Because the announcement of the Cisco 360 Companion Program final November, one thing highly effective has taken form—not behind closed doorways, however out within the open.
We invited our companions into the method early, not simply to offer suggestions, however to assist construct it with us. And you probably did. You challenged us. You formed it. You made it higher.
It hasn’t at all times been neat—and that was intentional. Designing in actual time, collectively, meant embracing the messy moments. Nevertheless it additionally meant creating one thing way more significant.
With seven months of centered co-design behind us, thanks. This system we’ve constructed is stronger due to your enter—and your partnership will proceed to information us ahead.
Your enter formed each main a part of the Cisco 360 Companion Program—from the Companion Worth Index modifications to instruments just like the Cisco Companion Incentive Estimator. You helped us align Black Belt and Cisco U. into unified studying journeys. You pushed for branding that displays actual technical experience—so we modernized our designations. You requested for an easier expertise—so we introduced all the pieces into one place throughout the Companion Expertise Platform. Your enter additionally drove updates like Hub & Spoke parameters, recognizing CCNA certifications, and scaling Black Belt expectations primarily based on the dimensions of your observe.
And simply final Friday, June 27, we launched up to date Worth Index positions throughout all six portfolios—Networking, Safety, Cloud + AI Infrastructure, Collaboration, Companies, and Splunk. These updates mirror the total weight of your suggestions over the previous seven months. From aligning class weights and adjusting metrics, to refining how companion capabilities are assessed, these modifications signify actual progress in making a framework that’s honest, scalable, and aligned to in the present day’s companion panorama.
This degree of ecosystem collaboration is unmatched in our trade. Reasonably than feeling like modifications had been made to you, we’re constructing the way forward for partnership with you.
And the influence is measurable: in response to final week’s Canalys survey, 49% of companions now charge the Cisco 360 Companion Program nearly as good to glorious—up from 42% in Might. In the meantime, the proportion of companions ready for extra implementation particulars dropped from 39% to 24%. That’s significant, regular progress—and rising confidence in our co-design method.
A Clear Give attention to Companion Profitability
Whereas co-design helped form this system’s basis, our focus continues to stay clear: serving to you obtain predictable and worthwhile progress.
Cisco stays dedicated to investing in you—shifting incentives towards areas like expertise innovation rooted in Campus Refresh, AI and safety, software program adoption, renewals, and deeper buyer engagement that helps long-term progress.
To be clear: we’re not taking out extremely profitable incentivesas some headlines could have instructed. As an alternative, we’re shifting the identical constant high-value incentive funding towards the areas that matter most—people who mirror how companions are evolving, the place buyer demand is rising, and the way worth is being delivered throughout the lifecycle.
Wish to study extra? The Cisco Companion Incentive Estimator is now obtainable for partner-facing groups to make use of in conversations with their companions—and it is going to be obtainable to you in August, nonetheless six months forward of this system launch.
After all, your particular earnings will rely in your distinctive enterprise mannequin and the place you select to take a position. However right here’s what we are able to say with confidence: this system is aligned to the traits that outline in the present day’s most profitable companions.
Essentially the most profitable companions are customer-obsessed. They prioritize outcomes and construct long-term relationships. They lead with technical experience, investing in coaching and certification to distinguish themselves in a crowded market. They diversify their providers—providing consulting, managed providers, and lifecycle assist to drive recurring income. They usually go deep with strategic distributors, constructing sturdy, collaborative relationships that assist them scale.
These are the qualities we’ve designed the Cisco 360 Companion Program to acknowledge and reward. From expanded technical enablement and new studying pathways to elevated assist for services-led fashions and buyer success practices, this system displays what’s working in in the present day’s market—and the place the chance is headed.
Companions who align to buyer wants, who’re agile, and who spend money on innovation might be finest positioned to unlock constant, long-term worth with the brand new program.
Early Qualification Begins Quickly—Right here’s What You Must Know
The following step is to prepare for the early Qualification Interval beginning this August. That is your alternative to get a head begin on program success.
Right here’s the way it works:
For every respective portfolio, the very best Companion Worth Index place you obtain by August 2025 via January 2026 will decide your place at launch in February 2026—and lock in your Advantages and Designations.
Based mostly on the Companion Worth Index you attain on this early qualification interval, this may safe your standing via August 2027. We’ve added this extra eligibility extension on prime of the traditional ‘as much as 12 months’ eligibility interval to make sure we assist our companions via their transition into the brand new program construction.
The construction is constructed to encourage progress, whereas defending worth. Successfully, supplying you with time to adapt to dips, whereas celebrating optimistic momentum. And as at all times, we’ll proceed to supply enablement, insights, and instruments that show you how to develop your Cisco enterprise alongside the way in which.
One Ecosystem. Shared Success.
The Cisco 360 Companion Program is greater than a framework—it’s a big transformation in how we develop collectively. We’ve reimagined how we interact with you, how we acknowledge your worth, and the way we show you how to keep aggressive in a market outlined by delivering the outcomes our prospects want: AI-ready knowledge facilities, future-proofed workplaces, and digital resilience.
And we didn’t do it alone.
Thanks for being a part of the method—and for being on the coronary heart of what comes subsequent.
For all the newest bulletins and knowledge, please bookmark the Cisco 360 Companion Program web page
We’d love to listen to what you assume. Ask a Query, Remark Beneath, and Keep Related with #CiscoPartners on social!
Cisco Companions Fb | @CiscoPartners X/Twitter | Cisco Companions LinkedIn
Share:
