SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Mar 20, 2012) - Today, [ Riverbed Technology ] (NASDAQ: [ RVBD ]), the performance company, announced a new framework for its worldwide Riverbed® Partner Network (RPN) program that is designed to accelerate partnership momentum with new tools, resources and profitability programs. This next phase of the RPN program focuses on creating mutual success for value-added resellers (VARs) by introducing new enablement programs, enhanced profitability programs to reward partners and support their business growth, and enriched training programs to increase partners' competency across the entire Riverbed performance platform. A new specialization framework through Technology Authorization Paths (TAPs) empower partners to focus on building competency and selling the products and solutions that are best suited for their skills, target markets, and expertise.

As a part of this framework, Riverbed is making a significant investment in building partners' competency around the Riverbed performance platform and across the entire Riverbed product portfolio, which spans [ WAN optimization ], [ edge virtual server infrastructure (edge-VSI) ], application-aware [ network performance management ] (NPM), [ application delivery ], web content optimization ([ WCO ]), and [ cloud data protection for backup, archive and disaster recovery ]. To ensure partners are well versed on the Riverbed performance platform, the company is introducing a new partner training program that includes an extensive offering of online training classes and curriculum that are role based -- from basic to advanced sales, and pre-sales. In addition, the new profitability programs are geared to help partners build a strong financial business model when they partner with Riverbed to solve customers' complex IT problems with performance solutions.

"Riverbed in the last few years has evolved from a one-product company to offering the broadest performance solutions portfolio with its new platform," said Philip Santoni, president at Net Direct Systems. "With more data being created and living in more places, we continue to partner with Riverbed to provide performance solutions that accelerate data and applications, regardless of where it lives in order to support the changing landscape of the customer IT environment. Riverbed performance solutions enhance our go-to-market strategies for all related technologies that we integrate with, from servers to storage to networking, and to security."

Accelerating Partnership Momentum with VAR Community
The RPN is built around five key pillars to ensure partner success -- capacity, competency, engagement, marketing, and profitability. It is a comprehensive program designed to provide growth and profitability for each type and size of Riverbed partner, including distributors, global partners, large account resellers, as well as enterprise and small/medium enterprise solution providers. This next phase of the RPN program includes new enhancements for VARs:

• Capacity Planning: New business planning tools enable partners to understand market opportunities and to collaboratively work with Riverbed to maximize market coverage for the full portfolio of solutions. TAP specializations are a core element of this business planning.
• Building Partner Competency: Partners can now enhance their skills in performance solutions with an on-demand, online learning series on all Riverbed solutions for sales and certification. In addition, the [ Riverbed Performance Summit ] tour being held in more than 50 cities worldwide provides additional education and awareness for the full portfolio of Riverbed solutions.
• Engagement: More than 95% of Riverbed business is sold through the channel. Riverbed is increasing channel, regional, and specialized sales teams, along with value-added distribution resources, to work with partners on customer engagements and sales activities.
• Marketing: New resources added to RPN are designed to drive customer demand while building stronger and mutually beneficial partnerships that increase the partners' ability to sell more solutions that directly address a broad range of performance problems experienced by global organizations. Riverbed has made enhancements in key areas to support partners' marketing initiatives, including a new partner portal, solution marketing campaigns and management tools, MDF portal site, and automatic website content syndication service. Additionally, by participating in a TAP, partners are rewarded for the specialized focus with additional tools, resources, training, and recognition.
• Profitability Programs: In addition to the program's current deal registration and growth incentives, Riverbed is working closely with partners to expand their opportunities with TAP specializations and focused target account efforts.

"The new Riverbed Partner Network offers a simple proposition to partners: here is the money you can make by selling more solutions that solve customers' IT performance problems," said Paul Myerson, vice president at Enterprise Strategy Group. "Riverbed connected the dots from a solutions standpoint and assembled a performance platform for accelerating applications. Riverbed has now created a comprehensive partner program that more easily brings its performance platform to market, and provides partners with an opportunity to expand their line card in the IT performance market."

"The Riverbed Partner Network program is designed to provide growth and specialization opportunities for our entire partner ecosystem," said Carolyn Crandall, vice president of worldwide marketing at Riverbed. "Our new program framework will enable greater success for our VAR community through our TAP program, which essentially allows them to excel in areas best suited for their expertise. With this framework and the broad suite of performance solutions we have for partners to offer, this is a great time to partner with Riverbed."

"Our performance platform is a unique differentiator that provides our partners with the opportunity to sell a broad set of solutions that address the ever-changing demands of a global IT infrastructure. Our new program framework is built to provide our partner community with the opportunity for significant, profitable revenue stream from several rapidly expanding markets," said Randy Schirman, senior vice president of worldwide channels at Riverbed.

The [ prior phase ]s of the RPN introduced program designations and resources to enhance the company's ability to meet the global demand for its performance solutions, and introduced value added two-tier distribution in North America and EMEA. For addition information on the Riverbed Partner Network, visit [ http://www.riverbed.com/us/partners/channel_partners/ ].

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the expected demand for Riverbed's products and services, statements regarding performance results of Riverbed solutions that may suggest likely or certain outcomes, statements regarding increased business or profitability, and statements relating to Riverbed's ability to meet the needs of distributed organizations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they do not fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include our ability to react to trends and challenges in our business and the markets in which we operate; our ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products to meet those needs; the adoption rate of our products; our ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with our distribution partners; our ability to compete in our industry; fluctuations in demand, sales cycles and prices for our products and services; shortages or price fluctuations in our supply chain; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; general political, economic and market conditions and events; and other risks and uncertainties described more fully in our documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. More information about these and other risks that may impact Riverbed's business are set forth in our Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 10, 2012. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Any future product, feature or related specification that may be referenced in this release are for information purposes only and are not commitments to deliver any technology or enhancement. Riverbed reserves the right to modify future product plans at any time.

About Riverbed
Riverbed delivers performance for the globally connected enterprise. With Riverbed, enterprises can successfully and intelligently implement strategic initiatives such as virtualization, consolidation, cloud computing, and disaster recovery without fear of compromising performance. By giving enterprises the platform they need to understand, optimize and consolidate their IT, Riverbed helps enterprises to build a fast, fluid and dynamic IT architecture that aligns with the business needs of the organization. Additional information about Riverbed (NASDAQ: [ RVBD ]) is available at [ www.riverbed.com ].

Riverbed and any Riverbed product or service name or logo used herein are trademarks of Riverbed Technology, Inc. All other trademarks used herein belong to their respective owners.