F5 encourages its partners to deliver value through sales and services

Munish Bhasin
Director Channels  & Alliances, F5

Maintaining a healthy partner ecosystem has been a crucial goal for F5. It aims to enter into long-term, strategic partnerships that are mutually beneficial. F5’s channel-friendly policies have driven its growth and success in the Indian market, enabling the brand to deliver enhanced value to its partners and customers.

F5 has a robust partner ecosystem in the country consisting of distributors, resellers, and system integrators. It has a dedicated team that oversees our channel partner network and promotes growth in the region.

“F5’s primary focus in India has been on cloud-based services and application security, which has significantly expanded our operations,” says Munish Bhasin, Director- Channels & Alliances, F5. “We prioritize our channel partners, encouraging them to deliver value through sales and services. These partnerships enable us to leverage our partners’ deep regional and vertical expertise, ensuring our solutions are tailored to meet our customers’ specific needs and preferences.

Moreover, our channel partners play a vital role in navigating the complex regulatory landscape in India, ensuring compliance and mitigating risks. By partnering with reputable organizations, we foster diversification, innovation, and credibility. Additionally, these partnerships provide joint resources, cross-selling opportunities, and enhanced customer satisfaction and retention.”

ENABLING & SKILLING PARTNERS 
F5 strongly believes that spreading knowledge and replicating its skill set within the channel will help the brand to scale up. It offers attractive incentive and rebate programs that motivate its partners to excel. F5 offers a comprehensive suite of partner programs, including Unity+, Global Systems Integrators, and Authorized Training Partner programs. It also provides robust marketing support through joint campaigns and promotional materials, and its dedicated partner portal makes accessing essential resources.

“Along with the extensive technical support our partners can confidently address any customer needs that come their way. Communication is key, so we maintain regular channels to keep our partners in the loop about new products and strategic initiatives. This helps foster a truly collaborative relationship. Lastly, we understand one size doesn’t fit all our policies are flexible and customizable, allowing us to meet the unique needs of different partners,” says Munish.

Channel-friendly policies have been a cornerstone of F5’s success in the Indian market. It has always been focused on helping its existing partners scale and are seeking new partnerships with key industry players, expanding reach, and leveraging their expertise to deliver comprehensive solutions.  The launch of F5’s Point of Presence (PoP) sites in India in the year 2022 is an example of the same. These PoPs enable the company to be closer to customers, and its channel partners to assist in reaching out to customers and providing seamless delivery and support.

 “Furthermore, our collaborative success stories with leading financial institutions and service providers in India have demonstrated the effectiveness of our channel-friendly approach, helping businesses secure their applications and improve performance,” sums up Munish.