By 2014, the average number of connected devices per knowledge worker is expected to reach 3.3, according to the Cisco IBSG Horizons Study, which was released today. Findings also include the fact that a whopping 95 percent of respondents permit employee-owned devices in some way in the workplace.
Plus, more than three-fourths of IT leaders consider BYOD a gateway to greater business benefits, including increased productivity and greater job satisfaction. So there’s no doubt about it: Work is fast becoming an activity, not a location.
But what does this mean for partners? Opportunity, of course. You’re in the enviable position to leverage Cisco’s new “Your Way” Smart Solutions to provide customers with a holistic approach to BYOD in the workplaces. These solutions are completely scalable, and also address mobility, security, virtualization, and network policy management.
The benefit to your customers, you ask? Cisco IBSG estimates that the annual savings from BYOD range from $300 to $1,300 per employee. Now that can really start to add up!
Want to know what you can begin selling today? Read More »
A phone system that doesn’t work means business lost. After all, if you can’t interact with customers and staff, productivity goes down while frustration goes up.
When Oticon, a company that manufactures and distributes hearing aids in the U.S., first met with Cisco Master Unified Communications Partner Alliant Technologies, their phone system left much to be desired. Some of the challenges included the system’s lack of scripting support and its inability to integrate with other applications.
In this video, we hear from Oticon IT Director Lars Anderson who talks about his experience with Alliant and the process of setting up the company’s entire Unified Communications and Contact Center.
What was it like working with Alliant and how can customers find partners in their area with the specialties they need? Keep reading… Read More »
From time to time we like to spotlight our partners and the services they provide. We met some great partners last month at Partner Summit 2012 and asked them to tell us a little bit about their company and the services they offer to partners and customers.
Watch this video to hear from Firefly, PT Multipolar, Providea, IBM, and Leverage Information Systems.
What else did we find out about our partners? Read More »
Know anyone interested in cloud solutions? Try enterprises, service providers, small businesses, and governments. Maybe a better question is: Who isn’t looking to the cloud to solve their most pressing business challenges?
But can your customers leverage cloud today? The answer is absolutely yes. Cisco CloudVerse delivers on the promise of cloud. With your help, it creates the agility and efficiency your customers long for—all with the opportunity to increase profitability, reduce expenses, and implement innovative new business models.
How you ask? It’s easy. CloudVerse is a powerful set of capabilities that uniquely enable the world of many clouds, bringing together the intelligence of the network, the power of the data center, and the flexibility of cloud applications. This adds up to a compelling and assured cloud experience, with applications and services securely delivered from the world of many clouds—anywhere, at any time, on any device.
Got your attention? Good. Read more to learn about our latest partner resources designed to help you grow your cloud practice. Read More »
Networking. Learning. Fun. Our 16th annual Partner Summit in San Diego, California had it all, creating an energizing and forward-thinking environment for our global partners.
Our executives also had a lot to say in between keynotes and networking sessions with much of the focus on Cisco’s vision for the future and our strategy for getting there. The most important topic of conversation, however, was how much we value partners.
During the event, we captured some of Cisco executives’ top takeaways. Want to hear what’s top of mind for Rob Lloyd, EVP, Worldwide Operations; Keith Goodwin, SVP, Worldwide Partner Organization; and Nick, Earle, SVP, Worldwide Partner Organization? Then watch our video.
Keep reading for a full recap of what executives shared in the video. Read More »
Last week’s Partner Summit brought together thousands of Cisco partners, both onsite and virtually. We hope you had as much fun as we did!
John Chambers, our Chairman and CEO, also had a great experience at the summit and took time out to chat with the Channels blog team about his overall strategy and experience at the event. He shared his observations about the summit’s key takeaways for partners, including Cisco’s emphasis on being a partner-centric company, a clear vision of where the market is headed and a roadmap for execution, and a commitment to continuing to listen to partners.
“We are committed to our partners,” he said. “As a company that does 80 percent of business through our partners, that will not change.”
