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The unveiling of the Cisco 360 Partner Program has left Australian and New Zealand (A/NZ) partners excited about the first significant change to its partner program in 25 years.
Rodney Hamill, Cisco A/NZ channel chief, told ARN at the vendor’s Partner Summit event on 30 October that the revised partner program aims to reward partners who add value through deep tech skills and customer success, rather than just volume.
“The competitive market in Australia and New Zealand is driving this change, as partners are increasingly competing on the same deals,” said Hamill. “The program also focuses on security, with significant investments in security-specific tools and certifications.”
According to Hamill, partners have already contacted him with questions about timing and when they can start using the new designations and where they stand in the value stack.
“Overall, partners here seem pretty excited,” he said. “There’s a general acceptance that it’s a good change that will reward partners who add value.
“Partners specialising in deep tech skills or focusing on customer success are going to benefit. Some partners that only focus on shopping might be at a disadvantage, but that’s good for the value-added partners.”
Hamill also said that it gives other partners an opportunity to step up where the “box partners” – partners that just sell out of the box products – can’t.
“Every vendor faces the challenge of a competitive market, especially in A/NZ,” he said. “There aren’t as many deals as there were in previous years, so more partners are competing for the same deals.
“Some partners just throw things over the fence to see what sticks, but this program will protect partners driving customer outcomes and value and support those investing in their capabilities.”
Hamill noted that there’s a lot of quoting happening as people look for ways to make margins and new opportunities, even in A/NZ.
“Distributors see it as well, with customers driving multiple quotes to lower prices,” he said. “What we’ve launched here will protect the partners delivering value and open more opportunities for them.”
The aim of the changes to the program is to make “partners more profitable” and “successful” and give them the ability to the skills to deliver on the Cisco technology they’re buying and help them drive business outcomes to customers, claimed Hamill.