Your market guide to getting started reselling or finding a reseller
There is a seemingly constant growth in demand for Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) solutions, as businesses move away from traditional MPLS to a cheaper, more converged solution for all their networking and security capabilities. Combining this demand with the fact that there are numerous providers offering varying features, deployment models and support options, both end users and resellers find it's difficult to differentiate offerings.
Whether you're an enterprise evaluating SD-WAN providers to move your network infrastructure away from outdated technologies or an IT reseller/managed service provider (MSP) exploring how you can add SD-WAN to your service portfolio, you'll find actionable insights in this guide to help find the solution best tailored to your needs. We've also provided guidance on joining these reseller programmes and how you can unlock further potential revenue opportunities, providing you a complete guide for starting up SD-WAN reselling.
SD-WAN Providers
With so many providers with distinct offerings and partner programmes, it's often difficult to know where to begin your search. Each provider brings unique strengths to their SD-WAN solutions, whether through proprietary network infrastructure, security features or flexible deployment options.
We've broken down the key takeaways for some of the biggest SD-WAN providers in the UK, how they differ and what their reseller programmes offer.
Who else would be better to start with than BT? Well known by most in the UK, BT is the UK's leading fixed and mobile communications provider, with ownership of both fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) and legacy copper networks, covering more than half of the UK. A trusted name in the telecommunications sector, particularly for businesses seeking reliable connectivity solutions.
Type of Offering
BT partners with the likes of Cisco Catalyst, Cisco Meraki, Nuage Networks VNS, Palo Alto Networks Prisma, Fortinet and VMware VeloCloud for its managed SD-WAN services.
With over 90% of BT's global WAN customer base already utilising Cisco technology, it's no surprise that the majority of BT's customers shifting towards SD-WAN are continuing to use Cisco's products.
For businesses with a focus on security and network performance, BT has launched a global managed service with Cisco, as well as security-focused SD-WAN through Fortinet. Their Agile Connect SD-WAN solution, which utilises Nokia Nuage Networks, provides pre-built gateways for businesses requiring regional performance optimisation.
Target Customers
BT focuses on businesses with varying requirements, from SMEs to large enterprises, with options for co-managed or fully managed solutions. BT's SD-WAN services integrate easily with BTnet leased lines and global internet access, ensuring businesses can prioritise network performance across hybrid WAN architectures.
Target Reseller
BT’s reseller programme is designed for:
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) expanding their portfolios.
Resellers diversifying into network solutions with BT’s pre-sales and customer support.
Resellers gain access to BT’s resources, including marketing tools, sales training and order management systems.
Target End User
The platform is particularly suitable for businesses adopting hybrid work models, with Service and Network Automation Platform (SNAP) available for orchestrating and visibility of all network planes. Further to this, BT's SD-WAN solution is shifting focus to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) elements, which provides more security (via Security Service Edge capabilities), and is ideal for SMEs and large multinational operating in UK.
Reseller Programme
The programme offers two primary pathways:
Authorised Resellers: Simplified entry with no sales targets, resellers earn commission splits but access the full BT product suite.
Partners: Requires meeting turnover and sales targets, partners receive full commissions but must manage higher volumes.
BT handles contracts, billing and customer support, whilst resellers focus on the sales and pre-sales elements. Commissions do vary based on both Sales Order Value (SOV) and contract term, with higher commissions offered for new contracts and competitor winbacks.
Unique Selling Point
Resellers gain access to be part of their broader Partner and Reseller programme, enabling resellers to bundle SD-WAN with other BT products which offers significant market potential and allows for greater profit margins. These complementary services include BT Broadband (with security features), leased lines and Cloud Voice, all of which come with marketing resources, sales training and order management tools.
Another selling point is the ability to leverage BT's global IP backbone. BT provides a market-leading SLA with 100% target availability guarantee for BTnet Leased Line service, therefore resellers can rest assured that any troubleshooting for uptime is minimised, with guaranteed compensation in the event of availability loss. This is further backed by BT having operations in 180+ countries, a large global internet backbone and the ability to provide local access lines worldwide, which can be essential for many global businesses based in the UK.
Virgin Media O2 (VMO2)
Virgin Media O2
Enterprises SMEs UK Europe
Following the merger of Virgin Media Business with O2 in 2021, Virgin Media O2 has created one of the largest fibre and hybrid-fibre networks in the UK, with access to both fixed-line and mobile networks. On top of this extensive connectivity within the UK, businesses that utilise Virgin Media O2's services across the continent can leverage VMO2's partnerships with Liberty Global and other third-party circuits, which extend their reach globally.
Type of Offering
VMO2 collaborates with leading SD-WAN providers to provide solutions that are tailored for specific use cases.
With Versa Networks, VMO2 offers fully managed SD-WAN services with features such as multi-tenancy, unified SASE integration (for combining SD-WAN with Security Service Edge capabilities) and AI-driven network optimisation; Fortinet is security-driven SD-WAN and Cisco Meraki for co-managed, easy to use and deploy SD-WAN use cases.
Regardless of the SD-WAN partner overlay, using VMO2's partnerships, businesses can connect to Europe and globally via the UK fibre and third-party circuits.
Through so many partnerships, VMO2 are able to deliver a range of SD-WAN options that cater to differing business needs, from SMEs to large enterprises.
Target Customers
End Users
VMO2 caters to enterprises of all sizes, with VMO2 offering bespoke Success Agreements, which are tailored for enterprises with over 250 employees. These agreements include customised SLAs and dedicated service management.
