2020 Partner Program Guide: 5-Star Networking And Unified Communications Vendors

CRN designated the partner programs of these networking and unified communications companies as 5-Star.

Making A Connection With Partners

Networking and unified communications remain a critical component of the IT industry and of many solution providers’ business. While some technology segments of IT networking are mature, newer technologies like SD-WAN and collaboration tools are generating a lot of business for the channel. And the coming 5G wireless wave holds a lot of promise for solution and service providers. These new technologies are also increasing partner demands for more training, enablement and other resources from the networking, carrier and software vendors they work with.

The 2020 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate the channel programs operated by the IT vendors they work with or are considering partnering with. The guide is based on detailed applications submitted by vendors – more than 230 this year – outlining all aspects of their partner programs.

As part of the Partner Program Guide, CRN designates some programs as 5-Star Partner Programs because they provide the most comprehensive lineups of incentives, training, services and benefits.

Here we provide snapshots of the 5-Star designees in the networking and Unified Communications space. Details of every vendor’s partner program can be found here.

Other slide shows in the 5-Star Partner Program Guide series running this week will include companies that provide products and services for networking and unified communications, cloud, software and applications, systems and data center, security, devices and peripherals, and data storage and backup. While many companies provide products and services that span multiple technologies, we’ve assigned each vendor to the slide show for the technology category in which they are most prominent.

Aruba Networks, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company

Program Name: Partner Ready for Networking

Year Program Established: 2016

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Service Provider, Gold, Silver, Business

Channel Chief: Donna Grothjan, VP, Worldwide Channels

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=19

Avaya

Program Name: Avaya Edge

Year Program Established: 2016

Partner Program Tiers: Diamond, Sapphire, Emerald

Channel Chief: Jon Brinton, VP, North America Channel Sales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=24

BlackBerry

Program Name: BlackBerry Enterprise Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2016

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Authorized

Channel Chief: Richard McLeod, Global Channels

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=31

CenturyLink

Program Name: CenturyLink Channel Partner Program

Year Program Established: 1998

Partner Program Tiers: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze

Channel Chief: Garrett Gee, SVP, Indirect Sales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=40

Cisco Systems

Program Name: Cisco Channel Partner Program

Year Program Established: 1996

Partner Program Tiers: Global Gold, Gold, Premier, Select

Channel Chief: Oliver Tuszik, SVP, Global Partner Organization

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=42

Cisco Systems

Program Name: Perform Plus

Year Program Established: 2019

Partner Program Tiers: Global Gold, Gold, Premier, Select

Channel Chief: Oliver Tuszik, SVP, Global Partner Organization

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=44

Citrix Systems

Program Name: Citrix Partner Network

Year Program Established: 1989

Partner Program Tiers: Citrix Solution Advisor – Platinum, Citrix Solution Advisor – Gold, Citrix Solution Advisor – Silver, Citrix Solution Advisor – Authorized, Citrix System Integrator – Authorized

Channel Chief: Bronwyn Hastings, SVP, Worldwide Channel Sales, Ecosystems

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=46

Comcast Business

Program Name: Comcast Business Solutions Provider Program

Year Program Established: 2011

Partner Program Tiers: Pinnacle Master Agent, Diamond Master Agent, Master Agent, Platinum Solutions Provider, Gold Solutions Provider, Silver Solutions Provider, Solutions Provider

Channel Chief: Craig Schlagbaum, VP and Channel Chief

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=53

CommScope

Program Name: CommScope PartnerPRO Network

Year Program Established: 2012

Partner Program Tiers: Elite Solution Provider, Solution Provider

Channel Chief: Raelyn Kritzer, VP, Worldwide Channel

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=54

Extreme Networks

Program Name: Extreme Partner Program

Year Program Established: 1996

Partner Program Tiers: Diamond, Gold, Authorized

Channel Chief: Kyle Brown, Director of Channel Sales, Americas

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=86

F5 Networks

Program Name: F5 Unity+ Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2008

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Authorized

Channel Chief: Lisa Citron, VP Worldwide Channel Sales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=87

Fuze

Program Name: Fuze Global Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2016

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver/Referral

Channel Chief: Timothy Puccio, VP, Global Channel & Alliances

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=95

Gigamon

Program Name: Catalyst Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2013

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Elemental

Channel Chief: Larissa Crandall, Senior Director, Channel Sales Americas

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=97

Infoblox

Program Name: BuildingBlox Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2017

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Authorized

Channel Chief: Lori Cornmesser, VP, Worldwide Channel Sales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=109

Intermedia

Program Name: Intermedia Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2006

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Registered

Channel Chief: Jonathan McCormick, COO/Head of Sales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=115

Juniper Networks

Program Name: Juniper Partner Advantage Program

Year Program Established: 2012

Partner Program Tiers: Elite, Select, Reseller

Channel Chief: Gordon Mackintosh, VP, Global Partner, Virtual Sales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=118

Mist, a Juniper Company

Program Name: Mist Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2016

Partner Program Tiers: AI Master, AI Practitioner, AI Adopter

Channel Chief: Mike Anderson, Head of Worldwide Channels

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=132

Mitel

Program Name: Mitel Global Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2018

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Authorized

Channel Chief: John Lindsley, VP, Channels

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=133

Netsurion

Program Name: Netsurion Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2016

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver

Channel Chief: Guy Cunningham, VP, Channel Sales, Alliances

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=140

Nextiva

Program Name: Nextiva Amazing Partner Program (evolving to Nextiva Partner NeXus in 7/2020)

Year Program Established: 2012

Partner Program Tiers: Premier Elect, Premier, Authorized

Channel Chief: Carl Katz, Channel Chief

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=143

QOS Networks

Program Name: QOS Networks Channel Program

Year Program Established: 2012

Partner Program Tiers: QOS Partner

Channel Chief: Mike Kalas, SVP of Go To Market

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=166

RingCentral

Program Name: RingCentral Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2010

Partner Program Tiers: RingCentral Platinum Partner Program, RingCentral Preferred Partner Program, RingCentral Partner Program

Channel Chief: Zane Long, SVP, Global Channel Sales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=173

Riverbed Technology

Program Name: Riverbed Rise

Year Program Established: 2018

Partner Program Tiers: Elite, Premier, Authorized

Channel Chief: Bridget Bisnette, SVP, Global Channel Sales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=174

Silver Peak Systems

Program Name: Silver Peak Global Partner Edge Channel Program

Year Program Established: 2018

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver

Channel Chief: Michael O’Brien, VP, Worldwide Partner Sales

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=187

Star2Star Communications

Program Name: Star2Star Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2006

Partner Program Tiers: (Not Specified)

Channel Chief: Michelle Accardi, President and Chief Revenue Officer

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=198

Verizon

Program Name: Verizon Partner Program

Year Program Established: 2013

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Member

Channel Chief: Pete Leuzzi, Global VP and Head of Worldwide Channels and Alliances

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=220

Vonage

Program Name: Vonage Partner Network

Year Program Established: 2018

Partner Program Tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver Emerging

Channel Chief: Mario DeRiggi, SVP, National Channel Sales, Operations

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=225

Zoom

Program Name: ZOOM International Channel Program

Year Program Established: 2015

Partner Program Tiers: No Tiers

Channel Chief: Matt Schaefer, VP Channels

Partner Program Details: /partner-program-guide/ppg2020-details.htm?c=235