SD-WAN Reseller Market Guide: Buyers & Resellers

Your market guide to getting started reselling or finding a reseller.

Whether you're an enterprise evaluating SD-WAN providers to move your network infrastructure away from outdated technologies or an IT reseller/managed service provider (MSP) exploring how you can add SD-WAN to your service portfolio, you'll find actionable insights in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.

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.

Service Providers (Leading managed service providers offering SD-WAN solutions)

BT

AT&T

Aryaka

Technology Vendors (Leading SD-WAN technology providers and platform vendors)

Cato Networks

Open Systems

Cisco

Arista VeloCloud

Fortinet

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.

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, with vendors offering differing levels of technical support, training and marketing resources. New SD-WAN solutions are typically cloud-based and come pre-packaged with security features, enhancing both performance and security.

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.

<div data-filename="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock" data-linenumber="191" data-visual-selector-id="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock191" data-source-location="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock:191:9" data-dynamic-content="true" id="section-14-faqs"><div data-filename="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock" data-linenumber="45" data-visual-selector-id="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock45" data-source-location="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock:45:4" data-dynamic-content="true" class="prose prose-invert max-w-none"><style data-filename="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock" data-linenumber="46" data-visual-selector-id="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock46" data-source-location="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock:46:6" data-dynamic-content="false"> .prose h1 { font-size: 2.25rem !important; line-height: 2.5rem !important; font-weight: 700 !important; color: white !important; margin-top: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 1.5rem !important; } .prose h2 { font-size: 1.875rem !important; 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margin-bottom: 1.25em !important; margin-top: 0 !important; } .prose ul, .prose ol { margin-top: 1.25em !important; margin-bottom: 1.25em !important; padding-left: 1.5em !important; } .prose ul li { list-style-type: disc !important; margin-bottom: 0.25em !important; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8) !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; } .prose ol li { list-style-type: decimal !important; margin-bottom: 0.25em !important; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8) !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; } .prose ul ul, .prose ol ol, .prose ul ol, .prose ol ul { margin-top: 0.5em !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em !important; } .prose a { color: #60a5fa !important; text-decoration: underline !important; text-underline-offset: 2px !important; } .prose a:hover { color: #3b82f6 !important; } .prose strong { color: white !important; font-weight: 700 !important; } .prose em { color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9) !important; font-style: italic !important; } </style><div data-filename="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock" data-linenumber="139" data-visual-selector-id="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock139" data-source-location="components/content-blocks/RawHtmlBlock:139:6" data-dynamic-content="false"><section id="faqs" class="bg-white/5 backdrop-blur-sm"><div class="container mx-auto px-6 py-16"><div class="max-w-4xl mx-auto"><h2 style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-3xl font-bold mb-12 bg-gradient-to-r from-blue-400 to-emerald-400 bg-clip-text text-transparent text-center">Frequently Asked Questions</h2><div class="space-y-6"><div class="bg-black/20 rounded-xl p-6 border border-white/10"><h3 style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-xl font-semibold mb-4 text-blue-400">What is an SD-WAN Reseller?</h3><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-white/80 mb-4">There are two main types of SD-WAN Resellers: Providers and Channel Partners.</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-white/70 text-sm mb-2"><strong>Providers</strong> 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. </p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-white/70 text-sm"><strong>Channel Partners</strong> directly resell an SD-WAN vendor's product, such as IT companies or integrators that have joined a vendor's reseller programme. </p></div><div class="bg-black/20 rounded-xl p-6 border border-white/10"><h3 style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-xl font-semibold mb-4 text-emerald-400">Why would an end-user go via a reseller?</h3><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-white/80 mb-4">For many end users, the overarching question is - Why not go direct?</p><div class="text-white/70 text-sm space-y-2"><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;">• Some providers don't sell directly, requiring the use of a reseller</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;">• Resellers often offer their own engineering and support services</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;">• Value-added bundles create 'end-to-end' solutions</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;">• Single point of contact for SLA accountability and support</p></div></div><div class="bg-black/20 rounded-xl p-6 border border-white/10"><h3 style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-xl font-semibold mb-4 text-violet-400">How to choose a provider to partner with?</h3><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-white/80 mb-4">When selecting a provider partnership, align your choice with your pre-existing or target customer market:</p><div class="text-white/70 text-sm space-y-2"><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;">• <strong>Enterprise-focused:</strong> BT, AT&T, Verizon serve large global enterprises</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;">• <strong>Regional leaders:</strong> Virgin Media O2, Colt cater to UK/European businesses</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;">• <strong>Specialised MSPs:</strong> Cato Networks, Aryaka target cloud-centric mid-market</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;">• Consider vendor capabilities, revenue structures, and support strength</p></div></div><div class="bg-black/20 rounded-xl p-6 border border-white/10"><h3 style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-xl font-semibold mb-4 text-blue-400">What are the typical reseller models?</h3><div class="text-white/80 space-y-3"><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>Authorised Resellers/VARs:</strong> Partner with SD-WAN vendors to resell solutions and sometimes offer installation and support services.</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>Managed Service Providers:</strong> Offer SD-WAN as a managed service under their own brand, handling level 1/2 support and customer-facing activities.</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>Telecom/Carrier Wholesale:</strong> Integrate SD-WAN solutions into connectivity offerings, leveraging pre-existing infrastructure.</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>Referral Agents:</strong> Bring leads to vendors for commission while the vendor delivers the service directly.</p></div></div><div class="bg-black/20 rounded-xl p-6 border border-white/10"><h3 style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;" class="text-xl font-semibold mb-4 text-emerald-400">How to join a reseller programme?</h3><div class="text-white/80 space-y-2"><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>1. Assess Your Market & Readiness:</strong> Identify customer needs and in-house networking skills</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>2. Research Vendor Programmes:</strong> Use vendor guides to shortlist appropriate partners</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>3. Compare Programmes:</strong> Evaluate training, margins, and support offerings</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>4. Partner Sign-up:</strong> Enroll and sign partner agreements</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>5. Training & Certification:</strong> Get technical team certified on the platform</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>6. Go-to-Market:</strong> Create service offerings and start marketing</p><p style="margin: 0 0 1rem 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;"><strong>7. Pilot Deployment:</strong> Start with a friendly client or your own offices</p></div></div></div></div></div></section></div></div></div>

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