For smaller enterprises, Virgin Media O2 has launched initiatives such as the Small Business Partnerships program to support SMEs with tailored connectivity solutions. These programmes offer exclusive deals on broadband and mobile services to support small business growth.
Resellers
VMO2 also caters to wholesale customers by bundling managed SD-WAN services with underlay connectivity options (such as Ethernet or 4G/5G). This approach is ideal for resellers looking to integrate VMO2’s offerings into their own portfolios.
Reseller Programme
Unlike traditional reseller programmes, VMO2 operates primarily as a service provider rather than relying on external channels, with their focus on direct B2B services.
This means that VMO2 acts as both the MSP and reseller: managing contracts, billing and customer support internally. Resellers are therefore not part of an external channel programme but can benefit indirectly through wholesale agreements.
Unique Selling Point
The most obvious selling point of VMO2's SD-WAN is the access to both Virgin Media's fibre and O2's mobile networks, providing businesses with underlay connectivity that, in the UK, can only be rivalled by BT. This connectivity also comes with the advantage of customisable SLAs
From a resellers point of view, VMO2 provides dedicated consultants, engineers and service managers to provide round-the-clock monitoring and network management for improved uptimes, leading to minimised troubleshooting requirements.
Vodafone Business
Vodafone Logo
Enterprises Global
Vodafone Business, headquartered in Newbury, England, is one of the world's leading telecom providers, serving over 330 million customers globally across 150 countries. With a vast network infrastructure spanning fixed-line, mobile and cloud networking services, Vodafone is a trusted provider for businesses up and down the UK.
Type of Offering
Vodafone Business partners with multiple vendors to deliver both managed and co-managed SD-WAN solutions that are tailored to various business needs. These vendors include Cisco Meraki for a more easy-to-use solution, VMware VeloCloud for SD-WAN with SASE integrations, Juniper Network's Contrail for automation and Fortinet for a security-focused approach.
Target Customers
End Users
Vodafone Business targets enterprises of all sizes, including multinational corporations. Vodafone's SD-WAN solutions are ideal for global companies requiring unified WAN and mobile connectivity across multiple regions, leveraging both Vodafone and Vodacom's global connectivity presence.
Resellers
Ideal resellers will look to integrate Vodafone’s SD-WAN services into their portfolio, bundling solutions with underlay connectivity options such as ethernet or mobile networks (4G/5G) and providing end-to-end managed services for their clients. This makes reselling Vodafone SD-WAN ideal for resellers/partners that already sell Vodafone's underlay connectivity.
Reseller Programme
Vodafone has partner programmes for reselling its services across 192 countries, serving multinational corporations (MNCs), midmarket firms and small-to-medium businesses (SMBs). To adapt to these requirements, resellers can offer solutions from vendors such as Juniper, Cisco, Fortinet and VMware, tailoring to diverse market needs.
Options range from full managed services to co-managed or DIY setups, with bandwidth-on-demand, 4G/5G access for improved resilience and Vodafone’s 20 PoPs, which provide low-latency cloud networking connectivity through 45 data centres.
For full-scale Vodafone franchising, Vodafone's reseller programme doesn't require any initial franchise fee, with partners only needing the capital to cover the first three months of operating costs. Vodafone are also recognised by major banks for bespoke financing arrangements, easing entry for qualified candidates. In this case, partners take over fully staffed, stocked and refurbished stores with an established customer base.
Unique Selling Point
Vodafone's key value proposition is converged networking and security. They integrate SD-WAN with their mobile network (4G/5G) and fixed connectivity options. Backed by their extensive global fibre and mobile network infrastructure, resellers can rest assured that troubleshooting connectivity will be minimised.
Orange Business Services
Orange Business Services Logo
Enterprises Global
Orange Business Services is the number 1 voice and data network worldwide, with 70+ cloud data centres and 50+ partnerships with technologies providers.
Type of Offering
Orange Business leverages AI-driven network functions and provides unified network solutions that combine SD-WAN with SD-LAN, reinforced by 4G/5G connectivity. They recently launched SD-WAN Essentials, a co-managed solution that provides businesses with control, reliability, network performance, application-level routing and security features.
End users are primarily enterprise customers, leveraging Orange’s Flexible SD-WAN to connect over 100 sites globally and enabling multi-cloud networking environments.
Resellers
By offering co-managed and customisable solutions, Orange supports resellers in delivering networking and security capabilities to their clients. For example, telecom operators can integrate Orange’s SD-WAN Essentials or Flexible SD-WAN into their offerings to provide scalable, multi-cloud-ready solutions
Reseller Programme
Offering multiple reselling models, such as fully-managed, co-managed and DIY. For fully managed, Orange handles deployment, monitoring and maintenance, leveraging its global infrastructure (400 PoPs, 120 colocation centres) and security expertise, which is ideal for resellers targeting enterprises needing turnkey solutions. Co-Managed, supported by Orange’s SD-WAN Essentials, shares responsibilities between Orange and the reseller/customer, with Orange providing the platform. Finally, resellers can white-label Orange’s SD-WAN infrastructure for customers to self-manage via APIs or portals.
For select services, Orange enables resellers to offer pay-per-use models, as well as pilot options to demonstrate value before commitment to customers.
Unique Selling Point
Orange provides clear SLAs that guarantee performance and connectivity for their SD-WAN services, even in remote locations. These include Site Availability, site Device Availability, EMS Availability, Guaranteed Time to Repair, Defined Time to Repair.
