Channel Evolution: Akamai Consolidates Global Partner Program with Localized Tiering and Targeted Incentives

Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cybersecurity and cloud company that powers and protects business online, today announced Akamai Partner Connect, a unified global program that replaces its previous partner structure with a single framework supporting resale, distribution, technical solution enablement, services, and referrals. The program introduces enhanced incentives aligned with strategic offerings, region-specific tiering, and streamlined access to tools and support.

The new framework consolidates multiple go-to-market tracks into one platform that is designed to reduce complexity and streamline partner engagement models that may vary across geographies.

“Partners have told us they want simpler engagement, clearer incentives, and more flexibility at the local level,” said Paul Joseph, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Services at Akamai. “Akamai Partner Connect delivers on that feedback. It addresses the needs of different partner types based on what’s best for their business, aligns rewards with strategic solutions, and gives regional teams more control to support partners where and how they operate.”

Akamai Partner Connect marks the first time Akamai has integrated all partner types into a single global program, while also decentralizing qualification criteria to better reflect market-specific conditions. The move addresses partner feedback around greater simplicity, flexibility, and support.

Key benefits of Akamai Partner Connect include:

• One streamlined program for resellers, distributors, service providers, technology service distributors (TSDs), and referral partners — making it easier to engage, grow, and scale
• Localized tiering that reflects market maturity and rewards partner performance at the regional level
• Incentives aligned with strategic solution areas — rewarding partners for driving customer outcomes and growth
• Robust enablement and support, with integrated training, technical resources, and adoption tools to help partners succeed

The new program gives cloud-focused partners more ways to engage. Existing cloud services partners remain supported through their dedicated agreements, while resellers can continue to benefit from volume-based discounts. It also opens the door for independent software vendors (ISVs) to join the Akamai Partner ecosystem as the company evolves its cloud partner strategy.

What Akamai partners are saying

“Partners are taking on an increasingly diverse range of service delivery tasks, creating better customer experience for Akamai and enhancing our own profitability. It’s exciting to see that Akamai Partner Connect offers an extensive range of content to help partners improve our service delivery, along with more knowledge sharing and support from backend experts.” — River He, Product Director, Wangsu (China)

“What stands out most about Akamai Partner Connect is its flexibility — it mirrors how we actually work in LATAM, often alongside other partners on the same deal. Being recognized and supported in that kind of collaboration gives us the confidence to keep focusing on customer success. On top of that, features like Ask an Expert mean we get answers to complex questions in hours, so our customers see faster resolutions and fewer roadblocks. For Apukay, that combination of flexibility and speed is making a real difference, and we see even more potential as the program grows.” — Agustin Chivilo, Global Operations Director, Apukay (Peru)

“As part of the brand-new Akamai Partner Connect program, the ‘Ask An Expert’ initiative has transformed how we serve customers. Direct access to Akamai experts means faster resolutions, valuable guidance, and a smoother experience for our clients. It bridges the gap between standard support and complex needs. For us, as a strategic Akamai partner, it’s become a key pillar in how we deliver value, grow customer trust, and collaborate more effectively with Akamai.” — David Bismuth, CEO, NESS.Cloud, ITway (Israel)

“Telekom and Akamai share a strong commitment to protecting customers with innovative security solutions like Akamai Guardicore Segmentation. With Akamai Partner Connect, we see a program that not only reflects this shared vision but also provides targeted benefits that support customer adoption and growth.” — Thomas Tschersich, CEO Telekom Security, Telekom (Germany)

“I was positively impressed by Akamai's new partner program, which I believe fully meets the need to address a rapidly and profoundly evolving IT channel. Not only will resellers welcome the simplification, flexibility, and new services provided by the new program, they will also be able to take advantage of a series of economic incentives that make partnering with Akamai even more attractive.” — Michele Bondi, Director of Cybersecurity, ICOS (Italy)

“The new Akamai partner program will provide Infinigate and our partners with a range of benefits, a more predictable financial rewards framework, and a clear path to growth and future success. At Infinigate, we have already seen strong momentum with Akamai — recruiting new partners, building a channel-led pipeline, and generating incremental revenue. The introduction of this program further strengthens the opportunity and reinforces Akamai’s focus on enabling growth through distribution and our partners.” — Justin Griffiths, UK Managing Director, Infinigate UK (UK)

Akamai Partner Connect will launch globally in Q3 2025. To learn more, visit akamai.com/blog/partners/introducing-akamai-partner-connect.