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Cyber security solutions provider Palo Alto Networks has joined the growing ranks of tech vendors working to introduce initiatives aimed at helping partners weather the disruptions caused by the ongoing pandemic.
Among the actions taken by the vendor is an initiative to help partners extend certifications to ensure they stay current to current technology advancements, despite the disruptions in the industry.
Specifically, if an individual has a technical certification with an expiration date between March 1, 2020, and July 31, 2020, Palo Alto Networks will automatically extend the certification expiration dates by six months.
The company has also moved to create so-called virtual labs, aimed at giving partners the ability to show customers real attack scenarios while working remotely.
At the same time, the company is building a social syndication platform specifically for partners to strengthen their social selling index quickly and easily via its new, free Bambu social syndication platform.
“According to IDC, 75 per cent of B2B buyers use social media to make purchasing decisions. That number is poised to skyrocket in the short-term,” the company noted in a statement.
As such, strengthening the channel’s social selling index, which is used to measure capability with regards to selling a brand or product via social channels, has never been more important, according to Palo Alto Networks.
Meanwhile, Palo Alto Networks has also launched solutions for partners to help their customers securely balance the safety and health of their workforces while keeping their doors open for business.
On this front, the company said that its channel partners can tap into its GlobalProtect and XSOAR (Demisto) trials, along with its new Prisma Access and Global Protect resources.
Palo Alto Networks’ measures to support partners amid the COVID-19 pandemic mirror similar moves by the likes of HPE, Microsoft, Cisco, HP, IBM and more, with some vendors making substantial concessions to partners in the current business climate.
