CEO Chuck Robbins put it best “for 35 years and counting, Cisco has taken on complex challenges and used our technology to help others.” As the leader for our Global Security Channel Sales organization in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia (EMEAR), I have seen first-hand how our partners have guided our customers in these most challenging times.
Being an avid cyclist—which has been a welcome escape for me during the pandemic—I can’t help but think of what’s happening in terms of a bike analogy. When the road throws you curves, you lean in and pedal forward. And it helps to have a partner next to you along the way.
Securing Remote Workers: Road Ahead
As we transition into this next stage of normal, it’s our opportunity to reimagine what is possible—how, when, and where we work.
According to Gartner, most organizations are planning to move at least 5% of their previously on-site workforce to permanently remote positions. This means our customers need our continued help to navigate secure, extended remote work practices.
At Cisco, we are here to help our customer and partners with this transformation. The Secure Remote Worker solution is a simple, effective and integrated security offer that connects and protects people and devices. It delivers the strength and breadth of Cisco’s platform approach leveraging solutions from Cisco Duo, Cisco Umbrella, Cisco AnyConnect VPN and Cisco Advanced Malware Protection for Endpoints.
Partner Success Along the Ride
I wanted to reflect on some of the fantastic partner accomplishments we have seen here in EMEAR. Natilik, a key security partner for us in the region, has helped customers with securing the sudden influx in their remote workforce.
Take for example a global investment firm that Natilik managed to quickly increase their VPN capacity for London, Bermuda, and Vancouver locations. To scale for future needs, they are now looking to migrate away from a traditional VPN remote access to SD-WAN solutions like Umbrella SIG, which would support both branch and user connectivity.
Another great customer example comes from a multinational publishing company. Natilik helped them get set up with expanded AnyConnect licenses and provided timely customer support. Now, they are going to continue using AnyConnect, together with new Firepower 2100 NGFW appliances, to ensure on-going remote access for their users.
SecureX: Making It All Work Together
Clearly this wave of remote work is going to continue. Our customers will continue to adopt more cloud delivered and SaaS based solutions to be able to adapt their security needs to meet these remote work demands.
We need to make sure we are helping them relentlessly simplify, so they get the most out of their security investments. Enter Cisco SecureX.
By now, I’m sure all of our partners have heard about Cisco SecureX. If you missed it, you can watch on-demand versions of our latest SecureX partner enablement sessions.
“The world has gone remote, and our customers are relying on Cisco security more than ever to keep their workforce secure. Now with the new SecureX platform, there’s even more opportunity to add value for customers. We can offer increased visibility and integration across their portfolio, then sell additional security solutions and services on top. We’re excited about what’s ahead with Cisco Secure” – Natilik, EMEAR Security Partner
SecureX is the industry’s broadest and most integrated cloud-native security platform, connecting the breadth of Cisco’s security portfolio with customer infrastructure in one dashboard.
Get Ahead of the Curve
I encourage you to watch the on-demand recording of our Cisco Live keynote session featuring Gee Rittenhouse, where you’ll hear some exciting news about SecureX and other Cisco Security innovations.
We are hosting a virtual Cisco Secure Insights Summit on July 7 (AMER), 8 (EMEAR), and July 14 (APJ) featuring Cisco and industry experts. There’s even a special keynote with Megan Rapinoe, two-time World Cup champion and co-captain of the U.S. women’s national soccer team (or rather football like we call it here in Belgium).
We are all on this journey together. Cisco, along with our partners, will be at the front of the pack to help our customers get effective security for tomorrow’s changing business needs.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years as a cyclist, you can’t spend time looking at the ground (or a crash is in your future). You have to keep looking ahead.
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