Global cybersecurity provider Palo Alto Networks has updated its NextWave Partner Program to better position partners for profitability in the AI era. Based on feedback from the company’s global partner community, changes to the NextWave program are focused on enhancing partner margins, accelerating deal velocity and reinvesting for growth, the company said.
As the industry moves toward AI-driven security, NextWave is moving beyond transactional volume to reward partners who deliver platform-centric security outcomes, officials said.
The enhanced program is designed to enable the partner ecosystem to move away from the “point-product” trap. By focusing on “platformization,” Palo Alto Networks intends to help partners integrate customers’ security stacks across the network, cloud and SOC, reducing complexity while increasing high-margin, partner-led service opportunities, the company said.
Among the changes, streamlined rebates focus on next-generation firewalls, next-generation security and platformization to reward technical expertise and maximize profitability. The program also features enhanced configure, price, quote (CPQ) and new automated deal registrations, combined with improved service delivery tools, to reduce friction and speed up time to close, officials said.
In addition, a new Partner Development Fund (PDF) reinvests earned rebates directly into partner-led demand generation, training and solution development to drive differentiation and accelerate joint customer success.
The program also offers tailored paths for every partner type. These include predictable, tiered pricing for MSSPs to build high-margin managed services to accelerate outcomes as well as enhanced capabilities, governance and support for distributors. Additionally, a “Global Path” for global system integrators (GSIs) rewarding multi-theater influence and strategic consulting, with a white-glove experience, will be released later this year. Authorized service providers (ASC, APS) receive real-time deployment assistance to ensure “first-time-right” customer implementations, the company said.
“Our partner ecosystem is more critical than ever in addressing the demand for AI-driven security platforms,” said Simone Gammeri, chief partnerships officer at Palo Alto Networks. “Unlike transactional programs, the NextWave Partner Program rewards ‘platformization’ over transactions, so we are empowering our partners to dismantle the complexity that leaves customers vulnerable. This program isn’t just about selling software; it’s about ensuring customers achieve total, AI-driven resilience with a single, unified defense.”
