(NOTE: This story was originally posted to CRN.com Nov. 14.)

Moving Security Partners Toward Tomorrow

One thing is clear about security: It's changing perhaps faster than any other industry. For partners, that means there's a need for a new business model when it comes to security, said Ron Myers, Palo Alto Networks' senior vice president of worldwide channels. That model moves away from selling point products to offering more sophisticated, integrated and automated solutions that can better fend off escalating threats, he said. Myers said Palo Alto Networks is pivoting its channel model to focus on this type of partner.

"Success as a channel partner is no longer just about being a solution provider, combining hardware, software and services to address a specific security need. Security is about being a next-generation security innovator," Myers wrote in a blog post. Here are five things he believes it takes to be a "next-generation security innovator."