At Cisco, partners are part of our extended team, part of our company’s DNA, so we’d like to recognize the winners of our Partner Awards that Cisco executives announced during the Partner Summit Global Awards Reception last week. We’d also like to recognize the winners of our Quote Contest. Congratulations to all of our partners!
The momentum continues on the final day of Partner Summit in San Diego, bringing Catalyst discounts, additional Jabber news, advice on going from good to great, and more—so keep reading for all the details and a link to a handy document that contains all the news.
In this afternoon’s General Session, Keith Goodwin, SVP of our Worldwide Partner organization, introduced author and social scientist Jim Collins who gave a fascinating presentation centered on the day’s theme of Leadership.
He addressed the question of why some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and why others do not. He also talked about what differentiates “good” from “great.” His answers were based on nine years of research, including six books, which have sold more than ten million copies worldwide.
“The ‘x’ factor and essence of great leadership is not personality,” said Jim. “The ‘x’ factor is humility, combined with a ferocious will.” He also noted that great leaders—and great companies—pick people better than themselves to be on their teams, are tenacious about confronting brutal facts and realities, ask more questions than make statements, and see themselves as being in service for a cause.
Ambassador Blogger Bonanza: Hear What Partners are Saying
A big thank you to our Partner Summit Partner Ambassador Bloggers for blogging throughout the week. This mighty group of bloggers from BCI, Compugen, Dimension Data, Force3, Logicalis, Presidio Networks, and Varrow shared their viewpoints throughout the event. Here are the most recent posts:
Meanwhile, want to get the details on a brand new incentive for Catalyst series switches? Or find out how you can install Jabber for Everyone for free? Keep reading for details.Read More »
Day Three of Partner Summit kicked off to a bouncing beat: Following a thumping performance by C2C, a group of world champion music DJs, SVP Edison Peres took to the stage to congratulate yesterday’s Olympic trip winners and kick off the day’s theme of Innovation.
He then introduced Padmasree Warrior, CTO and Cisco’s co-leader of Engineering, who opened her presentation with a bold statement: “We are on the verge of the most change this industry has seen in several decades.” She then explained how emerging global economies combined with technology advances are resulting in changing business models, and that the intelligent network is at the heart of innovation.
One such innovation is Cloud Connect, a new software platform the company will soon launch for enhancing cloud deployments, increasing cloud security, and simplifying cloud-based operations. Plus, customers can leverage the software to build applications customized for their own requirements.
But what does all this mean for partners? Why more opportunities, of course. To view Padma’s complete presentation, including a demo of iPad authenticating via Cisco ISE to Cisco Quad, check out the replay on Virtual Partner Summit.
Also check out this video--we spoke with partners today to hear from them what it’s like to be a Cisco partner and what’s standing out for them at this year’s Partner Summit.
And don’t miss today’s other big announcements, including Jabber for Everyone, recaps of several of today’s Business Transformation breakout sessions, how to win an iPad, and more! Read More »
What a way to open an event! Cisco’s 16th Partner Summit began with partners filing into a packed auditorium to the Olympics theme song holding flags from their home countries—with more than 90 countries represented here this week. This year’s theme, “In It to Win It,” was especially apt given the news announced at today’s event.
Senior VP of the Worldwide Partner Organization Keith Goodwin welcomed live and virtual attendees, and then took everyone on a trip down memory lane, sharing recollections of the first time he presented at Cisco Partner Summit on the very same stage six years prior.
In addition to Keith, CEO John Chambers, EVP/COO Gary Moore, SVP Wendy Bahr, VP Andrew Sage, SVP Edison Peres, and SVP Nick Earle all addressed the audience, talking about Cisco’s accomplishments over the past year, and goals and priorities for the year ahead.
There was also plenty of news to share, with announcements about the Cisco Services Partner Program (our biggest Services announcement in 15 years, according to CRN, Enabling Architectures Sales Excellence, the Master Cloud Builder Specialization, the Partner Plus Incentive program, and much more. In addition, Edison shared his vision around the value that partners derive from their relationship with Cisco.
After today’s keynote, we caught up with a few partners to get their thoughts on the value they see in being a Cisco partner.
