Juniper Networks has a vision of providing the networking technology that makes the Internet of Things not just a possibility, but a transparent fabric in which applications and devices seamlessly communicate. To do that, it needs mobile access technology. That’s where new partner Aruba Networks comes in.

Aruba and Juniper are teaming up to develop and integrate new technology for simplifying and managing mobile device access to wired and wireless networks. The intent is to make Juniper’s High-IQ enterprise networking products more accessible to mobile devices in corporate or consumer environments.

“Juniper is delivering best-of-breed High-IQ networks to customers to remove complexity and increase control of their critical infrastructure. Bringing these capabilities to the Enterprise is core to our strategy and our partnership with Aruba is a key example of open, intelligent solutions. With Aruba we jointly deliver a unique, interoperable wired and wireless solution that will enable customers to realize performance, cost, intelligence and simplified management benefits,” said Juniper CEO Shaygan Kheradpir.

The need for providing mobile device users with better, seamless access is critical as the number and types of mobile devices hit the market. There are already more than 500 million tablets in service and more than 1.5 billion smartphones, and many connect to public and corporate networks. While smartphone and tablet sales are slowing, the increasing use of mobile devices in work and personal context continues to expand. Aruba calls this the transformation caused by #GenMobile – or the mobile generation.

“The question on the table is not if employees will bring their own mobile devices into the workplace, but rather how those devices will be supported. There’s an urgent need for IT departments to efficiently handle #GenMobile’s all-wireless requirements and the resulting influx of mobile device traffic,” said Aruba CEO Dominic Orr.

The Juniper-Aruba partnership is more than technology development; it includes a go-to-market strategy that will benefit the companies’ respective partners. While Juniper and Aruba have few specifics, their intent is to bring these new mobile access products to their respective channels. This means Juniper partners will likely get access to include Aruba technology in their systems deals, and Aruba partners will gain access to networking products to expand their systems implementation.

“Juniper Networks and Aruba focus on their strengths and rise to meet these challenges, we believe our customers will derive greater value from Juniper’s and Aruba’s collaborative open-based networking solutions that simplify management, improve performance and reduce cost,” said David Nahabedian, principle of systems integrator Integration Partners, in a statement.

Market analysts agree that the Juniper and Aruba deal will produce a net benefit for both companies, and provide increased value for their respective channels. Moreover, analysts say this deal strengthens Aruba’s position against Cisco Systems, which it has been beating in competitive deals.

“We believe this is a direct assault on Cisco. Our recent channel checks suggest [Aruba] NAC continues to win over Cisco… Additionally, this allows [Juniper] to provide an integrated solution with Wi-Fi functionality to supplement its switching portfolio,” said Catharine Trebnick, a market analyst with Dougherty & Co.

The partnership comes as Juniper continues to cut spending, including channel marketing and support programs, to meet investor expectations for budget and stock performance.

This article originally appeared on Channelnomics.