Partner Content: “We want to stay on the cutting edge together”: How RUCKUS Networks and their channel partners are making waves in enterprise networking

Enterprise networking is essential for keeping users, applications and systems reliably and efficiently connected. The sector has undergone significant changes during the rise of remote work and the new demands it places on networks. This transformation is predicted to continue, driven by AI adoption, the removal of silos between networking and security, and the adoption of SD-WAN and SASE. In response, organisations across industries will need to rethink their networking strategies.

RUCKUS Networks offers AI-driven networking solutions and is committed to becoming the fastest growing business in enterprise networking.

CRN sat down with Bart Giordano, Senior Vice President & President, Networking, Intelligent, Cellular and Security Solutions, CommScope, to find out more about how RUCKUS Networks is responding to the latest trends in enterprise networking and why channel partners are integral to their business.

CRN: What are some of the key trends in enterprise networking and how has RUCKUS Networks responded to them?

Bart Giordano: “I think networks are becoming increasingly complex. Over the last several years, the nature of how we all use networks has evolved, such as the Covid-era shift to real-time videoconferencing on a massive scale. This shift alone has changed the nature of enterprise networks. There are more devices and more users and we're no longer designing only for coverage, focusing instead on providing the capacity required to support all the users, all the devices and these new applications like real-time voice and video.

“In organisations there is more emphasis and investment on things like cybersecurity and the evolution of AI. There is a tension over network infrastructure versus those things, and we’re trying to solve that tension. We have to automate networks and take advantage of advancements in artificial intelligence and Generative AI in order to make the operation of those networks more efficient for IT organisations. That's what RUCKUS Networks has been squarely focused on the last several years.”

How is RUCKUS using AI?

“I think our journey started like many companies’ have, with thinking about how we could automate the identification and troubleshooting of network anomalies. These are things that IT organisations and our MSP partners spend an awful lot of time remediating. It starts with understanding issues in the network, and then responding to them, and triaging them. There is quite a bit of time, energy and cost associated with that. Solving that problem was our first step in the journey of applying AI and machine learning to networking.

“Today, however, we've evolved beyond these first step and made some fairly dramatic strides by introducing some new capabilities that we call Intent AI. Through these artificial intelligence principles, Intent AI can actually understand the nature of how a network should operate, based on the business outcome the organisation is striving for, and then automate the deployment and configuration of that network to achieve that state that delivers the outcome.”

Moving on to channel partners now, what are some of the benefits of being part of the RUCKUS Networks partner program and how have partners responded to the program?

“Channel is really the only way RUCKUS Networks goes to market. Over the years, we've affectionately referred to ourselves as the partner networking company. Partners are really the life blood of our business. We have a very large channel around the globe, with up to 10,000 unique partners participating in our program in any given annual cycle. So, we really consider the nature of their business, the industries that we want to serve together, and how to help partners differentiate themselves in this very broad channel ecosystem.

“Our partner program is very rich in benefits. In fact, we recently launched a revamped Big Dogs Partner program that offers even richer incentives for partners, both from a rebate perspective, and in terms of being able to reward the sellers for achieving specific milestones in the program.

“I think the most important part of the program is the way the tiers are structured and the specialisations we offer partners to distinguish themselves based on their unique capabilities. RUCKUS Networks is very focused on certain segments of the market that value premium connectivity above all else because they drive a business outcome. So, whether it's hospitality, high-density residential, the education space or manufacturing and logistics, we have partners that have unique capabilities to serve those industries and help the organisations in those verticals meet specific business outcomes based on the nature of their network.”

Why is it important for organisations to regularly review and update their partner programs?

“Just as any business should routinely evaluate its strategy based on changing market conditions, new goals and ambitions, it's important to regularly evaluate your program and your channel. It’s critical to ensure the program is aligned with your overall business strategy, and also the goals of the organisations that are participating in the program. So, as you might imagine, with a broad and global channel, we have partners of all different shapes, sizes and capabilities. Our program’s tiering structure helps partners to grow with us as a business, and to distinguish themselves in the marketplace.

“We used to operate with three tiers, Recently, we added our Lifecycle Elite tier as we have partners that can manage the full networking life cycle of an organisation from design, deployment and implementation all the way through to the ongoing management and maintenance of that network. They support end users on our behalf, and we in turn will support those partners. That is a unique capability different from a traditional reseller or system integrator who doesn't have managed services capabilities. We enjoy partnerships with some very capable MSPs that bring unique value to very specific industries, and we want to be able to recognise those partners for that capability. Similarly, we want to ensure that partners in the top tier of our program can also distinguish themselves based on industry knowledge of the vertical market segments that they serve.”

What is RUCKUS Networks doing to make sure that you're providing partners with continuous training and resources?

“We aim to constantly engage our channel so that they can reflect our strategy, and also remain very technically competent in our solutions. The pace of innovation at RUCKUS Networks is aggressive and our portfolio is dramatically expanding. When you're talking about things like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and network convergence, we have to constantly upskill and reskill our channel partners to help them maintain that competitive edge as we introduce these new technologies. That way, they can take advantage of the key trends in the market and continuously bring value to their customers.

“We offer a variety of training that can be consumed on-demand, and as you complete those trainings and meet the obligations of the program, you qualify for richer benefits. So, there's a very strong incentive for us to maintain that alignment with our partners and we always engage them in a way that we can stay on the cutting edge together.”

What is in store for RUCKUS Networks for the rest of 2025?

“Our goal is simple. We're aiming to be the fastest growing business in enterprise networking this year. In terms of our market focus, we are targeting market segments that value premium connectivity above all else. They are among the fastest growing segments in our industry and we're positioning our partners to take advantage of the growth coming from those verticals with the training enablement and specialisations in our new partner program. We're expecting a big year and it should be a fantastic opportunity for our channel partners to grow along with us.”

Learn more about the RUCKUS Networks partner program.

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This post is sponsored by Ruckus.