CrowdStrike expands Accelerate partner program to fuel partner growth

CrowdStrike has announced a major expansion to its Accelerate partner program as the cybersecurity vendor looks to empower its partner ecosystem with enhanced incentives, tools, training and resources to maximize profitability and deliver superior customer outcomes.

The global Accelerate program unites the cybersecurity partner ecosystem to deliver the products and services customers need to overcome challenges around consolidating costs, simplifying security and stopping breaches. CrowdStrike’s partner ecosystem is made up of service providers, distributors, resellers, ISVs, MSSPs, MSPs and more. The partner program provides partners with enhanced revenue opportunities, exclusive discounts, rebates, training credits and frictionless, predictable pricing models.

The expansion of the partner program comes also at a time as the industry looks to CrowdStrike’s response to one of the biggest outages the company faced last year. In 2024, a CrowdStrike update caused a massive IT outage, crashing millions of Windows systems. In a recent earnings call, CrowdStrike Co-founder and CEO George Kurtz said they achieved a “comeback story” since the disruptive IT outage caused by the vendor’s faulty update last summer, with partners playing a pivotal role.

Moving from the incident, Kurtz said that even amid the unprecedented difficulties of recent quarters, CrowdStrike has seen its partnerships with MSSPs, global system integrators and other partners become a greater focal point than ever before.

Apart from partners, organizations have also moved towards enhancing their digital capabilities since the outage. In cybersecurity, more organizations are now looking towards a more platformized approach. Given this, CrowdStrike is also consolidating cybersecurity on the CrowdStrike Falcon platform. As partners look to provide customers with this, CrowdStrike is hoping its modern, scalable program will empower partners to maximize value, maintain strong margins and outpace the competition.

According to Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at CrowdStrike, cybersecurity in an AI-accelerated demand environment is a high-stakes, mission-critical need and partners who embrace collaboration and innovation will win.

Falcon Flex, which provides adaptable licensing for the Falcon platform’s full portfolio of best-in-class modules, will be key in enabling partners to deliver greater value to customers by offering flexibility to use what they need when they need it. Also, partners will be intensified to know that CrowdStrike recognizes shared contributions through initiatives like CrowdStrike Volume Incentive Rebates (VIR) and CrowdCard. The initiatives foster collaboration through deal sourcing/origination, referrals, influence and services contribution to create a clear path to success for joint customers.

“We expanded these programs to accelerate our ecosystem’s success, enabling partners to move faster, drive deeper engagement, and maximize customer value with the Falcon platform. Our partners are on the front lines of stopping breaches, and we’re giving them the tools to win in a market that demands relentless innovation and flawless execution,” said Bernard.

The new Accelerate program introduces four purpose-built partner tracks, each designed to drive success through clear incentives, increased automation and exclusive benefits. The tracks include a reseller partner program, an MSP partner program, a distribution program and a technology ecosystem program. Each of these tracks are focused on simplifying engagement and empowering partners in their areas of focus.

The expanded partner program was well received by all partners in CrowdStrike’s ecosystem as well. David Grant, CEO at Westcon-Comstor commented that the new distributor partner program is transformational for Westcon and its partner ecosystem.

“Its innovative pricing structure supports profitability across all channels, with automated discounts and competitive pricing parity between indirect and direct resellers. This strategic approach not only protects our margins but also drives true scalability for both Westcon and CrowdStrike,” said Grant.

Meanwhile, Anthony Torsiello, SVP Worldwide Partners & Alliances at Zscaler mentioned that CrowdStrike’s new influence policy is a strong example of what’s possible when collaboration is prioritized to deliver zero trust everywhere.

“By recognizing partners at every stage, from sourcing to delivery, they’ve redefined traditional ecosystem models, reinforcing an industry-standard emphasis on better customer outcomes. At Zscaler, we’re proud to work alongside partners who share our passion for innovation and delivering seamless, secure experiences for our customers,” said Torsiello.

Noel Allnutt, CEO at Sekuro, an Australian cybersecurity partner, also shared how the partner program has evolved from a reseller model into a dynamic ecosystem that enhances their ability to deliver value across all routes to market.

“This evolution has strengthened our partnership and reinforced our position as a trusted cybersecurity advisor, enabling us to better meet our clients' ever-evolving needs,” said Allnutt.