Cisco, EMC, VCE Drive Private Cloud Networking with Accelerator Program

Cisco Systems (CSCO), EMC and VCE are working to drive customers to the cloud with the introduction of the joint Cloud Infrastructure Solutions Accelerator program. The all-inclusive solution was designed to help resellers gain access to the skills, services and materials necessary to differentiate themselves in the integrated infrastructure market and succeed in promoting an integrated cloud infrastructure throughout the channel.

“As you look at the market today, the shift toward integrated infrastructure is certainly undeniable,” said Chris Sullivan, vice president of Channels and Investor Alliances at VCE, in an interview with The VAR Guy. “Customers must change the way they deliver information services in order to support their businesses.”

The Cloud Infrastructure Solutions Accelerator program will help the companies’ respective top cloud infrastructure partners to differentiate themselves and increase their momentum in the market. The program focuses on developing joint field engagement with end users, customer enablement, joint marketing between vendor and VAR and incentives designed to generate more business. Currently, the program is open to all resellers, but partners must meet stringent requirements to qualify as Cloud Infrastructure Solutions Builders.

To qualify as a Cloud Infrastructure Solutions Builder, partners must have VCE Gold or Silver partner standing or be certified as VSPEX-enabled EMC Solution Provider Signature Partners with Cisco Data Center Architecture. All partners also will need to have certifications for two account managers, two system engineers and two field engineers. A joint business and marketing plan with the three companies is mandatory as well.

Cisco, EMC and VCE are offering four distinct benefits and opportunities to eligible partners with the new program. Each Cloud Infrastructure Solutions Builder will collaborate on an individualized business strategy via joint planning sessions with Cisco, EMC and VCE that will yield a business plan aimed at increasing sales of Vblock and VSPEX systems. The coalition has also formed an enriched partner enablement experience with new boot camps designed to prepare the partners’ sales teams to accelerate converged and integrated infrastructure solution selling to IT, application and line-of-business owners.

Eligible partners will have access to exclusive deal registration support with the new program as well, with a new joint Cisco-EMC VSPEX deal desk and the existing VCE sales desk available for questions about the program. Finally, the coalition is offering exclusive incremental and stackable rebates and incentives, with both Cisco and EMC offering a 3 percent discount on VSPEX and an additional 2 percent rebate on Vblock.

While all of the components of the program are important, the solutions enablement portion is the linchpin on which the success of the program hinges, according to Brian Allison, the director of Partner Solutions, Worldwide Channels at Cisco. The training, he said, will only work if everyone in the partner organization—including the CIOs—are actively involved in the process.

“Collectively, EMC, VCE and Cisco are giving them [partners] that training. And that is part of the magic we are doing here,” said Allison. “It doesn’t work if all of the vendors are doing this individually. When we bring it together into one story, it simplifies things considerably, but it also produces a very powerful and business-relevant message.”