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New Year, New Program, New Opportunities
Palo Alto Networks is evolving its NextWave Partner Program in 2026, unifying it with the value exchange framework for clearer, more scalable growth.
The post New Year, New Program, New Opportunities appeared first on Palo Alto Networks Blog.
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New Year, New Program, Ne...
New Year, New Program, New Opportunities
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By Michael Khoury
Feb 04, 2026
8 minutes
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Announcement
Partners
Products and Services
NextWave Partner Program
Our Reimagined Partner Program Is Here
The cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace. AI-driven threats are expanding the attack surface, demanding faster, more precise responses and greater resilience. At the same time, customers want fewer vendors, deeper integrations and trusted advisers who can help them achieve positive, measurable outcomes and reduce unnecessary complexity.
Meeting these challenges and expectations requires a potent combination of world-class technology and world-class partnership. That’s why, in 2026, Palo Alto Networks is evolving our partner program and unifying it with our value exchange framework.
We are excited to share that we have rolled out new program features. The changes we’re introducing are designed to strengthen how we work with our ecosystem across every partner motion – from resale and cosell to delivery, support and managed services. The goal of this evolution is simple: Create clearer, more scalable paths for growth and mutual success.
Why We’re Evolving to Meet the Demands of a Changing Market
The same forces transforming the cybersecurity landscape are also changing what it means to be a successful partner. As customers reduce their reliance on disparate point solutions, choose to consolidate platforms and lean harder on AI-driven automation, they’re turning to partners for much more than technology procurement. They want design guidance, integration expertise and ongoing, outcome-focused support.
Our partners are also clear about what they need from us. They’ve asked Palo Alto Networks for a partner program that is simpler to engage with, more predictable in how it rewards impact, and more closely aligned with how they build and deliver value across resale, services and managed offerings. Our partners also seek less complexity and more room to differentiate through their own investments and innovation.
The evolution of our partner program is our response not only to feedback from our partners but also to extensive market research. It will bring greater structure where our partners seek consistency, greater flexibility in how and where they innovate, as well as greater transparency in how the value they deliver is recognized. These strategic changes will help ensure our mutual customers benefit the most when they work with our vast and diverse ecosystem in today’s platform-first, outcome-driven marketplace.
A Unified Growth Model = Partner Program + Value Exchange
Palo Alto Networks NextWave Partner Program and value exchange framework were designed to work together, not as separate tracks, but as one powerful engine for driving growth. This unified framework makes it easier for partners to engage with us and get the most from the partner program. It rewards impact, expertise and customer success rather than focusing narrowly on transactions.
This evolved model is built on the foundation of three guiding principles:
- Predictability – Consistent expectations and program structures that support long-term planning.
- Repeatability – Enablement and tools that help partners scale practices with confidence.
- Profitability – Incentives, rebates and routes to growth tied directly to customer value.
The new framework can help partners build sustainable businesses while accelerating the adoption of platformized AI-powered security. Let’s take a look at the many benefits our partner ecosystem may experience through this reimagined program.
What Our Partners Can Expect
Our redesigned partner program enables greater alignment between the investments you make and the outcomes you achieve. Across Palo Alto Networks NextWave Partner Program, we’re strengthening how partners can scale, differentiate and grow their business with improvements in three key areas.
1. Access That Accelerates Scale
We’re expanding access to the tools and resources that can help partners reach customers faster and deliver solutions with confidence:
- Broader on-demand learning and persona-based enablement.
- Labs and demos that make it easier to showcase platform value.
- Improved quoting tools and API-driven automation that can ease operational friction.
- Enhanced support resources that improve quality delivery and the customer experience.
These and other capabilities can help reduce complexity and accelerate your ability to propose, design and deploy high-quality, platform-based solutions for customers.
2. Commitment That Reflects Intentional Investment
As the cybersecurity market evolves, so does the definition of partnership. Our newly evolved program introduces clearer expectations and meaningful rewards for partners who invest in specialization and growth. We’re raising the bar on the program’s standards:
- Higher bookings and growth targets.
- Increased specialization depth across key areas.
- New targeted rebates aligned to value creation.
- A strengthened global distribution strategy to support scale.
These enhancements will recognize partners who lean into the platform approach and drive meaningful impact for customers.
3. Profitability That Helps Fuel Long-Term Growth
A top priority for our updated program is helping partners build predictable, repeatable and profitable business practices in 2026 and beyond. Here are some of the measures we’re introducing:
- Default service quoting (Authorized Support Center and Authorized Professional Services) to help strengthen delivery economics.
- Incentive model that drives higher partner profitability on AI-enabled security solutions.
- Programmatic discounts and improved quoting tools to speed sales cycles.
- A new Partner Development Fund (PDF) to help partners build capabilities and pipeline.
Our aim is to create a more consistent, performance-driven model that supports partner strategy today and creates room for expansion tomorrow.
What These Changes Mean for Customers
A more connected and enabled partner ecosystem doesn’t just benefit our partners. It elevates the entire customer experience.
Customers can expect smoother, simplified engagement with trusted cybersecurity advisers who speak the same language and share the same goals. And with greater consistency across sales, delivery and ongoing support, organizations won’t be saddled by complexity that slows transformation and makes it harder to adopt, build and deploy AI boldly yet safely.
Customers can also move forward with greater confidence in expanding their use of our Palo Alto Networks integrated, AI-driven cybersecurity platform, knowing their partners are equipped with the training, tools and know-how to help guide them every step of the way.
Driving Shared Success Through the Value Exchange
The value exchange in cybersecurity reinforces a principle that has long guided the approach of Palo Alto Networks to partnering: Growth follows value creation. It’s the foundation for how we work with our ecosystem, strengthening connections among partners, customers and our platform.
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