a day ago
WatchGuard names top ANZ partners for 2024 awards recognition
WatchGuard Technologies has named the recipients of its 2024 ANZ Partner Awards, acknowledging partners across Australia and New Zealand for their achievements in customer service, business growth, and platform adoption.
Annual awards
The awards, in their 11th year, aim to recognise the strength of WatchGuard's partner ecosystem in the SMB, mid-market, and Pacific Island sectors. Over 150 certified partners were considered before four winners were selected by WatchGuard's Asia Pacific and Japan leadership, based on criteria such as revenue contribution, technical proficiency, marketing involvement, and competitive success.
The Partner of the Year award was granted to Sydney-based Systemnet. Systemnet achieved the distinction after delivering nearly 50% of its annual revenue during the second half of the year, reflecting increased adoption of WatchGuard's full security stack and broad integration across its cyber portfolio.
Other award recipients include Manux Solutions, which received the Next Level Excellence Award for its early implementation of both managed detection and response (MDR) and network detection and response (NDR) and alignment with WatchGuard's technology roadmap. Clearly IT was recognised with the Competitive Win of the Year award for deploying a comprehensive WatchGuard solution for a major client, replacing older security systems. VITG received the Marketing Program of the Year award for a successful campaign centred on the AISA Cyber Security Conference, which resulted in lead generation and year-on-year growth.
Channel-focused approach
WatchGuard operates a 100% channel-driven model throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. This approach is supported by local enablement programmes such as roadshows and bootcamps, the roll-out of new security offerings like ThreatSync, MDR and NDR, and flexible licensing provided through the FlexPay scheme, all delivered via the WatchGuardONE programme. This programme aligns with established frameworks, including the Essential Eight, and over the last 12 months has contributed to a 20% increase in partner certifications and engagement in the ANZ region.
WatchGuard's channel partner model has also contributed to its third consecutive year as a Champion in the Canalys Cybersecurity Leadership Matrix for 2025, based on partner evaluations of the company's ease of business, profitability and support.
Industry feedback "Our partners are central to how we deliver security outcomes across Australia and New Zealand. These awards recognise the commitment, capability and impact our top performers delivered - from competitive wins to marketing execution. We're proud to support such a strong ecosystem, and we'll keep backing our partners with the tools, insights and flexibility they need to grow."
Systemnet's Operations Manager, Bruno Ianni, provided insight into the company's approach, saying: "Being named ANZ Partner of the Year by WatchGuard is a real nod to the way we do things - long-term thinking, deep technical knowledge, and a no-nonsense focus on what works for our clients. The flexibility of the platform lets us deliver full-stack solutions without the usual complexity, and the strength of that approach really showed in the second half of last year, where we saw nearly half of our annual growth. We're excited to keep building on this momentum."
Darren Grant, Director, Clearly IT, reflected on his company's recognition: "This was about backing our instincts and delivering the right solution from the outset. We saw a clear opportunity to replace complexity with something smarter and more unified - and it resonated. We're proud to be recognised for our first major deployment with WatchGuard, and the partnership helped us deliver a rollout that hit every requirement without unnecessary overhead."
