partners translate that demand into scalable, repeatable business growth. By bringing together joint business planning, technical enablement, demand generation and our wider value-added capabilities, we can help partners build stronger pipelines, expand customer relationships and develop more repeatable sources of revenue. It is a focused approach built around shared commitments and measurable progress, and the next step in our collaboration with Palo Alto Networks.”
Patricia Murphy, VP of EMEA ecosystems at Palo Alto Networks, said the programme would provide partners with resources and support to expand their businesses and technical capabilities.
“Partners are at the heart of our mission to secure the digital future, especially at a time when EMEA organisations are navigating the complexities and opportunities of AI-driven cyber security. By aligning our products and services with Westcon-Comstor’s deep channel expertise, we are creating a clear path for our mutual partners to accelerate growth, expand their technical capabilities and deliver exceptional value to our joint customers.”
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