Orange offers global support through 5 major Service Centers located in Rio, Cairo, Paris, New Delhi and Mauritius, with support in 32 different languages and access to 500+ consultants and 800+ ITIL certified experts to assist with technical issues.
Colt Technology Services
Enterprises UK Europe Asia US
Colt Technology Services is a London-based network services provider catering primarily to business customers in the UK, with further presence across Europe, Asia and the United States, serving approximately 7,000 overall customers.
Type of Offering
Colt offer two models, including SD-WAN as a managed service for enterprises and a white-label SD-WAN platform for partners to rebrand Colt under their own name.
Colt uses Versa Networks as its primary SD-WAN technology, but also works alongside VMware VeloCloud and Cisco Meraki platforms.
Target Customers
End Users
Colt targets large enterprises, with Colt already serving 18 of the top 25 global banks and financial groups, as well as 19 of the top 25 media and telecom companies (Forbes 2000 list).
One of the key reasons for this is Colt's ability to deliver high-performance connectivity and cloud access for multi-cloud adopters.
Reseller Programme
Colt offers the Colt White Label SD-WAN programme for channel partners. This is ideal for regional telcos or IT providers who want to add SD-WAN without investing in their own platform. Partners get a multi-tenant platform (Versa-based) while Colt handles the backend infrastructure.
The reseller programme can either be an on demand (flex) model, allowing pay-per-hour or fixed-term commitments (1 hour to 36 months). Further to this, bandwidth can be flexed up/down to port capacity (1-hour contracts only), ports are based on fixed monthly rentals (e.g., £100/month for 1Gbps in the UK) and circuit pricing can vary by region, with metro zones in Europe, Asia and the US.
Resellers can rebrand Colt’s SD-WAN with custom portals, logos and support. Whilst resellers that utilise a co-managed model can leverage Colt’s infrastructure (Versa Networks, Cisco, VMware) and global gateways (EU, Asia, US) while retaining control via tenant management consoles.
Unique Selling Point
Their main competitive advantage is the Colt IQ Network, a high-performance fibre network with 150+ Points of Presence, direct service delivery in approximately 30 countries, and extended reach to 185+ countries through partnerships
NTT Communications
Enterprises Global
NTT Communications is a global telecommunications provider recognised for launching the world's first SD-WAN platform with global coverage. They operate a 100% software-defined network infrastructure and maintain 75+ local cloud centres worldwide for optimised network, mobility and security services. NTT’s SD-WAN platform is distributed across more than 190 countries, making it accessible to solution providers worldwide.
Type of Offering
NTT's platform supports multiple leading SD-WAN providers (such as Cisco Catalyst, Cisco Meraki and HPE Aruba EdgeConnect), allowing resellers to offer diverse solutions tailored to customer needs.
NTT not only offers managed SD-WAN but also provides SASE services, often which are bundled with their network and data centre services, allowing resellers to offer a broader variety of services. This means that NTT can provide a full stack delivery, with consulting, underlying network (own global IP network), SD-WAN overlay, security and cloud services offered within their portfolio.
Target Customers
End Users
End users primarily consist of large enterprises and multinational corporations. As NTT Communications services span over 190 countries and more than 1000 ISP networks, the customers that stand to gain the most benefit typically operate over multiple regions or utilise fully cloud-based services.
Resellers
NTT doesn't target resellers as there is no public reseller program.
Reseller Programme
No public reseller program for SD-WAN specifically as NTT primarily sells direct, however they have on a rare occasion been known to partner with local telecoms for last-mile delivery services.
Unique Selling Point
Their extensive global reach, with presence in over 70 countries directly and 190 through partners, especially in the APAC region, making NTT ideal for businesses with significant operations across Asia.
Comcast Business (Masergy)
Comcast Business Logo
Mid-Large Enterprises US Global
Following Comcast Business’s acquisition of Masergy in 2021, their managed SD-WAN offering has seen significant improvements. Ranked as a Market Leader for Managed SD-WAN Services as of 2024, Comcast Business supports fully-managed and co-managed deployment models.
Type of Offering
Comcast's fully managed SD-WAN solutions utilises their partnerships with multiple vendors, providing AI-driven network management, performance analytics and self-healing network functions.
To appeal to a wider range of use cases, Comcast also offers co-managed options, providing users with greater control.
Target Customers
Resellers
Resellers ideally already have a customer base that operate over multiple regions, with Comcast's SD-WAN services utilising PoPs around the world and partnerships for last-mile in over 120 countries. Further to this, Comcast provides a 99.99% uptime SLA, therefore catering to industries where minimal downtime is a must.
End Users
Comcast Business targets mid-to-large enterprises, from single-location businesses to multinational corporations, particularly those headquartered in the U.S. and operating internationally.
Reseller Programme
Their SD-WAN solution is channel-focused, inheriting Masergy’s successful agent-driven channel programme. They rely heavily on master agents and indirect sales partners in the US and the UK, offering attractive commissions, structured incentives and training to agents.
Unlike many SD-WAN providers that use tiered pricing based on bandwidth consumption, Comcast Business employs a flat-rate pricing model. This simplifies budgeting for customers and resellers alike by providing predictable costs regardless of usage levels. Their advanced SD-WAN includes high-touch support, proactive monitoring and service-level objectives, whilst standard includes a more cost-effective option with periodic consultation support for businesses relying less on outsourced IT management.
This allows resellers to profit on hardware margins, monthly recurring revenue from managed services and upsell opportunities for add-ons such as remote network access and security services.
No technical certifications required, which highlights the low barrier for entry required to start reselling.
