SD-WAN vendor Cato Networks has appointed a second UK distributor, with Cloud Distribution joining Ignition Technology.
Cato has been working with Ignition since launching in the UK market in 2016 but has now tweaked its strategy, so the pair of them are working on it.
Cato has said Carthago delenda est to its “fragmented” partner programme.
Cloud Distribution’s partner development director Bruce Hockin said Cato’s tech was seen as a more affordable alternative to traditional MPLS, with its built-in security a key differentiator and Cato wants to expand its partner base beyond the conventional security space it has typically targeted in the UK.
“Their existing distributor is very focused on the security landscape, and that is not where the future of this business is. The future is developing a channel of connectivity partners that understand WANs and MPLS,” Hockin said.
“We have been brought on board to develop a channel in the WAN and connectivity space. It is a guarantee that it will replace international MPLS and people have to go with it. That is why the big carriers will offer SD-WAN services. Otherwise, they will lose customers. They wanted us to focus on that. If we were pure-play security, I don’t think it would have been as compelling, but we know a lot of people in the space they want to enter.”
Cloud said it is looking for up to 10 partners in the UK with experience in the WAN and MPLS spaces to take the Cato solution to market.
Cato will continue to work with Ignition Technology and the distributor’s chief strategy officer Sean Remnant said it would appear that Cato wanted two distributors in every region.
Cato’s EMEA VP of sales Luca Simonelli added: “Through our partnership with Cloud Distribution, resellers can now provide a highly cost-effective, scalable and secure WAN to their customer base while removing the complexity and cost that comes with traditional MPLS. This means an easy solution deployment without capacity constraints, costly maintenance overhead, and limited visibility and control. This is where new technology meets demand.”
