The Moment is Now: Harnessing the Power of the Cisco 360 Partner Program

We've all experienced those moments in life that are both thrilling and daunting-like dropping your child off at nursery school for the first time or sending them off to university. You know everything is about to change. There's pride, excitement, and the sense that you're stepping into something bigger. But there's also fear and anxiety-with questions of "Will everything be okay?"and "Am I ready for this?"Those emotions are natural when stepping into the unknown.

I'll be facing one of those moments myself when my son starts university next week. And it struck me: right now, Cisco and our partners are standing at a similar moment. The Cisco 360 Partner Program is more than a program launch-it's the beginning of a new era of partnership, profitability, and durable growth.

Why Now?

The market has shifted. Customers aren't buying technology for technology's sake-they're buying outcomes that move their businesses forward. That means partners must be recognized not just for what they sell, but for the capabilities they bring, the outcomes they deliver, and the experiences they create.

To not only maintain but increase relevance with our shared customers, we must continue to grow-together. The old ways-check-the-box specializations, disconnected requirements-no longer reflect the impact of today's ecosystem. That's why we transformed. The Cisco 360 Partner Program is a new way of defining partner value in a diverse ecosystem, resulting in an outcome-driven approach aligned to the One Cisco vision and powered by AI.

Profitability at the Core

Growth and evolution are at the center of the new program. The market demands it, our customers expect it, and our ecosystem thrives on it. But the only durable how-the way we ensure this evolution truly lasts-is by centering our approach, as we always have, on partner profitability.

Because none of this matters if you cannot have profitable growth. That's why profitability remains at the center of the new program.

We know you're eager-and sometimes anxious-about how profitability will translate. That's exactly why we've been in the pre-qualification phase since August: to give you early visibility into how your investments show up in the Cisco 360 Partner Program.And it's why we're sharing updates now, five months ahead of launch-so you have clarity and confidence to guide your business and reassure your teams.

Today, with VIP 46, we're in the richest rebate period ever rewarding partners for their investment in customer needs to build AI ready datacenters, a future proof workplace and digital resilience -this final VIP isn't an end-it's a beginning. It's the bridge to the Cisco Partner Incentive, launching alongside the new program in February 2026. The Cisco Partner Incentive simplifies incentives into one framework that rewards partners across Land, Adopt, Expand, and Renew. We're increasing transparency, predictability, and speed-delivering rebates earlier than ever.

No other vendor is making this kind of commitment to partner profitability and durable growth.

The Power of Partner Capabilities

Technical strength has never been more critical-or more visible. This year alone, partners earned 236,000 Security certificates through the Cisco Black Belt Academy-a 107% increase year over year, and a 58% increase across all portfolios. Security has become our fastest-growing architecture, outpacing even networking.

That momentum is being supported by our $80M investment in Cisco U., accelerating how you learn, apply, and scale your expertise. The more capable you become, the more confidence you inspire in customers-and the more you'll boost your Partner Value Index within the new program.

This isn't abstract-it's proof of the ecosystem's power in action. Together, we're raising the bar.

The Power of the Cisco Brand

Brand strength matters. Customers want clarity when choosing the right partner, and they trust the iconic Cisco name. Over 150,000 Cisco partner logos have been downloaded in recent years, underscoring the value partners place on being visibly connected to Cisco.

That's why we're investing more than ever in the Cisco partner brand and logo, with the full support of our partner marketing team.

We also recognize that for many of you, Gold has been more than a designation-it's been integral to how you've done business for years. That pride is real, and we honor it. But the reality is the market has evolved, and Gold alone can no longer capture the full depth of your capabilities, expertise, and value to customers.

You have always been more than a designation. With Cisco Portfolio Partner and Cisco Preferred Portfolio Partner, we can now reflect your true strength-your power, capabilities, and expertise-in a way customers can clearly understand and trust.

We also know this change carries emotion. Gold has a legacy we deeply respect, and we're building on it-not erasing it. The Cisco partner brand remains one of the most powerful differentiators in the industry. And with our evolved designations, we're making that strength even clearer, signaling to customers exactly where you bring deep technical expertise, proven engagement, and strong lifecycle practices.

And, for the first time ever, we've also brought customers along on this journey. Our new customer marketing campaign launched in April and has already delivered 42 million impressions-dramatically outperforming industry benchmarks. It's a bold message to the market: Cisco partners are the best choice for delivering results.

The Power of the Partner Experience

Capabilities and brand recognition only go so far without the right experience behind them. That's where PXP, the Partner Experience Platform, comes in. PXP is the front door for every Cisco partner, providing a connected, automated, real-time view of where you land within the new program.

Since Partner Summit last year, active PXP users have grown 52%, with 29% growth in net-new partners engaging on the platform. It's the place to see your Partner Value Index, track profitability, and align with Cisco's strategy. And as AI becomes the foundation of partner and account team interactions, PXP will only grow in importance.

Leading Together-With Confidence

Transformation is never easy, and bold moves invite questions. We know the industry is watching closely, and we know you are, too. You're asking: "Will I have enough detail to plan my profitability?" "Will I have the resources to make this shift?" "Does my business model align with the new approach?" "Why change at all?"

These are fair questions-and exactly why we remain committed to continued transparency through pre-qualification and regular updates. Our goal is to replace uncertainty with clarity, and to build the confidence you need to guide your teams and your customers.

Just like sending a child off to university, this moment is both thrilling and daunting. There's pride in how far we've come, excitement for what lies ahead, and the knowledge that we're stepping into something bigger. That's exactly where we are with the Cisco 360 Partner Program.

The moment is now. And together, we'll turn this new beginning into durable, profitable growth-for you, for Cisco, and for our customers.

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