The Cisco 360 Partner Program is designed to empower developers and partners by aligning to successful customer outcomes in the AI era. Within this context, this summer we are introducing both a Partner Value Index purpose-built for developers, as well as a new way for partners to demonstrate the positive impact they have with our mutual customers through Influence Deal Registration. A key new differentiator for partners within this program focused on AI is the Cisco Compatible Solutions for AI differentiator, which offers a new way for partners to distinguish their solutions as fully compatible with Cisco AI technology.
Introducing Cisco Compatible Solutions for AI
As organizations integrate artificial intelligence into their operations, they often encounter a fragmented market, lack of standard compatibility testing, and technical friction. In response, Cisco Compatible Solutions for AI represent a curated ecosystem of third-party AI software solutions that have undergone rigorous compatibility testing on Cisco AI infrastructure. Partners earning this differentiator demonstrate that their offerings not only work seamlessly with Cisco products but also build upon Cisco validated designs with additional interoperability testing. For customers, this means confidence and clarity when selecting AI solutions that integrate smoothly into their environments.
To learn more about this differentiator, please refer to the Cisco blog posted by Jeremy Foster.
Driving Developer Growth with the Cisco 360 Partner Program
Developers, defined as any partner selling their own digital or physical intellectual property alongside Cisco technology, are central to this growth strategy. The program supports developers through three critical value pillars:
- Value Discovery: Understanding customer business needs and desired outcomes.
- Value Definition: Framing the right solutions to meet those specific use cases.
- Value Realization: Driving post-sales success, adoption, and defined outcomes.
A new Influence Deal Registration process will go live in September, designed to streamline how partners register deals and demonstrate their impact on customer value discovery, definition, and realization.
To align to the value that developers bring throughout the customer lifecycle, Cisco is launching the Partner Value Index for developers in August, which will provide developers with insights into their performance across these value areas.
Supporting Partner Success
Beyond differentiation, Cisco offers developers access to valuable resources to fuel growth, some examples including:
- Not-for-Resale (NFR) Product Discounts: Enabling partners to build and test solutions affordably.
- Co-sell Market Development Funds (MDF): A co-funded model supporting build-on-Cisco scenarios, go-to-market activities, proofs of concept (POCs), and proofs of value (POVs) tailored to specific customers.
These benefits, combined with the Cisco Compatible Solutions for AI differentiator, provide a comprehensive framework for developers to innovate, validate, and scale their offerings within the Cisco ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
The Cisco 360 Partner Program continues to evolve with more enhancements planned to recognize and reward the daily value developers bring to customers. By joining this program and achieving the Cisco Compatible Solutions for AI differentiator, partners position themselves for accelerated growth, deeper customer engagement, and a stronger market presence.
Together, Cisco and its developer partners are accelerating AI innovation and delivering trusted, interoperable solutions that drive business transformation.
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