SonicWall partners drive growth in Asia Pacific

SonicWall CEO Robert VanKirk shares how partnerships are fueling the company’s expansion across the Asia Pacific region.

Cybersecurity is a continually growing challenge worldwide, and businesses in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are stepping up their investments to stay protected. According to predictions from Gartner, there will be a big jump in demand for cloud security solutions, especially cloud-native ones, which are expected to capture a larger share of the market moving forward. At the same time, cybercriminals are leaning further into AI. By 2027, nearly 17% of cyberattacks could use AI for advanced social engineering attacks.

As threats grow in sophistication, cybersecurity companies need to provide more integrated and comprehensive solutions. Organizations want solid protection for their networks, endpoints and other critical systems. In APAC, IDC estimates small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and mid-market companies will make up 46% of total security spending, crossing $6 billion by 2027.

SonicWall has been making waves in APAC, and CEO Robert VanKirk sees the region as a major growth area for the company.

“APAC is a high-growth area for us,” VanKirk shared in an interview with CRN Asia. “This past quarter, we saw great results – from new solution capabilities to increased partner transactions and solid growth in our hardware business. Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are key to our strategy since they’re meeting the specific needs of SMBs, mid-sized companies and enterprises.”

A partner-centric approach

SonicWall’s success is tightly linked to its strong partnerships. While the company still works with Value-Added Resellers (VARs), VanKirk noted that MSSPs and MSPs are increasingly essential for addressing today’s cybersecurity needs.

“We don’t directly deliver managed security services to customers,” VanKirk said. “Instead, we back our MSPs, letting them white-label or co-brand these services. This way, they can expand their offerings while SonicWall provides the tools and support they need.”

SonicWall’s SecureFirst Partner Program showcases the company’s commitment to its partners, with triple-digit growth in new sign-ups last quarter. Feedback from partners also shapes SonicWall’s offerings, especially in Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and newer solutions like Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Security Service Edge (SSE). It’s important to SonicWall for its partners to have a major voice in both what it offers and how.

“Supporting MSPs in the mid-market and SMB space requires a different playbook compared to working with larger SASE providers,” VanKirk noted. “We’re focusing on making our products and services MSP-friendly, so they can easily offer them to their clients.”

Debasish Mukherjee, SonicWall’s Vice President of Regional Sales for APJ (Asia-Pacific and Japan), backed this up.

“Digital transformation is everywhere in APAC, and we serve both enterprises and SMBs,” Mukherjee said. “What sets us apart is our 100% channel-focused sales model. We’re committed to helping partners across multiple industries like government, education, healthcare and retail.”

Mukherjee also mentioned how SonicWall is creating specific use cases for partners. “Our partners want more solutions and support,” he explained. “We’re here to provide integrated solutions and strong backing to meet those demands.”

Innovation and investment in 2025

Looking ahead, SonicWall is increasing its investment in partner programs and developing new capabilities.

“We’re putting more into Market Development Funds (MDF) and improving our partner initiatives,” VanKirk said. “We’re also introducing cloud-native capabilities like Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). We’ve already set up points of presence in Mumbai and Tokyo, with Singapore coming soon. These investments are crucial for scaling deployments.”

The company is also staying on top of data sovereignty regulations to ensure compliance. SonicWall’s focus goes beyond platforms, aiming for open integration to fit into diverse tech ecosystems.

“The best thing about our Sonic Platform is its APIs, which make integration easy,” VanKirk added. “That flexibility is critical for MSPs and their customers.”

Evolving with the market

SonicWall has adjusted its strategy to address changing market trends, especially as growth slows in traditional firewall sales. Recent acquisitions, including Solutions Granted and Banyan Security, highlight the company’s push toward cloud-native and endpoint-focused solutions. These moves strengthen SonicWall’s offerings in areas like SSE and ZTNA.

VanKirk also stressed the importance of supporting various endpoint solutions, such as Cylance, SentinelOne, Windows Defender, and Sophos.

“We meet our partners where they are, even if that means supporting non-SonicWall solutions alongside our own,” he said. “This flexibility shows our commitment to working with partners and adapting to their needs.”

As SonicWall plans for the future, its focus remains on building strong partnerships and tackling emerging threats.

“Our go-to-market strategy is through our partners,” VanKirk concluded. “Cyber threats evolve fast, so we need to stay ahead. Hardware still plays a role, but hybrid cloud services are becoming essential. By giving our partners the resources and tools they need, we’ll continue to thrive in this dynamic market.”