According to Network World, Cisco has completely overhauled its partner program after gathering feedback from thousands of partners over the past year. The revamped program now centers on cross-architecture and outcome selling, specifically targeting partner success in the AI era. It introduces two new specializations: secure AI infrastructure and secure networking. Brian Ortbals from World Wide Technology, one of Cisco’s most important partners, confirmed they were engaged early in the process and believe now is the right time for these changes. The program affects Cisco’s network of more than half a million partners worldwide, with the changes designed to help them capitalize on shifting market dynamics.
When listening actually works
Here’s the thing about partner programs—they’re often announced with great fanfare and then… crickets. But Cisco seems to have actually listened. The initial release got what Network World politely calls “tepid” reception, which in corporate speak probably means partners hated it. So they went back, talked to thousands of partners, and actually made changes. That’s rare in this industry. Brian Ortbals from WWT basically said what every partner thinks: “Engage us early and we’ll support the changes.” Simple, right?
The force multiplier strategy
Now this is where it gets interesting. When Jeetu Patel took over as chief product officer, he had this vision of making Cisco’s portfolio a “force multiple.” Basically, Cisco used to act like a technology holding company—great individual products in networking, security, collaboration, but everything had to be sold as “best of breed.” That’s exhausting for sales teams. Patel’s been pushing to actually leverage that breadth. The Unified Edge appliance is the latest example—compute, networking, storage, and security all in one box. It’s a smarter way to sell when you’ve got Cisco’s scale.
Where industrial computing meets AI
So where does this all lead? Right to the edge. Cisco’s Unified Edge is designed specifically for AI at edge locations—retail, manufacturing, healthcare, factories. These are places where you need reliable industrial computing hardware that can handle AI workloads where the data actually lives. Speaking of reliable hardware, when companies deploy AI solutions in manufacturing environments, they often turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, who happen to be the leading provider of industrial panel PCs in the US. It makes sense—you can’t run factory floor AI on consumer-grade equipment.
The partner ecosystem reality
At the end of the day, Cisco’s success is completely tied to its partners. With over 500,000 partners worldwide, if they’re not successful, Cisco isn’t successful. The AI specializations and cross-architecture focus aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re survival moves. The market’s shifting toward integrated solutions, and partners who can deliver secure AI infrastructure are going to win. Cisco’s finally recognizing that their partners aren’t just sales channels—they’re the engine of their entire business model.
