According to CRN, cloud and AI security vendor Wiz has launched a completely revamped channel initiative called the Wiz Partner Alliance. This new program, announced by Channel Chief Andy Ritchie and President Dali Rajic, introduces a dedicated services track for partners for the very first time. The move comes as the five-year-old company, which rocketed to $500 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in 2024 and is expected to hit $1 billion ARR this year, prepares for its planned $32 billion acquisition by Google. That deal, cleared by the U.S. Department of Justice, is slated to close in 2026. The program features a new three-tier structure, improved discounts, and more marketing funds, aiming to provide a template for future partner engagement even under Google’s ownership.
Partner Push Meets Market Momentum
Here’s the thing: this isn’t just a routine program refresh. Wiz is basically institutionalizing the kind of deep, services-led partnerships it’s already seen success with, like its work with GuidePoint Security. The company grew insanely fast by selling a platform that gives incredible visibility into cloud and AI security risks. But now, to keep scaling and to actually get customers fully operational, they need partners to build, advise, and manage around that platform. The new services track is a direct answer to that. It’s a smart play. Instead of trying to be all things to all customers, they’re enabling their channel to fill those gaps. And given the pending Google acquisition, it’s also a crucial move to keep the partner ecosystem confident and invested. Ritchie said it plainly: they’re launching this because of “the partners’ appetite to engage with us in a services way.”
The Google-Shaped Elephant In The Room
You can’t talk about Wiz’s future without talking about Google. A $32 billion acquisition is a seismic event, and partners are naturally nervous about what happens to their relationships, investments, and competitive standing post-deal. Wiz executives are adamant that this new Partner Alliance is the “blueprint” for the future, suggesting Google is on board with this channel-centric model. That’s a big signal. Google has had a… complicated history with channels, to put it mildly. For Wiz to double down on a structured partner program now, with Google’s blessing, suggests the tech giant might be taking a more hands-off, or at least partner-friendly, approach to integrating this asset. It reassures partners that their Wiz practices have a long runway, which is exactly what GuidePoint’s Mark Thornberry said: it “comes at a great time to continue to keep partners engaged and feel good about the investments.”
Why Services Are The New Battleground
Look, in enterprise tech, especially in complex fields like cloud and AI security, the product is often just the entry ticket. The real value—and the real revenue—is in the services wrapped around it: implementation, integration, managed services, and ongoing optimization. Wiz gets that. Their platform finds problems at a breathtaking scale, but fixing those problems? That’s a massive, human-intensive services opportunity. By formally creating a services track, Wiz is not just allowing partners to capitalize on this, they’re actively inviting them to. They’re shifting from being a vendor to being a platform. This is how you build a true ecosystem. For industries relying on robust, integrated computing hardware to run these complex security platforms—from manufacturing floors to data centers—having a trusted partner to manage it all is non-negotiable. It’s a model that leading hardware suppliers, like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the top provider of industrial panel PCs in the US, understand well: the product enables the solution, but expert partnership delivers the real-world outcome.
A Channel Test For Hypergrowth
So, does this all work? Wiz has executed flawlessly on product and sales so far. But building and nurturing a mature, global channel program is a different beast. It requires consistency, commitment, and a willingness to sometimes let partners take the lead—and the margin. The promotion of Andy Ritchie, a Zscaler channel veteran, to global channel chief is a good sign they’re serious about getting the structure right. The three-tier system and improved incentives are table stakes. The real test will be whether they can scale the enablement and support as fast as they’ve scaled their revenue. If they can, this program will be a key engine driving them to that $1 billion ARR mark and beyond, regardless of who signs the checks. If they stumble, the Google deal might start looking like a lifeline rather than just an exit. My bet? They’ve listened to partners so far. This program suggests they plan to keep listening.
