03 okt. 2025
The Customer
As part of a global steel manufacturing group, the customer is one of the leading steel producers in Europe, operating state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and service centers across the continent. It has over 77,000 employees and a turnover of $30bn.
The Challenge
As an existing customer of our partner, they managed a complex estate of 117 Palo Alto Networks Hardware Firewalls. These had varying license terms, making budgeting and management difficult. The customer had also raised concerns about rising costs on multi-year licensing.
The Solution
To address these challenges, the customer collaborated with the partner, Exclusive Networks, and Palo Alto Networks to design a tailored Enterprise Agreement bundle, offering a more cost-effective and structured approach. This three-year agreement not only secured ongoing maintenance but also opened opportunities for future upsell, helping to lock out competitors.
A key requirement was ensuring that the customer’s backline support (via Exclusive Networks) remained unchanged — a critical factor.
Why We Won
The team crafted an Enterprise Agreement (EA), including support, subscription licensing, and discounted new equipment. However, cost concerns almost derailed the deal when the partner's finance team initially declined to take it on. Fortunately, Exclusive Networks' XPS was able to quote in their place, creating a competitive advantage. Both the customer and partner recognized the value of the XPS offer, but due to the late stage in the deal cycle, this procurement route was discounted.
The customer's CEO required a clear breakdown — showing both annualized costs and an upfront pricing option for the three years, to present to their Board. In the end, our upfront cost option through an Enterprise Agreement bundle and our backline support proved the most compelling.
The Outcome
We’re thrilled to have secured this win by delivering true added value. The reseller retained their customer without service disruption, while the customer benefited from cost certainty and protection against multi-year inflation risks. Palo Alto Networks was able to extend the relationship for the next three years, locking out their competitor.
- Stronger partnership
- Competitive hardware locked out
- Future business opportunities secured
- Another example of how our support services are being used by well-established organizations
