CrowdStrike Launches New Partner Program That Includes ‘Elite’ Category

The cybersecurity giant says it’s trying to broaden the availability of its Falcon platform offerings across the entire channel.

Michael Rogers, vice president, global alliances at CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike unveiled on Monday a new partner program that it hopes will broaden sales of its security products via a new “elite” tier of partners as well as through smaller MSPs, MSSPs and other channel players.

The Austin, Texas-based CrowdStrike, known for its Falcon platform that provides an array of security features for customers, said its new CrowdStrike Powered Service Provider Program (CPSP) is more comprehensive and inclusive than anything it’s had in the past.

In a press release, the company said the new program will “help service providers unlock broader value-added solution bundles, enhance profitability and expand their routes to market.”

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In addition, CrowdStrike is establishing a new invitation-only “Elite tier” of partners that “incentivizes CPSP partners with campaigns, capabilities and expanded market opportunities,” the company said.

The new top-tier category is open to any partner, whether it’s a global systems integrator, MSP or other type of channel player, that meets various requirements, including the amount of CrowdStrike-products sold by a partner and training certifications.

CrowdStrike, which is one of the biggest and fastest-growing cybersecurity companies in the world, currently has six “elite” partners as part of the soft launch of the new partners program, but it expects the list to grow in coming months now that CPSP has gone public.

In an interview with CRN, Michael Rogers, vice president, global alliances at CrowdStrike, said his company’s new elite partners initiative is trying to make it easier for, among others, large service providers to replace outdated technology with more modern security features offered by CrowdStrike Falcon.

“What‘s in it for them is (a) purpose-built cloud native architecture that allows the partners to bring better protection to their customers in an age when the attack vectors continue to evolve and become highly problematic for customers,” he said. “CrowdStrike is able to provide that comfort to their customers.”

Rogers added: “This is a new program with new benefits, new requirements, specifically targeting elite partners.”

In the past, Rogers said CrowdStrike has tended to focus on the MSSP-SMB market in terms of sales. But now it’s trying to broaden that market via its new partnership program with all channel players.

“This is more of an enhanced offering to go to the broader market,” he said.

The percentage of Crowdstrike’s sales via the channel is now “north of 90 percent,” said Rogers, and the company wants to expand that figure and grow overall revenue in general.

The company has certainly been growing fast of late. CrowdStrike recently reported that its net revenues grew to $535 million in the second quarter, up 58 percent from the same period a year ago.

Meanwhile, its annual recurring revenues grew by 59 percent, to $2.1 billion, year over year.

Rogers stressed that the new CPSP program has improved incentives for all CrowdStrike channel partners, not just those qualifying for the elite status.

According to CrowdStrike, the new CPSP features include allowing partners to choose to incorporate CrowdStrike package bundles or individual Falcon platform modules into their security offerings to customers.

The program also provides a variety of discount options that they can choose from when dealing with CrowdStrike.

As for the new elite partners, they’ll be “ incentivized with new value-added bundles, new discounts, additional partnership and technical support, enhanced go-to-market support, executive sponsorship and unique CPSP-focused partner campaigns,” CrowdStrike said in its press release.

Deloitte, the giant systems integrator, is one of CrowdStrike’s new ‘elite’ partners – and one of its managing directors told CRN that he expects the partnership to be a win-win situation for both companies.

“ We already have a rich alliance with (CrowdStrike) today,” said Curt Aubley, leader of Deloitte’s detection and response practice. “What this (new program) is allowing us to do is have a tighter integration with their engineering teams and with their roadmap, so we‘re more along the lines of a design partner.”

He said working more closely together will be a big win for customers. “What it allows us to do is bring a richer set of outcome focused solutions that meet our clients’ hardest problems.”

Rogers emphasized that the new CPSP program was “ was purpose-built in partnership with GSIs, MDR vendors, MSPs, MSSPs and Telcos to ensure they have the right tools, technology, and support to best address their customers’ most challenging needs.”