Cisco will revamp its Services Partner Program next year as part of global channel chief Oliver Tuszik’s new channel model that will encourage software sales, recurring revenue and an emphasis on customer experience.
Cisco partners were automatically enrolled into the Services Partner Program and focused on helping customers adopt and maintain new technology. It covers standardised discounts, rebates and offer eligibility, and also offers rewards based on performance and pathways to generate recurring revenue.
All Lifecycle Advisor partners will automatically be moved over to Customer Experience Specialisation in its place.
The announcement was made during Cisco’s Partner Summit in Las Vegas this week alongside even more changes to Cisco’s channel structure. The company also plans to transition from services-related incentives to an annuity model based on monthly recurring revenue, growth and renewables.
"We're saying, ‘Hey partners, we're together on a journey and we'll need to lead together and for the next 12 months you can do your business the way you've done in the past and for those 12 months we'll give you support for learning new capabilities,” Tuszik told partners.
The changes to channel programs will roll out progressively over the next 12 months, though the end of the Services Partner Program in particular is scheduled for July 2019.
The other major changes on the way will come to Cisco’s Value Incentive Program. This includes the addition of bonuses for Master Networking, DNA Centre Activation Accelerator and simplified Activation Proof of Purchase requirements for DNA Centre.
The journalist travelled to Cisco Partner Summit as a guest of Cisco.
Updated at 3:54pm to reflect that the Cisco Services Partner Program will not be replaced.
