Vyatta, the open source networking company, has grown is channel partner network to more than 325 companies — up from about 180 companies in 2008. But are Vyatta’s partners generating sales? Apparently yes. Here are the details.

Vyatta was among the first company’s to complete this year’s Open Source 50 survey, which tracks the world’s most promising open source channel partner programs. (The survey runs through March 31.) According to Vyatta VP of Marketing Tom McCafferty, roughly 25 percent of the company’s revenue came from partners in 2009, up from 15 percent in 2008.

Big dollars? Hmmm… As a privately held company, it’s difficult to pinpoint how much channel revenue Vyatta actually generates. But all indicators point to growth. Vyatta had roughly 40 employees at the close of 2009, up from 30 in 2008.

On the partner front, true believers include LegalCloud, a start-up managed services provider that targets the legal vertical. The company’s infrastructure as a service (IaaS) strategy leverages Vyatta networking gear.

Of course, The VAR Guy needs to keep Vyatta’s momentum in perspective. The company has successfully branded itself as an open source alternative to Cisco Systems. But can Vyatta’s 40 employees really compete with Cisco’s 64,000-person workforce and nearly $5.2 billion in annual Cisco R&D?

Hmmm….