Our Partner Ambassador Bloggers have also been busy sharing their thoughts about this year’s Partner Summit. Be sure to check out their blogs:
Today there were a number of big announcements, as well as key information shared around Return on Cisco and the value of partnership. Keep reading to find out what was announced today. Read More »
Cisco Partner Summit 2012 began today in San Diego for those attending onsite. There’s a lot of excitement in the air, and we’re thrilled to begin meeting partners, attending sessions, and sharing top news.
We know a few of you are already here, but for those of you arriving later today, or joining us on Virtual Partner Summit, don’t forget to refer to the handy checklist we created to help you navigate the event. You’ll find key information about our Partner Summit Ambassador bloggers who will be providing partner perspectives, our new Roving Reporter who will be providing the inside scoop, how you can win an iPad or snag a t-shirt, and how to stay updated on all the Partner Summit news as it happens.
And speaking of Virtual Partner Summit, have you registered yet? There’s still time to register, so make sure you head over to the Cisco Virtual Partner Summit 2012 page. Once you’ve registered, start building your personalized agenda under the sessions tab so that you don’t miss out on any of the action.
What kind of action you ask? Well, on Tuesday, April 17 at 9 a.m. PST, we’ve got John Chambers, Keith Goodwin, and Edison Peres kicking off the event at the Global General Session. We also have Executive Chats, where you can interact directly with executives; Geo and Theater Sessions; guest speakers; and Business Transformation Breakouts happening throughout the week. I also hear there may be some exciting entertainment, so make sure you tune in.
If you can’t make the event live or virtually, replays will be available on the Cisco Virtual Partner Summit 2012 platform each evening and for 30 days after Partner Summit.
Have we piqued your interest? Join us for a photo tour of the Cisco Partner Summit 2012 venue and check out some of our favorite tweets and moments of the event so far. Read More »
Finally! Partner Summit is just around the corner. The Cisco team is excited to see you in person, beginning on April 16 in sunny San Diego, California.
If you’re not going to be in San Diego, you can still attend virtually. Just tune in via Virtual Partner Summit (VPS), beginning on April 17. All you need to do is register.
So what are the big topics at Partner Summit? Cloud and Collaboration are definitely top of mind. There’ll also be some fantastic breakout sessions. Some of them include “The Virtualized Workspace—New Solutions and Programs” and “Get in the Driver’s Seat with Smart Services.” The smart services session is just one of Partner Summit’s business transformation sessions. Others feature Cisco’s evolving Partner Program portfolio and how to accelerate mid-market success.
You’ll hear keynotes and have the opportunity to participate in live chat with top executives and regional leaders such as John Chambers, Padmasree Warrior, Edison Peres, and Jim Sherriff, to name a few. You can also join your regional theater breakouts covering topics for all the geographies.
Watch the video from our Roving Reporter to get all the details you need.
Keep reading to find out more about our Partner Summit Ambassadors, our new Roving Reporter, how to win an iPad or snag a t-shirt, the must-have checklist to help you navigate the event, and more. Read More »
This is a guest blog post from John Woodall, Vice President of Engineering at Integrated Archive Systems, Cisco Premier and NetApp Star partner. John has more than 21 years of experience in the information technology industry. He joined IAS in 2002 as Sr. Infrastructure Architect and brings an extensive background in enterprise architecture, infrastructure, system design and large-scale, complex systems implementation. Recently, John was promoted to Vice President of Engineering, responsible for pre-sales technical architecture and professional services. Prior to joining IAS, John held architecture and management roles at Symantec, Solectron (now Flextronics), Madge Networks, and Elsevier MDL.
This is not supposed to be a blog per se on the cloud; we don’t need more of THAT! The journey to the cloud, an overused and tired message in my opinion, is now more akin to transporter technology in Star Trek: You choose where to go and you can be there in a moment. In a similar manner, choosing to put the cloud in your data center is something you and your customers can do now, no more journey to figure out.
Just do it. It really is that easy, a choice. The technology is mature. The tools work. The choice is yours…when the time is right for you and your customers. This week, that timing just got better for a whole new set of organizations and customers with the announcement of Cisco and NetApp’s entry-level FlexPods.
