Turn AI-era network demand into your next growth opportunity 

Your next network opportunity could already be in your customer base: a firewall reaching renewal, a network struggling with encrypted traffic, or a business unsure how to control AI use. Each is a reason to start a conversation that goes beyond replacing hardware. 

Announced today, November 4, 2026, the latest Sophos network innovations give you more ways to build those conversations around customer needs. With Sophos Firewall at the heart, new XGS Series hardware, Sophos Firewall v23, Xstream Plus and the broader network portfolio create three opportunities to grow your business: refresh, expand and win new customers. 

This launch connects performance with protection. Sophos Fusion brings network context into coordinated detection, prevention and response—giving you a stronger story for refresh, expansion and new-business conversations. 

Turn renewals into refresh opportunities

A firewall renewal is more than a license conversation. It is your chance to ask whether the customer’s network can support what comes next. Four new XGS Series 1U appliances deliver up to 4X higher protected throughput than earlier 1U models, giving you a performance-led reason to revisit aging infrastructure. Connect the refresh to customer priorities: inspecting encrypted traffic, supporting growing workloads and maintaining protection as demand increases. 

Sophos Firewall v23 also gives you an operational benefit to bring into the conversation. Its AI Assistant helps administrators understand configurations and draft rules for review, while the REST API supports greater automation for partners and MSPs. 

Your opportunity: move beyond a like-for-like renewal to a refresh proposal grounded in the customer’s requirements. Start with accounts approaching renewal and ask: “What has changed on your network since your last firewall purchase?” 

Expand existing customer relationships

Your existing firewall customers are a starting point for broader security conversations. Xstream Plus combines Xstream Protection, Sophos Workspace Protection licenses, Enhanced Plus Support and extended reporting retention. That gives you a way to extend the discussion from network protection to protecting people, apps and data beyond the office—matching an upsell to a real customer need, rather than simply proposing a larger bundle. 

The new standalone Sophos NDR offering, generally available from November 10, 2026, creates another expansion route for customers who need deeper network visibility and response. It combines behavioral detection, deep packet inspection and IDS/IPS capabilities, with Active Inline mode able to drop identified malicious packets before they reach their destination. 

Your opportunity: broaden the scope of an existing relationship with a relevant upsell or cross-sell. Ask customers where they need more visibility or protection, then build your recommendation around that gap. 

Win new conversations about the AI-era network

AI adoption gives you a fresh reason to engage prospects—not with another product pitch, but with questions about what is changing in their business. Do they know how AI tools are being used? Where do they need greater visibility and control? Can their network meet growing performance and protection requirements? 

Sophos Firewall v23’s integration with Sophos AI Defense gives you a practical starting point: network-level visibility, reporting and policy enforcement to help customers sanction trusted AI services and block unapproved ones. 

Use those answers to shape a network modernization discussion. With Sophos Firewall at the heart and connected defense across Sophos NDR, Workspace Protection and Sophos Fusion, you can explore the customer’s wider security needs without leading with a list of products. 

Your opportunity: open doors with a relevant business conversation and position your expertise around the customer’s next stage of network modernization. Start with: “What does AI adoption mean for the way you secure your network?” 

Turn the launch into your next customer conversation

You do not need to introduce every innovation in every conversation. Start with the customer need: a renewal, a protection gap or a network preparing for AI adoption. Then connect it to a focused recommendation and a clear next step. 

Everything you need to turn this launch into customer conversations is waiting on the Partner Portal: 

• Get the launch resources on the Partner Portal: messaging, assets, and more in one place
• Watch the Partner Academy session for a full overview of the launch
• Download the Partner Playbook for selling guidance, discovery questions, and expansion opportunities
• Invite your customers to the November 17, 2026 executive launch roundtable
• Go deeper on Sophos Firewall and join the Partner Academy webinar on November 18, 2026. Discover what’s new in v23 and the new XGS hardware, and how to turn the new capabilities into stronger customer conversations. 

For help shaping a refresh or expansion proposal, contact your Sophos channel team.  

Confirm product availability and licensing options for your region and purchasing program before proposing a solution.