Key Factors for a Successful 20-Year Partnership: Exclusive Networks and Fortinet Share Their Secret

Get ready to be inspired and informed as we take a deep dive into the 20-year partnership between Exclusive Networks and Fortinet. In this interview, Camille Peninque, the Global Vendor Alliance Director at Exclusive Networks, shares the story of their journey, from distributing Fortinet’s products in France to expanding their partnership to cover multiple countries and regions. Discover the key factors that contributed to the success of this partnership, notable achievements they have reached, and new initiatives in the works. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and insights from an industry leader!

Interviewer: Hello Camille, thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us a little bit about your role at Exclusive Networks and your experience working with Fortinet?

Camille Peninque: Good morning and thank you for having me. As the Global Vendor Alliance Director at Exclusive Networks, I am responsible for managing our relationships with our key vendors, including Fortinet. This special partnership started 20 years ago when Fortinet had very few employees. Exclusive was the sole distributor for many years and helped Fortinet scale with technical expertise and evangelize the market. Olivier Breittmayer, the founder of Exclusive Networks, was convinced by Fortinet’s value proposition and went all in with this partnership. Twenty years later, we still see the company growing and evolving as a global trusted distributor!

Interviewer: We understand that Exclusive Networks is celebrating 20 years of cooperation with Fortinet. Can you tell us a little bit about the history of this partnership and what it has meant for both companies?

Camille Peninque: Yes, we are incredibly proud to celebrate this milestone with Fortinet. Exclusive Networks has been working closely with Fortinet since 2003 when we first started distributing their products in France. Since then, our partnership has grown and expanded to cover many different countries and regions around the world. We have always been impressed by Fortinet’s commitment to innovation and their focus on providing the best possible cybersecurity solutions for their customers. Fortinet has consistently proven its loyalty with their channel model. They have always maintained a distribution model and bios trust with their channel partners as well. It’s worth highlighting that this integrity is remarkable.

Interviewer: Speaking of solutions, can you tell us more about Fortinet’s recent launch of FortiSASE and how it is helping businesses stay secure in the current remote work environment?

Camille Peninque: FortiSASE is a cloud-native solution that combines SD-WAN, security, and networking into a single offering. It provides organizations with the ability to securely connect and protect their remote workers and branch offices while also simplifying their network infrastructure. With the increase in remote work due to the pandemic, FortiSASE has become an essential tool for businesses looking to maintain a high level of security and connectivity. This approach is natural for Fortinet, which has built all their technology with a Fabric approach. It’s all about connections and integrations between solutions and environments in the easiest way.

Interviewer: That sounds like a great solution for businesses. What other trends are you seeing in the cybersecurity industry?

Camille Peninque: One trend we are seeing is the move towards secure cloud solutions. As more businesses move their operations to the cloud, they are looking for ways to secure their data and applications. Fortinet has been at the forefront of this trend with their cloud security solutions, which provide businesses with the ability to secure their cloud environments and protect against advanced threats. Of course, managed services are taking more importance every day! Finally, we see a growing trend around Operational Technology (OT).

Interviewer: Let’s talk about your partnership. What do you believe are the key factors that have contributed to the success of this partnership over the past 20 years?

Camille Peninque: I think there are several critical factors that have contributed to our success. First and foremost, Exclusive Networks and Fortinet share a common vision and approach to cybersecurity. We are both committed to providing the highest levels of cybersecurity to our resellers and customers, and we work closely together to ensure that we are meeting their evolving needs. Additionally, we have always placed a high value on open and honest communication, which has helped us build trust and maintain a strong working relationship over the years.

Interviewer: Can you share with us any notable achievements or milestones that have been reached through this partnership?

Camille Peninque: Yes, there have been many successes that we have celebrated over the years, making it difficult to choose just a few. One of the most significant milestones was when Fortinet launched their FortiGate platform, which has become a cornerstone of their security offerings. We have also worked together to expand Fortinet’s presence in various regions and verticals, including healthcare, education, financial services, SMB segments, and MSSPs. We celebrate customer satisfaction, trainings delivered, the launch of new products, complex multi-country deployment, and co-branded Exclusive-Fortinet offices like in the Middle East. In terms of revenue, reaching 1 billion Euros, then 1.5 billion Euros, and now targeting 2 billion Euros are significant milestones that remind us of how fortunate we are to grow this partnership globally.

Interviewer: Looking ahead, what do you see as the future of this partnership? Are there any new initiatives or collaborations in the works?

Camille Peninque: We envision a bright future for our partnership with Fortinet, and we are continuously exploring new ways to work together and provide value to our partners. One of our primary areas of focus is to expand Fortinet’s footprint in the SMB segment, as well as with MSSPs, OT, and Cloud Security. We believe that our partnership can help address the unique security needs of these customers and unlock new opportunities for growth.

Interviewer: It sounds like there are many exciting things happening. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today, Camille. Congratulations on this incredible achievement, and we wish you continued success in the future.

Camille Peninque: Thank you very much. It was a pleasure speaking with you.