Technology Reseller v32

01732 759725 END USER COMPUTING 48 ...continued IGEL Ready In this context, the launch of the IGEL Ready programme looks a very clever move. By opening up its edge OS to unlimited partner integration and introducing a formal, three -tier testing and verification process (Activated, Accelerated, Advanced), IGEL expects to expand its partner ecosystem from 95 companies to more than 150 by 2021. Importantly, it will also give customers reassurance that when they move to virtual desktops or cloud workspaces they will be able to draw on a wide range of compatible technologies. “Instead of having a relationship that is built on a handshake, we are putting in place a framework to say we will jointly test this software, make sure it works, document it, support it and verify it so that when an organisation goes out and chooses IGEL they know that it will work with any technology that has gone through that IGEL-ready programme and been verified,” explained Townsend. IGEL is already working with numerous partners on product verification, including Goliath Technologies, Lakeside Software, LG Business Solutions, Liquidware, Login VSI, PrinterLogic, Sennheiser, Tehama, Cherry, ControlUp, deviceTRUST, Fluendo, Tricerat, SecMaker, OnLogic, Systec & Solutions, BUURST, Channel Mechanics, introduction of the company’s new Managed SD-WAN Secure portfolio based on Gartner’s Secure Access Security Edge (SASE) tenets. Masergy says its latest offering makes it the only provider with a single SD-WAN solution that unites a global software- defined network, firewall as a service, AIOps, shadow IT discovery, identity-based WAN analytics, co-managed options and unparalleled customer service. Enhancements to Masergy’s previous fully managed SD-WAN with built-in security include: n Multiple management options . A choice of fully managed solutions, with customised implementations and end- to-end support provided by Masergy, and co-managed solutions that enable clients to customise configurations and make changes while Masergy monitors performance; n SASE architecture . This couples SD- WAN with the Masergy security portfolio, which offers cloud-based firewall-as- a-service, cloud access security broker easier for organisations to implement solutions that meet their needs. “Every single organisation has a slightly different requirement. Go into a financial institution and they may well have a financial application and a trading keyboard they need to get working. If you go into the Post Office, they will have different peripherals they need to plug into their devices. If you go into healthcare, people have got cards they use to tap in and tap out. Every single organisation we walk into has a different requirement. Because of the investment we have made in integrating different technologies, people say ‘Do you know what? I am going to go with IGEL because they have already integrated this technology; they already support the fact that I can do a Zoom call or a Microsoft Teams call over VDI and it just works’,” said Townsend. Masergy is addressing the needs of multi-cloud businesses with the launch of its next generation SD-WAN portfolio, backed up by what it claims are the industry’s most competitive SLAs and a new partner programme. The Masergy Zenith Partner Programme will be headed up by Jim Glackin, newly appointed as Masergy SVP Global Channels. Its key features include: n Increased earnings from a broader SD- WAN portfolio (see below), with up to 3X MRR commissions for qualified SD-WAN and UCaaS sales until December 31; n Enhanced marketing support, with customisable campaigns and market development funds; and n Training across the entire portfolio. The launch of the Masergy Zenith Partner Programme coincides with the Veridium and EPOS. Verified solutions will be listed in an IGEL Ready Showcase (igel.com/ready ), under eight categories: cloud workspaces/ VDI/DaaS; communication and collaboration; software and applications; endpoints; peripherals; printers and scanners; security; and analytics. Townsend likens IGEL Ready to the App Store, arguing that it will expand the range of supported solutions and reassure users that what they buy will work out of the box. “At a time like now when people are trying to deploy things significantly quicker, reduce the cost of implementation, get people working from home, when there is an ever changing cloud environment, with Citrix and Microsoft constantly updating their cloud-delivered desktops, you just need things that you know are going to work,” he said. “With millions now working from home, we have all learnt that a cloud service is the most agile and best way of rapidly deploying technology and that rapid deployment is incredibly important as it allows organisations to stay productive. If the IGEL Ready programme gives customers a sense of confidence and allows them to deploy technology in a far quicker, easier and more cost-effective way then that is a good thing.” igel.com/partners/technology-partners/ (CASB), secure web gateway and Zero Trust network access, antivirus, intrusion detection/prevention, web filtering, data loss prevention, security analytics, endpoint detection and response, 24/7 SOC, vulnerability scanning and more; n More hybrid networking options . In addition to Masergy-provided private access, direct internet access and broadband internet access, clients can bring their own third-party connectivity; n Expanded on-ramps to additional cloud service and SaaS providers . This includes SD-WAN integration in public cloud Infrastructure, shared private peering for SaaS apps and a shared bandwidth model for multiple cloud services across the same exchange and across the Masergy Secure Edge Network; and n Market-leading SD-WAN Secure SLAs. These give customers the reassurance of 100% service availability; automatic credits if an availability SLA is not met; sub-1 millisecond of jitter (edge to edge); 100% in-sequence packet delivery (edge to edge); and notification of a service outage within five minutes of verification. www.masergy.com/channel-partners Masergy backs new Managed SD-WAN Secure offering with market-leading SLAs and expanded partner programme Upping the ante Jim Glackin