Fortinet-Intel Partnership Blends Security, Networking

The software-defined movement has solution providers tweaking their tactics and scrapping their business models…all in the name of digital transformation. Making sense of it all requires working with vendors that aren’t stuck in traditional silos.

“In today’s environment, I don’t think there’s one solution [that] fits all and there’s not going to be one technology partner that can solve every problem,” says Jason Kimrey, General Manager of US Channel Scale and Partner Sales at Intel. “The only way problems get solved is with an ecosystem of partners coming together.”

Problems that Kimrey speaks of include networking and security companies that only offer solutions to part of the problem.

“Trying to be the best at every individual thing generally doesn’t work out. You can’t be all things to all people,” says Stephan Tallent, senior director, managed security service provider and service enablement at Fortinet. “But if you can capitalize on best-of-breed technologies in different areas of the ecosystem and bring those together, that is going to benefit both the end customer and the partner.”

Customers want robust security and reliable networking. Solution providers need vendor partners that work together to transform isolated technologies into a cohesive solution. The groundbreaking Fortinet-Intel collaboration sets a new benchmark for secure networking performance.

“As a software vendor, you need to focus on the best application to solving the business challenge and you need hardware partners to take care of everything else. We really understand our piece of the business and how to make applications run best on our architecture. Fortinet knows security, and that collaboration is really helping to provide customers a whole new level of security,” says Kimrey.

Solution providers have a hard time managing and protecting their customers, thanks to a lack of technology integration across complex environments. But the Fortinet security fabric encompasses this next-level security that all vendors should strive to reach. The fabric reduces the complexity of multi-vendor environments and improves threat intelligence-sharing, not just across the fabric of Fortinet products but alongside third-party solutions as well.

“We see success in the SMB, the midmarket and the enterprise. For partners, no matter what vertical or what market segment that they’re targeting, the Fortinet Security Fabric has a product and a solution to fit those needs,” says Jon Bove, vice president of Americas channels at Fortinet. “The Intel and Fortinet partnership has allowed partners to have a consistent security posture that they can bring to the changing digital landscape.”

Don’t be surprised to see more of these multi-vendor partnerships.

“This partnership’s only about a year old and we’re really focused on driving innovative and agile solutions that will meet the demands of the enterprise customers today,” says Bove.

“It’s changing so fast. As you’re looking at who you’re going to partner with, you want to look at those companies who understand where technology is going not six months from now, but five years from now,” says Kimrey.

Solution providers need to partner with vendors that know the future because they’re building it. Our next installment looks at how Fortinet and Intel haven’t just developed solutions, but also joint go-to-market initiatives that are ready for partners to deploy now.