Unique Selling Point
Prior to their acquisition, Masergy were a pioneer in SD-WAN and UCaaS. The combined entity offers managed SD-WAN solutions that scale easily from single location businesses to global enterprises. Due to their strengths in supporting both telecommunications and managed services, Comcast has been recognised by ISG, Vertical Systems and Frost & Sullivan as an industry leader.
The key value propositions of Comcast Business (Masergy) is intelligent networking with AIOps and security, their vendor-agnostic SD-WAN supporting multiple platforms and the global reach with PoPs around the world and partnerships for last-mile in over 120 countries and 99.99% uptime SLA delivered, providing all-round improvements to business networks.
Verizon Business
Verizon Logo
Enterprises US Global
One of the top MEF 3.0 certified SD-WAN providers, Verizon Business provides managed SD-WAN solutions leveraging a wide range of vendor partnerships including Cisco Viptela, Cisco Meraki, Versa Networks, Aruba EdgeConnect (Silver Peak) and Fortinet. They deliver SD-WAN integrated closely with private network services and advanced security features such as Zero Trust architecture and AI-powered network analytics.
Type of Offering
Verizon offers managed SD-WAN solutions with both fully managed and co-managed options. They integrate SD-WAN with their private network services and provide security features, including Zero Trust frameworks and AI-powered network analytics for proactive issue resolution.
Target Customers
Being one of the biggest telecommunications providers in the US, Verizon therefore primarily targets global enterprises and large U.S and North American based businesses.
Reseller Programme
Verizon does not offer a reseller program to IT providers as they are the provider themselves. They sell via direct sales and through authorised agents for telecom services. While they partner with system integrators who bring Verizon services into large deals, this is more of an alliance than a reseller relationship.
Unique Selling Point
Although particularly beneficial for businesses in North America, Verizon’s global presence (operations in over 150 countries), extensive private network backbone and security features differentiate their SD-WAN offering. Customers also benefit from 24/7 support and dedicated account management teams.
AT&T Business
AT&T Logo
Large Enterprises US Global
AT&T, based in the United States, are the third largest telecommunications company in the world by revenue. Providing managed SD-WAN services through partnerships with multiple vendors, AT&T leverages their global MPLS/IP network and extensive access (including their own last-mile in the US) to offer improved performance in the US and North America in comparison to other providers in this list.
Type of Offering
AT&T Business offers two distinct SD-WAN delivery models, network-based (integrated into AT&T's global backbone) and over-the-top, which is vendor-agnostic and internet-based. They partner with multiple vendors including Cisco Catalyst, VMware VeloCloud, Aruba EdgeConnect, FatPipe, Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks Prisma.
Target Customers
Resellers
AT&T targets resellers with a variety of pricing structures, benefits, and incentives tailored to meet the needs of end users of all sizes, catering to as many resellers as possible.
End Users
Whilst AT&T's SD-WAN is targeted at end users of all sizes, we'd suggest that AT&T is best built for large enterprises (particularly in North America), Fortune 1000 corporations and mid-market businesses looking for global reach and secure connectivity options.
Reseller Programme
AT&T Partner Exchange enables selected partners, predominantly in the SMB market, to resell AT&T's managed SD-WAN services, which is most prevalent in the market in the U.S. and North America. Their pricing varies based on many factors, such as the type of service, bandwidth requirements and additional features.
Resellers can design co-branded solutions tailored to their customers' needs, leveraging AT&T's SD-WAN technology as part of their portfolio, with control over the complete lifecycle, including designing solutions, managing tier 1 support and owning end-to-end customer relationships.
The program provides access to self-service tools to improve management and deployment of services, allowing resellers to build recurring revenue streams by offering SD-WAN as part of a broader suite of managed services.
Unique Selling Point
AT&T’s significant global MPLS/IP infrastructure spanning over 200 countries, extensive multi-vendor partnerships, and integrated cybersecurity services make them particularly appealing to large enterprises requiring reliable and secure global networks. AT&T have been ranked as a leader in managed SD-WAN, achieving first in the 2019 U.S. Carrier Managed Leaderboard report for SD-WAN Services by Vertical Systems Group.
Aryaka
Aryaka Logo
Enterprises SMEs EMEA China APAC Global
Aryaka launched its SD-WAN service offering in September 2010, which was revamped with their SmartServices platform in 2019. The platform delivers SD-WAN as a service over a private network, rather than requiring customers to build their own solutions, becoming a key market differentiator compared to competitors.
Type of Offering
Aryaka provides a fully managed SD-WAN as-a-service over its proprietary global network, where resellers sell to end customers as a managed service and via channel partners through their partner program.
Target Customers
Resellers
The program is particularly focused on Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), leveraging strong relationships with prominent partners such as Deutsche Telekom and CDW.
End Users
We'd argue that Aryaka is most ideal for businesses operating in the China and Asia region due to their PoP network that is designed to improve performance in these areas.
Aryaka’s solutions cater to both enterprise-level clients and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), with offerings starting at less than $150 per site and is suitable for companies with distributed offices across Europe and US such as manufacturing and SaaS companies.
Reseller Programme
Their Aryaka Accelerate partner programme is structured for global MSPs, VARs, and referral agents, offering flexibility in reselling and deal referral arrangements, supported by deal registration, training programmes and tiered incentives.
Resellers can earn between 25% to 35% margins depending on the size of the customer deal, with no upfront investment or revenue commitments required, reducing financial risk for partners. Aryaka provides collaborative marketing campaigns and sales tools to simplify go-to-market strategies, as well as offering white-label and co-management options for improved flexibility in service delivery.
