Cisco gives its 360 partner program a makeover fit for the AI era

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Cisco has expanded available incentives in its 360 Partner Program, as well as making Cisco IQ generally available for partners as part of its mission to continue to deliver the support its channel ecosystem needs.

Details of the new offerings and updates were announced at the firm’s Partner Summit in Vancouver, Canada, today, but ITPro attended a pre-brief before the main event.

“Cisco didn’t wake up and realize that partners matter,” exclaimed Tim Coogan, senior vice president, global partner sales, told journalists during the pre-brief call last week.

That being said, Cisco understands that partners need to move “first and fast,” especially in the AI era, where threats have intensified, and traditional models of supporting customers are no longer fit for purpose.

Change is necessary for continued success

The 360 program was unveiled at the beginning of the calendar year and marked a big change; however, Coogan was keen to stress that the previous programs had evolved in response to partner feedback.

“We don’t do anything at Cisco without asking, ‘What about partners?. Are we building it the right way? Are we providing that platform?” Coogan said.

“When we built the [360] program, we didn’t build it and unveil it. We built it with our partners. Thousands of meetings, countless hours spent understanding the program.

“It was big news, and it has required our partners to do things differently. Part of the reason our previous programs, most notably Value Incentive Program (VIP), were around for 23 years. What some people may not know is that there were 46 versions of VIP. We are deeply committed to an iterative process over time.”

Coogan added: “It’s not a set it and forget it mentality. We believe that feedback is a constant source, and we have already made numerous changes. Change is difficult. We ask partners to invest in their capabilities to deliver this incredible portfolio, and we are as deeply committed to modifying it over time based on that same feedback.”

The B2B buying landscape is forever changed

Customers, on average, work with up to seven trusted partners, according to Coogan. What’s more, the B2B buying journey is non-linear with more than 28 touchpoints. This places even more emphasis on partners to help organizations navigate this new normal.

“We recognize that, at the end of the day, growth and profitability are fundamental to our company and to our partners as well. [Offering] Cisco IQ, not as a product, but as a platform, [means] our partners can use it to deliver new services revenue, new capabilities, and a different kind of buying and use experience for our clients. Cisco IQ will become a really, really powerful tool in the bag of our partners.”

Coogan also spoke to the importance of partner experience: “We believe incredibly deeply that our ability to save our partners time is just as important as our ability to help them drive growth and profitability. Finding an easier way to do business with Cisco, improving tools, and leveraging AI becomes fundamental to the experience our partners have with us,” he said.

“Our partners don’t owe us anything, and they don’t work for us; we earn the right to work with them every single day. Partner experience is one of the ways we can invest in their time with us by making that experience as positive and productive as possible.”

Coogan also stressed the importance of constant innovation, being able to react quickly, and scaling but without adversely affecting efficiency.

“It’s our 30th year of Partner Summit. This is not a revelation that partners are important. This is a 30-year journey with our partners, founded on trust, growth, agility, and innovation. We’re so very proud of our heritage and our legacy,” he added.

“Everything for us is founded around our principles of build, buy, and partnering… Ultimately, what we build and what we buy falls short in meeting the expectations of our customers if we don’t have the partner ecosystem to support it. We believe deeply that that partner ecosystem is the enabler for this build, buy, and partner strategy.

“This is a no-ego environment where we learn from each other, provide the platform and the foundation to deliver value in the field. And I think that's really what separates us.”