Cisco has hit reset on its partner strategy with the launch of the Cisco 360 Partner Program, a major overhaul shaped through 15 months of co-design with its global ecosystem. The move underscores Cisco’s belief that in a fast-moving AI market, partners are no longer just routes to market—they are the strategy.
The new program spans developers, consultants, managed service providers, resellers, and hybrid models, tightening how Cisco supports partners while making it easier for them to deliver customer outcomes.
The focus is squarely on AI-ready data centers, future-proof workplaces, and digital resilience—three areas where customers are under pressure to move fast and get it right.
Cisco 360 is built around clarity and predictability. A streamlined Cisco Partner Incentive replaces fragmented legacy structures, giving partners a clearer view of earnings across Cisco’s portfolio and tighter alignment with its go-to-market roadmap. For partners navigating rising costs and longer sales cycles, predictability is a powerful currency.
Cisco is also sharpening how customers find expertise. A new Partner Locator tool lets customers search by portfolio—Security, Networking, Collaboration, Services, Splunk, and Cloud and AI Infrastructure—bringing transparency to a crowded ecosystem and helping demand meet capability faster.
Updated partner designations add another layer of differentiation. All participants are recognized as registered Cisco Partners, while Portfolio and Preferred tiers highlight deeper technical skills, stronger lifecycle practices, and the ability to deliver end-to-end solutions. The signal: value creation now outweighs volume.
The move aligns with Cisco’s own AI Readiness Index, which frames AI preparedness as a competitive edge. Cisco 360 reflects that reality, rewarding partners for expertise across the full customer lifecycle.
As AI reshapes enterprise priorities, Cisco is betting that a simpler, sharper, and more accountable partner model will keep it—and its ecosystem—firmly in the game.