Unique Selling Point
Aryaka’s global private network spanning over 30 service PoPs across six continents, with superior connectivity within the China and APAC markets. Further to this, Aryaka is uniquely positioned as the leading pure-play SD-WAN provider.
Cato Networks
Cato Networks Logo
Mid-Large Enterprises Global
Cato Networks offers its SD-WAN solution as part of its cloud-based SASE platform, which is the first SASE platform to achieve PCI DSS v4.0 compliance (February 2025). A leader in the Gartner SD-WAN magic quadrant in 2024, Cato focuses on ease of use, eliminating the need for on-premises equipment and offers SD-WAN combined with the first cloud-based threat hunting system (since 2018).
Type of Offering
Cato's SD-WAN offering is a cloud-native solution designed to replace traditional MPLS networks and improve connectivity for branches, data centres and mobile users. Cato integrates networking and security into a unified platform, leveraging the Cato Socket, an edge SD-WAN device and offers 25 Points of Presence (PoPs) for encrypted traffic routing and a replacement for traditional MPLS. As a managed SD-WAN and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution, Cato not only offers network performance improvements but features such as Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA) and Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for enhanced security.
Target Customers
Resellers
Ideal resellers include MSPs integrating Cato’s platform with other services or delivering it as their primary offerings, partners that provide telecom and unified communications alongside SD-WAN solutions, as well as distributors adding integration services to Cato’s offerings, particularly outside the U.S.
End Users
Cato Networks targets enterprises from mid-market up to large organisations, with geographically dispersed offices and requiring network connectivity across regions. Due to the cloud-based design, Cato is ideal for enterprises that need to minimise on-premises equipment.
Reseller Programme
Operating a 100% channel-centric sales model, Cato offers multiple engagement methods, including resale, MSP models (Cato Partner MSASE), and referral programmes, selling their subscription service through partners globally. Cato doesn't deal with end users directly, preferring to work in the channel and this is highlighted by the amount of support Cato provides - offering the likes of free training and certification courses through their Academy.
The program includes two tiers, Professional and Premium, catering to varying levels of reseller engagement and expertise.
The Professional Partner model is designed for solution providers selling SD-WAN as an MPLS replacement, secure branch internet access or optimised global connectivity. This includes access to on-demand training and certifications, free demo licenses, equipment and marketing development funds (MDF) to support lead-generation efforts.
Whereas Premium Partners offers further benefits such as a new discount layers for partners who actively engage in pipeline activities and joint selling efforts with Cato Networks. Premium partners are typically more integrated with Cato's services, placing Cato offerings directly on their paper
Resellers can progress deals independently without requiring vendor approval for discounts, which can assist with the sales process. Partners gain access to free demo licenses, equipment and market development funds to support their sales efforts, with partners reportedly winning 80% of deals after completing a proof-of-concept.
Unique Selling Point
Cato’s global private backbone with over 70 PoPs, ease of deployment and recognition as a market leader highlights their capability to cater a wide range of businesses.
Cato have also been ranked as the easiest to use SD-WAN solution in the Netify 2025 SD-WAN Vendor Comparison Matrix, which emphasises just how focuses Cato are on simplified management.
Open Systems
Open Systems Logo
Enterprises Global
Open Systems is a Swiss managed Secure SD-WAN and SASE provider, operating since before "SD-WAN" was a term. Sometimes considered the first SD-WAN company and, given their SASE solution, Open Systems are security-driven. Their secure SD-WAN solution includes built-in network security features such as next-generation firewalls, intrusion detection and endpoint monitoring.
Type of Offering
Alongside a security focus, OpenSystems emphasises outcome-driven service experience, utilising a global network infrastructure and is supported 24/7 by Open Systems' network and security operations team and L3 DevOps engineers.
Open Systems has moved away from a direct sales model to a partner-first approach, aiming to have 90% of its business driven by the channel, expanding Open Systems' market presence and better leveraging their established partnerships.
Target Customers
Resellers
Open Systems targets resellers that favour customisation and brandability. Resellers can leverage Open Systems' white-glove managed service, offering a highly customisable and managed SD-WAN service tailored to enterprise needs.
Given they also offer security through their SASE solution, Open Systems targets partners who want to offer a managed SASE experience.
End Users
Open Systems typically serves end users such as European multinationals or multi-location enterprises that require security, visibility and performance for their business applications. These enterprises often operate globally and leverage cloud resources, mobile connectivity and hybrid networks.
Reseller Programme
Open Systems invites VARs, SIs, and MSPs to join its partner program, offering three partner models:
Partner-Sourced Model: Partners bring leads to Open Systems and earn revenue.
Partner-Influenced Model: Solution providers collaborate with end customers while Open Systems supports them.
Partner-Led Model: Partners manage the sales process entirely, with Open Systems providing backend support
Resellers also gain access to a range of marketing tools, specialised training and preferential pricing, whilst their white-box strategy allows partners to cater to specific enterprise requirements.
Unique Selling Point
Operates globally across 180 countries, with a focus on channel partners, providing white-box solutions, customisability and security integrations.
Cisco (Catalyst & Meraki)
Cisco Logo
SMEs Enterprises Global
Cisco entered the market through Meraki SD-WAN, which it acquired in 2012. Prior to this, Cisco's primary offering was Cisco IWAN, which was an on-premises SD-WAN device based on ISR branch routing. In 2017 they acquired Viptela, which has now been rebranded to Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN. Catalyst is recognised as a market-leading solution and, although still a leading solution, Cisco Meraki is far more simplified but easier to use.
