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In today’s Age of the Partner, having a strong partner engagement model is not just table stakes; it’s a game-changer. I’m thrilled to share that CRN recognized Cisco with a 5-Star rating in their Partner Program Guide. According to CRN, this designation is reserved for “an elite subset of vendors…who give solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs.” We are proud to earn this honor for the 12th consecutive year. The key to achieving it is that we have worked so closely with YOU, our world-class partners, to design and evolve it.

Built for the Age of the Partner

We recognize most of you aren’t limited to just one business model. One of the hallmarks of the Age of the Partner is that partners are meeting customers’ needs with increasingly diverse and sophisticated solutions, consumption models and delivery methods.

Many of you integrate on-prem and cloud solutions, but you also deliver as-a-service solutions that give customers the consumption experience they have come to expect. You build technology and service capabilities on our platforms to create unique solutions. And you help customers realize the full value of their technology investments throughout the lifecycle.

Our program is structured to give you the flexibility to play multiple roles with customers. It accommodates various business and consumption models and offers value-based incentives to enhance the profitability of your Cisco practice. Most importantly, our program is designed to make sense for your business — the unique blend of roles and capabilities you need to best serve your customers.

Making it better, together

Because our program is built from the customer-in, it will continue to evolve with changing customer requirements and market conditions, as well as technology innovation. We are continuing to work closely with you to make improvements across all four roles — reducing costs for Integrators, increasing the value exchange for Providers, and expanding co-sell opportunities for Developers and Advisors. We’re expanding our specialization portfolio with the recent launch of six solution specializations that map directly to key customer priorities and more closely align to the multi-architecture solutions you’re already delivering. More are on their way, including specializations focused on Cisco’s flagship security solutions. We’re also providing more opportunities for you to earn. Stay tuned for more SaaS offerings across the full customer lifecycle and the launch of Lifecycle Incentives 2.0, coming in May.

In this Age of the Partner, we are fully committed to aligning with you on what customers need and how best to support them. We will innovate and adapt our program to support your success as you explore new roles and methods of working with customers. I’m excited to be on this journey with such an amazing and progressive team of partners.

 

Check out our award winning partner program here!

 


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Authors

Marc Surplus

Vice President, Partner Strategy & Programs

Global Partner Sales