Cisco Clarifies Partner Road Map for Next Evolution

(Pictured above: Cisco channel chief Oliver Tuszik on the big screen at Partner Summit 2018 in Las Vegas, Nov. 14.)

CISCO PARTNER SUMMIT — Cisco partners are one element of the four making up Cisco’s new go-to-market strategy: sales, partners, marketing and the customer experience.

That was one message during Wednesday’s keynote at Cisco Partner Summit 2018 in Las Vegas. The company’s new global channel chief, Oliver Tuszik explained to partners what that means, offering three key messages: Partners remain Cisco’s primary route to market; Cisco will help partners transform their daily business; and together, Cisco and partners will transform and lead together to secure the future.

Transformation starts at the top, and Wednesday, Cisco clarified its transformation road map. The vendor also clarified what Cisco partners should be doing today to build over the next 12 months to be in lockstep with the company as it transforms its business.

Tuszik talked about what he called “perform and transform.”

“That’s managing the daily business while building new opportunities. We need the profit of the today to invest in a better future,” he said.

“Perform” includes: transaction velocity, or simplifying how partners work with Cisco; effective enablement, or improved training and sales alignment; and world-class products, or helping partners differentiate and meet the customer’s needs.

To simplify how partners work with Cisco, Tuszik talked about simplified enterprise agreements, 48-hour turnaround on EA pricing; and simplified deal registration.

Effective enablement includes partner academy, sales connect and dCloud — a no-downtime, dedicated cloud-based self-service platform for partners.

On the product side, partners heard about SD-WAN and security, Catalyst 9000 expansion, Broadsoft integration, Huddle Spaces, and hybrid cloud.

Turning his attention to “transform,” Tuszik talked about the importance of protecting a partner’s daily business, so he insured partners of continued stability, predictability and continuity for the next 12 months.

“Or, you take the next 12 months and ensure that while you’re running your business you get prepared,” he said.

How to do that? For partners who are already Lifecycle Advisors, double down, get more people trained, utilize Cisco resources for education and training, and come up with new capabilities and differentiation.

“Next year, at the next Partner Summit, you’ll hear how we’re changing programs and incentives, and you’ll be able to start immediately,” said Tuszik. “So, we’re securing your daily business while we jointly build future.”

For partners are early adopters, they’ll be able to make money. Cisco is doubling down with a VIP Activation and VIP Annunity to ensure a profitable transition. There will also be special promotions around DNA Center, according to Tuszik.

Diane Krakora, CEO of consulting firm PartnerPath, thought that the focus on “perform and transform” was insightful.

“At a lot of these conferences, we see a lot about what’s next and we hear about the push for partners to transform their businesses, but partners have to close business today,” she told Channel Futures.