Type of Offering
Both Meraki and Catalyst SD-WAN platforms are leading solutions on the SD-WAN market, with Catalyst primarily designed for large-scale deployments and complex networks, whereas Meraki is targeted for ease of deployment. End users gain automated private connectivity to multi-cloud workloads through global Points of Presence (PoPs) and improved access to SaaS applications and for inter-site communication.
Target Customers
Due to having multiple solutions (and market-leading solutions at that), Cisco can target enterprises and businesses of all sizes on a global scale.
Resellers
Catalyst SD-WAN is designed for resellers serving large enterprises, that have expertise in deploying complex network architectures and specialise in network customisation.
Prospective Meraki resellers should already be or looking to enter the SMB market, with cost-effective and user-friendly solutions. These resellers often cater to customers with limited IT resources, such as small offices, retail shops and hospitality businesses.
End Users
Meraki is ideal for businesses with 50–200 employees (with Meraki Go also catering to smaller organisations with fewer than 50 employees) and is popular in sectors such as retail, hospitality, education, healthcare, government and finance.
Meanwhile, Catalyst SD-WAN is designed for enterprise-grade reliability and security. Catalyst is typically used by the largest organisations across industries such as global financial services firms, manufacturing companies with global supply chains and healthcare providers with multiple facilities.
Reseller Programme
Resellers gain access to training materials, technical support, and marketing resources to help their clients succeed. Cisco's partner program offers financial rewards tailored to reseller roles (Integrator, Provider, Developer, Advisor) at Select, Premier or Gold levels.
Integrators earn rebates based on total contract value, including hardware, software and as-a-service solutions. This encourages lifecycle sales and customer retention. Providers offering managed services can earn recurring revenue incentives, with Cisco expecting a significant portion of sales to come from managed services by 2027, as well as access to improved technical support, API integrations and deal protection incentives. Developers who create or integrate solutions using Cisco APIs earn financial rewards for their creations and is tied to certifications and customer outcomes. Advisors receive incentives for providing expert consulting services throughout the sales cycles, with bonuses for helping customers achieve business outcomes through Cisco solutions, particularly in hybrid work and security areas.
Select Level partners are typically smaller partners with growing Cisco business, receiving foundational benefits such as basic VIP rebates, lifecycle engagement incentives and deal registration bonuses. Select Level partners can participate in multiple roles with minimal investment requirements, allowing them to build expertise gradually while earning initial rewards. Premier Level partners benefit from mid-tier VIP rebates, lifecycle incentives and marketing funds tailored to their role in the program. Premier-level partners receive targeted support for scaling their Cisco practices with access to tools such as the Partner Relationship Management (PXP). Finally, Gold partners receive the most lucrative financial rewards, including further VIP rebates, deal registration bonuses and exclusive access to marketing funds. Gold partners can access unique resources like advanced training and co-marketing opportunities to maximise profitability.
Unique Selling Point
Cisco uniquely addresses different market needs through two complementary SD-WAN platforms, Catalyst for complex enterprise requirements and Meraki for simplified deployment and management.
Both solutions integrate easily with Cisco's broader portfolio of security products and cloud management tools, which can benefit resellers that sell other Cisco products as it potentially increases profits through bundled services.
Whilst the Cisco brand name is arguably the most recognisable networking and securities provider, garnering plenty of trust, resellers can also benefit from extensive resources including technical training through the Cisco Academy, marketing materials and tiered financial incentives.
VMware (VeloCloud)
Velocloud Logo
Enterprises Global
VeloCloud was founded in 2012 and since 2017 they have been recognised as an SD-WAN market leader. VMware SD-WANs position is supported by their extensive global network of over 3,700 gateways across 200+ Points of Presence (PoPs) and their cloud-based architecture. Further to this, it should be noted that VeloCloud leads the global market for unified SASE with a 44% market share.
Type of Offering
VMware VeloCloud offers SD-WAN as part of their SASE platform, utilising a cloud-based architecture and a global backbone, as well as the ability to implement external security services and multiple cloud environments. This provides businesses with a wider range of functionality than other vendors, albeit at the cost of greater management complexity.
Their solution is delivered through channel partners as either managed services or customer-managed deployments, enabling greater flexibility for a wider range of use cases.
Target Customers
Resellers
VMware's SD-WAN reseller program targets partners who can deliver managed services or resell the solution to enterprises. This can include cloud providers hosting multi-tenant environments that can integrate VMware SD-WAN into their offerings to support enterprise-grade connectivity for their customers to utilise when accessing cloud or SaaS applications.
End Users
VMware VeloCloud targets large enterprises with cloud requirements or are migrating away from traditional systems and MPLS to multi-cloud and Software-as-a-Service systems. For example, enterprises adopting multi-cloud strategies or SaaS and cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud use VMware SD-WAN to optimise application performance and improve cloud connectivity (via VMware's over 200 global Points of Presence).
Reseller Programme
Following Broadcom's acquisition of VMware, the Titan Partner Program has replaced the original VMware VeloCloud program. This program is designed for MSPs to deliver VeloCloud SD-WAN as a managed service and consume licenses on a subscription basis. Hardware is available via CapEx (single payment) or OpEx (subscription-based payments) and the partner programme comes in three tiers, Registered, Premier and Pinnacle.
