Cisco Partners Get Transformed, Role-Based, Unified Partner Program
… gold Integrator status in late 2021.
Select and premier are the other tiers in the Cisco Partner Program. The tiers apply across all partner role types.
The Four Roles
- Integrators: Integrators build end-to-end solutions for customers. They work primarily in a resale motion and bring unique expertise and services to solve customer business problems. Business specializations will continue to count toward Integrator certifications. And although Cisco is streamlining requirements, the company is enhancing premier and select tiers.
- Providers: These partners deliver outcomes via managed services and SaaS solutions. They are experts at delivering customer outcomes with Cisco-based solutions. This role is an evolution of the Cloud and Managed Services program and Cisco will continue to support it with a robust end-to-end value exchange. Cisco will add a new gold provider status in the second half of its 2021 fiscal year, which begins Jan. 24.
- Developers: Developers provide complete customer solutions by delivering complementary products, software and services that drive customer-specific outcomes. They will leverage Cisco APIs to drive more automation in the network or build custom applications that work on Cisco platforms to solve unique customer business challenges. Cisco will provide increased support and new incentives for developer practices.
- Advisors: Advisors add value by consulting on customers’ most pressing business challenges and understand how a Cisco offer or solution might solve that challenge. Typically involved during a presales conversation, this role often kick-starts customer life cycle engagement. Going forward, Cisco will formally recognize the value that advisors bring. Cisco will provide new benefits, such as early access to its direction and road maps.
Partner Experience Platform (PXP)
The new PXP helps partners collaborate across a connected ecosystem, co-innovate and co-sell together with Cisco on one digital platform.
“We co-innovated and co-developed PXP with our partners, to deliver a future ready platform,” said Jose van Dijk, vice president, operations and partner performance at Cisco. “Our focus is to reimagine the digital channel and to empower partners with digital agility across the entire partner life cycle.”
Here’s what PXP delivers:
- Simplicity. PXP will bring together 100+ tools, applications and portals to a single digital platform, making it easier for partners to navigate. Think of it as a one-stop shop for everything.
- Productivity. The new platform will deliver efficiencies for partners, such as faster enrollment in programs and better ability to co-sell with Cisco.
- Growth and profitability. PXP will deliver actionable insights for partners to drive new growth opportunities, optimize incentives better and monitor partner performance.
- Future road map for 2021. Expect to see updates throughout the year. They will include benchmarking capabilities, faster onboarding and enrollment, and a digital community for partner collaboration.
The new Cisco Partner Program changes won’t come in like a tsunami; rather, the changes are designed to protect partner investments. Incremental changes will appear over the coming months, giving partners lead time to absorb them.
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