PlanetOne sales partners now can sell cybersecurity services from Darktrace.

Darktrace and PlanetOne on Thursday announced a preferred partnership. Nine-year-old Darktrace was already partnering with MSSP, VAR, distribution, consultancy and technology partners. However, signing with PlanetOne marks a full entrance into the commissions-based agent channel. PlanetOne is the first sourcing firm to bring Cambridge-based Darktrace’s offerings into the U.S. IT and telecom channel, the company said.

Darktrace provides what it calls autonomous cyber AI. The “self-learning” platform both detects and responds to cyberthreats. Darktrace also provides attack path modeling technology and runs a Cyber AI Research Centre.

“Today, Darktrace is one of the most influential and impactful worldwide security leaders innovating around a continuous, self-optimizing AI loop that works to prevent and stop cyber-attacks instantaneously,” PlanetOne president and chief operating officer Chris Werpy said. “The technology is doing exactly what it’s supposed to, and the IT industry and the global marketplace are noticing. We are fired up and honored to be one of Darktrace’s primary go-to-market business partners and see nothing but opportunity and growth for our mutual channel partners.”

Darktrace global head of partnerships Francesca Bowen said PlanetOne stood out among the pack of prospective partners. Bowen said PlanetOne’s Sentient business intelligence platform played a role in attracting Darktrace.

Darktrace’s Francesca Bowen

“Cybersecurity isn’t an area to settle for good enough. We wanted a go-to-market partner who would fast-track our success and allow us to continue disrupting the market with new and better technology, engagement models and resources” Bowen said.

Security and the Channel

Werpy said he expects cybersecurity to grow faster than any other technology bucket in PlanetOne’s portfolio in 2022. Although solutions like unified communications and contact center will drive more total revenue, Werpy said more of those customer deals include security. Cybersecurity is functioning as a “step-zero.”

“When you build a bridge, you don’t just start throwing logs across,” Werpy told Channel Futures. “You build the framework, and then everything else builds on top of that. Security plays an innate role in every project that we’re doing, regardless of the vendor, the stack, the design and the project.”

Werpy said channel partners vary significantly in their cybersecurity knowledge. He said PlanetOne and Darktrace have built a go-to-market training framework to help partners learn how to integrate the new cybersecurity solutions with existing technology projects.

“It’s really understanding that discovery mechanism for what the customers are looking for, and what the agents can bring to help them on a go-to-market motion to identify new leads, but also to cross-sell/upsell their existing base of customers,” Werpy said.

PlanetOne’s Ted Schuman

Darktrace attended PlanetOne’s Partner Appreciation Week and sales kickoff last month. PlanetOne CEO Ted Schuman said Darktrace’s session drew a packed crowd.

“Standing room only with folks comparing notes in the halls after,” Schuman said. “We had to pull our own salespeople out of the room to make space for our partners. It was insane and exceeded everyone’s expectation.”

PlanetOne’s partners include agents, MSPs and VARs.

Darktrace last month announced the completed acquisition of attack surface management provider Cybersprint.