The entry-level tier, Registered, is designed for partners authorised to resell certain VMware solutions, with a more limited access to the partner ecosystem and benefits compared to higher tiers. The Premier tier requires meeting higher performance targets and investment in partnership development, however benefits from deal registration protection, incumbency protection, and proposal-based Market Development Funds (MDF) and funded head roles. Finally, the Pinnacle tier requires significant investment, including direct buying relationships and aggregation agreements, benefitting from access to exclusive technologies, with white-label opportunities, improved deal registration protection, incumbency protection on renewals and migrations, as well as providing price protection of at least 10% against competitors for renewal opportunities valued between $25K and $1.5M USD.
Requirements for joining the reseller programme typically include VMware certifications (VCP-NV for technical staff), with further training through VeloCloud's hands-on labs.
Unique Selling Point
VMware leads the global market for unified SASE with a 44% market share, integrating their SD-WAN with their broader SASE security offerings. This, alongside their over 200 globally distributed PoPs, providing a complete solution for both performance and security. This is further backed by VMware's patented DMPO technology, which ensures optimal application performance by dynamically steering traffic based on real-time network conditions, reducing packet loss and latency.
For resellers, compliance with standards such as FedRAMP and SOC2 Type 2 improves trust when selling to government or regulated industries, ensuring VMware's applicability in regulated use cases.
The partner orchestration portal is also ideal for MSPs, enabling them to manage multiple customers for reduced complexity.
Fortinet
Fortinet Logo
Mid-Market Enterprises Global
Fortinet are primarily a security-driven vendor, with their SD-WAN solution fully integrated into the FortiGate platform. Fortinet were the first vendor to combine security and network functionality into a single system, producing physical firewall solutions, endpoint security features and intrusion detection systems, which were all combined with SD-WAN into their Security Fabric architecture.
Type of Offering
Deployed globally to over 31,000 customers and delivered via FortiGate physical and virtual appliances that combine firewall and SD-WAN network functions in a single device. Fortinet can connect and secure branch offices and remote users globally, making them a good choice for large multinational corporations and has significant market share via range channel partners, often viewed as a cost effective provider with good ROI.
Target Customers
Resellers
Fortinet's SD-WAN is ideal for resellers looking to capitalise on the growing demand for network and security services.
End Users
Fortinet's SD-WAN solution targets both mid-market and distributed enterprises that have strict security requirements, making Fortinet ideal for enterprises with sensitive data, secure connectivity criteria or needs for in-depth security monitoring. This focus on security reduces operational costs for businesses that would previously have used MPLS, whilst still maintaining compliance with regulations such as PCI DSS, HIPAA or SOX.
Reseller Programme
Fortinet's Engage Partner Program offers four tiers, Advocate, Select, Advanced and Expert for reselling Fortinet SD-WAN. The Advocate tier is the entry-level tier for new partners starting with Fortinet, with no certifications or revenue target requirements and basic access to Fortinet resources. Select partners are focused on SMB market, with Fortinet offering more engagement and support, requiring local revenue targets but providing greater discounts and access to FortiRewards. The Advanced tier is reserved for resellers with greater technical expertise and sales performance, with higher certification requirements but offering greater discounts on deal registrations, joint marketing funds and improved visibility on the partner locator. Finally, the Expert tier is the top-tier status for partners with extensive expertise and sales achievements. This provides partners with benefits such as Accelerate Passes, eligibility for joint PR activities and the highest discount levels that Fortinet has to offer.
Regardless of partnership tier, Not-for-Resale (NFR) demos are eligible for all partners. Typical channel partners include resellers, MSSPs (Managed Security Service Providers) and telecommunications providers.
Unique Selling Point
The key differentiator for Fortinet is their integration of security and SD-WAN functionality into a single system, offering more security capabilities than most other offerings on the market.
Summary
Reselling SD-WAN represents a significant opportunity for MSPs and technology resellers to expand their service portfolios and generate recurring revenue streams. However, it's important to acknowledge the challenges that come with entering this market, its competitiveness and the complexity of providing industry-specific implementations that address unique customer issues.
Resellers must invest in proper training, certification and technical resources to effectively deploy and support SD-WAN solutions. This investment extends beyond initial implementation to include ongoing maintenance and optimisation of customer networks.
Choosing the right vendor partnership can significantly mitigate potential challenges faced, with vendors offering differing levels of technical support, training and marketing resources to assist resellers. New SD-WAN solutions and SASE solutions are cloud-based and typically coming pre-packaged with Secure Web Gateway, Zero Trust Network Access, Cloud Access Security Broker and other features, therefore not only providing optimal performance to businesses adopting SD-WAN but also enhancing security for the SD-WAN deployment. For example, built in security, such as CASB can be essential for optimal performance with cloud services, enabling greater operational efficiency when connecting to the likes of Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.
For those new to SD-WAN reselling, consider starting with a focused approach. Begin by targeting a specific market segment or use case where you have existing expertise or customer relationships. This allows you to build competence and references before expanding to more complex implementations or larger customers.
Whether you're an end user or prospective reseller, if you're interested in any of the opportunities listed or have any general questions about SD-WAN, contact us here at Netify.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is an SD-WAN Reseller?
There are two main types of SD-WAN Resellers, Providers and Channel Partners.
Providers can be telecom carriers, managed service providers (MSPs) or value-added resellers (VARs) who implement the SD-WAN technology from vendors on behalf of customers. In this instance, a third-party company designs, deploys and manages the SD-WAN.
On the other hand, a Channel Partner directly resells an SD-WAN vendor’s product. Examples of a Channel Partner include an IT company or integrator that has joined a vendor’s reseller programme to offer that SD-WAN solution to its own clients, offering their solution as part of their own services.