The inevitability of the cloud, the relentless juggernaut of change in the data center, has been and is continuing to impact all of us in the industry--customers, suppliers, resellers, providers--none of us escapes the Borg-like assimilation that we face.
The challenge has been: how to do it and how much will it cost? How in the world can a data center be transformed? How can our businesses derive the benefits and mitigate the risk of change? Read More »
Imagine a world where businesses can increase efficiency, reduce costs, and securely share and store data across multiple networks, regardless of location. Until a few years ago, this concept seemed unattainable to most.
Fast-forward to 2012, and just about every company in the industry is working to make the cloud a part of its business model. Organizations are beginning to see the cloud as a long-term industry transition in the same way that client/server computing was a transition from the mainframe era.
Cloud is the next step in the evolution of the Internet. And that evolution is happening now. The cloud is fundamentally changing the way people and businesses consume services.
Early discussions have focused primarily on the different types of clouds leaving businesses wondering what option is best for them. In reality, it can take several types of clouds to solve a variety of business challenges. We’re moving to an interconnected world of many clouds – where users want to experience cloud services anywhere, anytime, on any device – and businesses want IT as a service.
Clouds offer compelling economics – reducing CapEx and OpEx, sharing of cloud assets, and dynamic, on-demand delivery of services. They enable flexible business models that allow services to be launched more rapidly, with greater efficiency and more scalability, regardless of the geography or size of business.
Curious on what “cloud formation” is right for you? Read More »
Love the sun? Love the beach? Then you’ll love Partner Summit.
What? You can’t attend in person?
No worries. In this episode of Partner Update, you’ll learn how to attend without leaving home. Seriously. Just fire up your laptop, stick an umbrella in a cool drink, and voilà you’ll be there—virtually. And you’ll have the opportunity to win even cooler prizes!
We also give you the inside scoop on Partner Summit’s Roving Reporter, how to get up to speed on UCS, Cisco’s game changing BYOD+ solutions, “appifying” the Cius to increase sales, and more.
But before we dig into the details, we have a Special Alert that didn’t make it into this week’s update! All of the interviews we recently filmed at Partner Velocity are now available on our YouTube channel. Find out ways to fascinate customers from expert Sally Hogshead, best-selling author Daniel Pink tells you how to motivate your team, former Kodak CMO Jeffrey Hayzlett tells you how to drive change, and more. Like what you saw? Watch full keynote replays on the Partner Velocity site.
Now, back to our update. Take less than five minutes now and tune in for your Cisco partner news.
Would you rather read the news? We’ve included links, descriptions, and details on each item covered in our newscast. Read More »
In less than three short weeks, Partner Summit 2012 begins and brings with it an entire host of news and program announcements, business transformation and technology sessions, and important updates from executives and geography leaders. Oh, and the prizes! And did I mention it’s all for partners? Even those of you who can’t attend in person.
You heard right. All of the activity from the event in San Diego will come to you live via Virtual Partner Summit (VPS) on April 17-19, and participation is just a click away. All you have to do is register. It’s super easy and takes just a moment. Really.
For your effort, you’ll gain access to a dynamic, virtual community that lets you build your own agenda, join executive live chats, engage with fellow partner attendees, watch replays, and more. Did I mention the prizes?
This year’s event is focused on helping our partners maintain their competitive edge. And in today’s economic climate that’s more important than ever.
Nearly all of the sessions can be streamed live or viewed on demand via the Virtual Partner Summit environment. And the best part is that you don’t have to leave your workplace or home to hear the General Session keynote, which will be packed full of channel strategy and technology updates. Executives featured include:
John Chambers, Chairman and CEO
Keith Goodwin, SVP, Worldwide Partner Organization
Edison Peres, SVP, Worldwide Channels
But that’s just part of the experience. Want to chat live with individual executives, win prizes, and engage with attendees? Read More »
By 2014, the average number of connected devices per knowledge worker is expected to reach 3.3, according to the Cisco IBSG Horizons Study, which was released today. Findings also include the fact that a whopping 95 percent of respondents permit employee-owned devices in some way in the workplace.
