Juniper Advances Global Partner Program To Drive Business

Like every year, Juniper Networks, Inc. (NYSE:JNPR) has advanced its global partner program — Juniper Partner Advantage 2020 — in a way that helps fuel its business. With this enhancement, the computer network equipment maker intends to support its partners drive growth through additional business and customer expansion while simplifying operations.

Notably, the specialization program provides partners with the tools required to tap on major growth trends in the enterprise through foreseeable revenue sources. Juniper’s new program includes investment in business transformation for regular software-based revenue models, a new managed services program, modernized sales and technical training, and increased rewards for selling AI-driven enterprise solutions.

Juniper has planned to launch several new products over the next few quarters, which are expected to further reinforce its competitive position across service provider, cloud and enterprise market. Offerings include new MX line card that will strengthen its ability to capitalize on carrier 5G initiatives, new 400 gig platform that will improve its ability to capture data centric footprint particularly in the cloud.

Enhancement to its Contrail Enterprise Multicloud platform will help its mid to large enterprise customers’ transition to a multicloud world with increased simplicity and reduced cost. However, in recent times, the company experienced a deceleration in business due to the lingering effects associated with the sales transformation actions it took earlier this year and weakening in the customer spending environment.

Despite short-term challenges within its service provider business due to weaker-than-expected trends, Juniper remains optimistic regarding its long-term growth prospects. It is executing well in a dynamic environment and expects to see improved momentum with its cloud customers. Notably, the company has made significant changes to its go-to-market structure to better align its sales strategies with each of its core customer verticals.

A few days ago, Juniper communicated that its board of directors has approved a $1 billion stock buyback authorization increase. This adds to the existing buyback authorization, which has $900 million remaining for a total of $1.9 billion. The company also plans to enter a $200 million accelerated share repurchase program in the ongoing quarter.

Juniper has long-term earnings growth expectation of 5.9%. The stock has added 3.3% compared with the industry’s growth of 10.2% in the past three months.




Juniper currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the broader industry are Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) , Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) . While Qualcomm and Viasat sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Verizon carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Qualcomm has long-term earnings growth expectation of 12.8%.

Viasat topped earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 252%.

Verizon has long-term earnings growth expectation of 4.2%.

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