Riverbed struck a deal with SD-WAN rival Versa Networks to sell a combined offering to its customers and bolster its position in an increasingly competitive market.

The deal is described as an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) agreement that will see Riverbed offer the Versa SD-WAN technology alongside its SteelConnect platform. Riverbed describes this as expanding its SD-WAN portfolio into the enterprise space using Versa’s Secure Cloud IP software platform.

This will allow for the delivery of “a full stack of enterprise and carrier-grade routing and advanced network security capabilities” to compliment Riverbed’s “SD-WAN, application acceleration, and digital experience management solutions,” the company explained. It added that the deal also bolsters its ability to “address larger and more complex enterprise SD-WAN deployments.”

Riverbed today claims more than 1,000 customers are using its SteelConnect SD-WAN platform. Despite the Versa deal, it plans to continue to offer that platform while leveraging its new partner for “larger scale enterprise deployments.”

Conversely, Versa CEO Kelly Ahuja noted in a statement that his company will be able to “leverage [Riverbed’s] global reach into large enterprise,” support, and services, “which will drive greater opportunities for Versa and a strong offering for enterprise customers.”

Both vendors have a mid-pack presence in the broader SD-WAN market, at least according to analyst rankings. For instance, IHS Markit earlier this year had Versa No. 9 among SD-WAN vendors it covered in terms of market revenues generated during the fourth quarter of last year. Riverbed was No. 13 on that list.

Market heavyweights VMware, Cisco, Aryaka, and Silver Peak dominate the space, and each does not show much sign of letting up.

Riverbed has made strides as of late. It recently signed a deal with France-based operator Orange to use its Aternity end-user experience monitoring tool as part of the operator’s existing Visibility-as-a-Service (VaaS) offering. And late last year it updated its SD-WAN platform to improve routing for large networks and also integrate SD-WAN, application acceleration, visibility, and security in a single device.

Versa, meanwhile, recently released its Titan cloud-managed SD-WAN branch and security service designed for managed service providers and mid-market enterprises. It also launched its Versa Cloud Services Gateway, which is a series of appliances that provide security and SD-WAN.

CORRECTION: Story corrected to clarify Riverbed's Aternity platform as an end-user experience monitoring tool.