Press Release

TOKYO, JAPAN, February 12, 2025 — IIJ Global Solutions Inc. (Representative Director, President: Yoshinobu Inoue, hereafter referred to as IIJ Global), a 100% subsidiary of Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ), today announced it has received the Palo Alto Networks JAPAC CYBERFORCE Champion Award at Partner Executive Kick-Off held in Vietnam in November 2024. Palo Alto Networks is the global cybersecurity leader.

This award recognizes a partner who demonstrated an unwavering commitment to acquiring advanced skills and deep expertise through Palo Alto Networks CYBERFORCE, technical certification program for partner engineers, and who have put robust effort in implementing Palo Alto Networks products for their customers successfully.

IIJ Global has been dedicated to enhancing its technical proficiency to offer high-quality support and received the "JAPAN CYBERFORCE Partner of the Year" award in 2022. This year, the company has gained wide recognition for its efforts, earning the highest acclaim in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan with the JAPAC CYBERFORCE Champion Award. (**as of end-July, 2024)

The selection process for the award considers several criteria, including the number of certified engineers through the program. This program requires continuous efforts such as obtaining various certifications and demonstrating successful project implementations. As a Palo Alto Network’s top partner, IIJ Global has always been significantly invested. As of July 2024, it has recorded the highest number of advanced certified engineers in the world (*). Additionally, its employee is one of the few holders of the highest certification, Elite worldwide.
*Note: Total number of intermediate certification Commander and the advanced certification Hero

To provide even greater value to its customers, IIJ Global Solutions prioritizes deepening the expertise of its engineers by implementing measures to support acquisition of wide range of certifications.

IIJ Global will continue to support customers' businesses by providing its skills in services and solutions that strongly support enterprise cloud transformation.

Michelle Saw, Vice President of GTM Shared Services and Ecosystems, Asia Pacific and Japan at Palo Alto Networks, said
“Our partners are instrumental in safeguarding organisations across JAPAC. As cyber threats grow more complex and widespread, the commitment of our partners empowers us to extend our reach and help more organisations strengthen their defences. We’re immensely proud to celebrate their achievements and contributions to our mission.

This year’s winners showcase the exceptional diversity within our partner ecosystem, excelling in areas like AI innovation, cybersecurity, platform excellence, and market expansion. Our partners share a commitment to uplifting cybersecurity in the region through forward thinking approaches and high impact strategies. Their success highlights the power of our partnerships and I am deeply grateful to each of them for making our shared achievements possible.”

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