Why would an end-user go via a reseller?
For many end user, the overarching question is - Why not go direct?
For starters, some providers don't sell directly, adding a barrier to entry that requires the use of a reseller.
Resellers also often offer their own engineering and support services, which can be more ideal for maintaining and saving on operational costs. On top of this, if the chosen solution receives support from both the reseller and vendor, your network can potentially receive twice the expertise.
There are also many surrounding benefits, such as values added via bundles, which may make up an 'end-to-end' solution, where resellers bundle the likes of SD-WAN, connectivity links and also provide SLA accountability, all from a single point and offers a cost savings element for customers.
How resellers can choose a provider to partner with
When establishing yourself as an SD-WAN reseller, selecting the right provider partnership is essential. To correctly choose a partnership, prospective resellers should align their choosing with either their pre-existing or target customer market.
For example, different providers specialise in specific market segments:
Enterprise-focused providers such as BT, AT&T and Verizon primarily serve large global enterprises.
Regional leaders such as Virgin Media O2 Business and Colt cater to UK/European mid-to-large businesses.
Specialised MSPs such as Cato Networks and Aryaka often target mid-market and distributed enterprises with cloud-centric needs
Another consideration is that some providers are vendor-agnostic with several offerings – for example, BT works with Cisco, VMware, Nokia and Fortinet. And if that doesn't narrow your initial shortlist down enough, remember that some vendors better operate in certain regions. For example, BT is better at operating in the UK than AT&T due to their UK-based fibre network, however in the same essence AT&T has greater capabilities in the US for similar reasons.
Another point to assess is each product's capabilities against your target customers' requirements:
Integrated security (SASE functionality) is increasingly in demand
Cloud connectivity options for multi-cloud environments
Management interface usability is critical if you'll manage numerous customer networks
Specialised strengths such as Fortinet's combined Next-Gen Firewall and SD-WAN solution for security-conscious clients
If you're just starting out, it may also be important to consider revenue structures, licensing models, partner margins, certifications and any other barriers to entry with certain vendors. For example you may need to determine any annual commitments, targets or licensing structures for a vendor and where you can receive potential cost savings. We'd also recommend, if you prefer an Opex model to bundle into your services, it may be ideal to choose a vendor with MSP-friendly licensing.
With regards to building out your brand, determine whether you need:
White-label solutions which puts your branding on portals and/or devices.
Co-branding options where larger vendors allow you to be the service provider with their technology and both names are added. This can be especially beneficial when partnered with one of the leading SD-WAN providers as their name carries more gravitas.
Finally, evaluate the strength of the partner's support. It's no use supplying customers with a new network if you're not supported by the vendor to troubleshoot potential issues. Support can come in many forms and isn't only limited to troubleshooting, including training and certification programmes for your team, technical support from consultants, marketing resources and materials, sales tools and demo capabilities and a partner portal with quoting tools.
What are the typical reseller models
The four most typical reseller models are authorised resellers or VARs, Managed Service Providers, Wholesale and Referral Agents.
Authorised Resellers/VARs partner with an SD-WAN vendor (or multiple vendors) to resell their solution. They typically sell the vendor’s SD-WAN product (hardware and software licenses) to customers and sometimes offer installation and support services on top.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) offer SD-WAN as a managed service under their own brand. MSPs handle level 1/2 support and customer facing activity, while the vendor provides the underlying technology. This model often requires more investment in tools and expertise but gives MSPs ownership of the customer relationship and the ability to bundle SD-WAN with other services.
Telecom/Carrier Wholesale integrate an SD-WAN solution into their connectivity offerings. Some carriers offer wholesale or white-label SD-WAN to smaller ISPs or system integrators. In this case, effectively reselling the carrier’s managed SD-WAN service and leveraging pre-existing underlying infrastructure.
Finally, the Referral Agent brings leads to the vendor and gets a commission, whilst the vendor delivers the service itself. This is a lighter-weight way to participate if you don’t want to handle deployment or don't have in-house expertise.
How to join a reseller programme
If you’re an IT provider, not offering SD-WAN means missing out on a growing demand.
Assess Your Market & Readiness: Identify your customer base’s needs. Are they asking for SD-WAN? Do you have in-house networking skillsets? This will influence whether you partner or possibly hire/train staff first. Remember, if you choose to offer SD-WAN deployment services, it's important that your staff have the expertise to quickly provide a reliable network when switching network architecture.
Research Vendor Programmes: Use our vendor guide to help shortlist a few SD-WAN vendors or service providers that fit your model. Consider reaching out to vendors for demos if you're not entirely sure who to shortlist.
Compare Programmes: Look at the criteria mentioned (training, margin, support) and consider how well each solution would work for your business.
Partner Sign-up: Enroll in the chosen reseller programme. This usually involves signing a partner agreement. Many vendors have portals where you register your company.
Training & Certification: Take the required training. Getting your technical team certified on the SD-WAN platform is essential before selling to clients.
Go-to-Market: Leverage vendor support to create a service offering. Decide your pricing, whether you’ll bundle connectivity or just overlay, and start marketing to your customers.
Pilot a Customer Deployment: It can help to start with a friendly client or even your own offices as the first SD-WAN deployment to gain experience.
Support Structure: Ensure you have, or arrange 24×7 support, if you sell that to customers.
Continuous Growth: As you get comfortable, scale up your SD-WAN business, upsell existing clients and consider moving up tiers in the partner program for better discounts.
