**Editor’s Note: Click here for a list of recent channel-program changes you should know.**

By Edward Gately

Talari Networks wants to jumpstart its presence in the channel with the launch of its new SMART Partner Program, which is designed to help sell the company’s software-defined wide-area network (WAN) service.

SMART Partner is a pay-for-performance program focused on enablement, engagement and financial rewards. It aims to give channel partners that are looking for new business opportunities more incentives and support.

Benefits to channel partners include increased profitability, enhanced business processes and new training curricula, the company said.

Randy Schirman, Talari’s vice president of worldwide sales, tells Channel Partners that SMART Partner supports “a key element of Talari’s growth strategy, which is to build a more channel-centric business.”

“The tiered program allows partner participants to differentiate themselves, and to be recognized and rewarded for the investments they make in growing their Talari business,” he said. “We currently have 70 partners in our program. Our goal is to develop a high- performance channel that delivers results that are mutually beneficial; to that end, we will increase the number of qualified partners in our program.”

SMART Partner does demand more of a time commitment from partners to complete sales and technical training requirements, as well as ongoing engagement in business planning and execution.

“As we continue to invest in the channel and grow our partner portfolio, we fully expect channel sales and revenue to increase as a percentage of our company’s overall revenue,” Schirman said.

Talari’s SMART Partner Program provides a “great opportunity to capitalize on the quickly expanding growth of the SD-WAN market,” said David Cote, president of Versatile Communications. Talari is one of its technology providers.

The software-defined networking market is a potential growth bonanza for partners. IDC recently forecast the worldwide SDN market for enterprises and cloud service providers to rise to $8 billion by 2018. That’s a whopping 89 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR). That prediction includes infrastructure; virtualization software; network and security services; related applications; and SDN-related professional services.