In today’s economic climate, a value-conscious shopper may look to wholesalers such as Costco to stock up on household goods. I frequently find myself at Costco versus specialty stores, because I know I can get the same high-quality olive oil at a fraction of the price.
And when you switch out the olive oil for network solutions, the concept remains the same.
Earlier this week, I shared a blog post about Nexus IS’ experience with wholesaler Neutral Tandem’sCisco Hosted Collaboration Solution (HCS) proof-of-concept trial. We got to hear the VAR’s side of the story, but I knew you’d want to know more. So I checked in with Ian Neale, Neutral Tandem’s VP of Product Marketing, and asked him to give me an insider’s look at his company’s wholesale model.
What I really wanted to find out was what our partners could expect when working with them, and, more important, how they can help partners increase their revenue opportunities. Want to know what I learned? Read More »
Would you buy a car from a dealership where none of the salesmen knew how to drive? Or order prime rib at a restaurant where the chef was a strict vegetarian? What about when it comes to your customer’s network? Are you willing to risk installing products that you don’t have firsthand experience with? I’m guessing the answer is “no.”
When making purchases, big or small, customers want to have confidence that the company they partner with has in-depth knowledge and can stand behind the products they sell. Consider Amy Smith, Director of Collaboration at Nexus IS and a Cisco Gold Certified Partner. She’s committed to live by her company’s marketing motto: “Know it, use it, sell it.”
This was the case when Nexus IS decided to add Cisco’s Hosted Collaboration Solution (HCS) — an offering that allows partners to provide a wide range of Cisco collaboration applications to their customers as a subscriber-based service—to its portfolio. Their first step was to go the wholesale route and participate in Neutral Tandem’s proof-of-concept trial. This was an easy decision, since Nexus IS always tests new products on its own network before installing them on a customer’s network. It’s all about fully understanding, embracing, and discovering best practices of a product before offering it for sale.
Think HCS would be a great addition to your list of offerings?
Learn about Nexus IS’ trial experience and why the timing is right for the HCS market. Read More »
This certainly has been a monumental year for Cisco’s Hosted Collaboration Solutions (HCS), as many service providers such as Verizon and Orange Business Services, embraced the cloud and the potential services that can come with it. In the case of their business customers, these service providers now offer them a slew of unified communications tools (such as video conferencing and mobility solutions ) through the cloud to allow their employees to communicate and collaborate wherever they are and on whatever device.
Even our partners are seeing the value that collaboration via the cloud can offer its customers; as one of our channel partners, Neutral Tandem, announced yesterday. As an expert in operating and managing IP networks, Neutral Tandem introduced the first cloud-based collaboration service in the United States specifically developed to be resold by Cisco’s Value-Added Reseller (VAR) community and System Integrators (SIs). The service, based on Cisco’s HCS, will enable VARs/SIs to deliver a full suite of unified communications and collaboration applications.
I guess you can say that cloud collaboration is in full swing as it continues to gain traction steadily in the market. Read More »
A message from Ricardo Moreno--Senior Director, Strategy, Planning, and Programs, WW Channels…
Cisco’s Value Incentive Program (VIP) helps increase partner profits by rewarding you twice a year with a rebate payment for building Cisco-based practices.
The role of the network continues to grow and creates new opportunities for Cisco and our partners. It’s also changing the dynamics of the industry. We’ve heard from so many of you that you really value the VIP program, so we are simplifying and enhancing it to create new growth opportunities, revenue streams, and more profits for you.
January 30 marks the 17th consecutive rollout of the VIP program, or VIP 17 (it runs until July 30, 2011). With this iteration, there are a number of changes that are designed to create new growth opportunities, new revenue streams, and greater profitability for you.
Let’s walk through those changes now…
VIP 17 has three tracks (Borderless Network, Collaboration, and Virtualization). Here is a summary of the changes by track: Read More »
Not only is cloud is becoming mainstream as a business IT solution, but mobile is taking over as the preferred method of computing, and virtualization is proliferating, too.
Want to learn more about these opportunities and find out about what role the network will play in supporting these opportunities--from the comfort of your home or office? Then be sure to register for Cisco Virtual Partner Summit 2011. Virtual Partner Summit will be the spot in which you can learn, share, and engage.
Virtual Partner Summit takes place online on March 1–3, 2011 and costs nothing for Cisco partners to attend. All you have to do is register and join us.
In today’s economic climate, a value-conscious shopper may look to wholesalers such as Costco to stock up on household goods. I frequently find myself at Costco versus specialty stores, because I know I can get the same high-quality olive oil at a fraction of the price.
