Cisco 360 Companion Program for MSPs and Managed Providers

Technological innovation, supercharged by AI, is reshaping buyer expectations. Companies now demand outcomes—delivered with simplicity and agility—not simply know-how merchandise. This shift has propelled managed providers to the forefront of our {industry}, making it a essential differentiator and a high precedence for our companions. 

At Cisco, we’re dedicated to empowering our companions’ success on this transformation. As Tim Coogan, SVP, World Companion Gross sales  states, it is a keystone of our channel technique and the brand new Cisco 360 Companion Program: 

“Our clients are telling us loud and clear that managed providers are more and more how they undertake transformative know-how. And our companions are telling us that this enterprise mannequin is the place they anticipate the most important progress. That makes managed providers essential to Cisco’s future as effectively. This is the reason we’ve constructed managed providers into the inspiration of the Cisco 360 Companion Program—as a result of we consider in assembly clients the place they’re and empowering companions to ship outcomes that matter most.”

Buyer Demand Meets Companion Precedence

The information is evident: managed providers are the first progress driver for B2B IT channel companions. A February 2025 Canalys survey of over 1,000 international respondents discovered that 49% named managed providers their most essential income alternative, far outpacing {hardware} gross sales at 16% with different initiatives following at precipitously smaller charges. The survey additionally recognized managed providers as the highest contributor to gross margin.¹ 

This concentrate on managed providers makes good sense when you think about the tangible benefits for companions:

• Boosted Profitability: Managed providers create predictable, recurring income streams with increased margins that may be optimized over time, boosting investor confidence and supporting funding issues. 
• Enhanced Buyer Engagement: Managed providers allow a full lifecycle engagement, making certain you might have continuous causes to interact along with your purchasers—from touchdown the preliminary sale and serving to the client onboard and undertake the answer to increasing the chance and renewing—resulting in elevated lifetime values, mindshare, and satisfaction. 
• Strategic Worth: By specializing in enterprise outcomes as an alternative of speeds and feeds, you elevate from being a vendor to an integral strategic advisor. It’s a lot tougher for a competitor to enter an account when the client feels compelled to name you first to debate new priorities. 

Cisco’s 3P Technique: Our Dedication to Your Managed Providers Journey 

I’ve beforehand written about Cisco’s dedication to MSPs by way of our “3P” technique: Platform, Choice, and Efficiency. This multi-faceted strategy continues to seize what’s most important for our shared success because the Cisco portfolio, our companions, and our associate program are always evolving.

• Platform: Begin with Nice Know-how –  Our “One Cisco” portfolio brings collectively the unparalleled power of our industry-leading know-how. From networking and safety to observability and collaboration, our platforms are designed with APIs for seamless integration, centralized administration, and automation. We proceed to put money into MS-specific product managers who perceive the options wanted for operational success at scale, enabling you to ship complete, outcome-based options.
• Choice: The Keystone of Our Technique – We’re dedicated to elevating and simplifying the associate expertise for you as an MSP. This contains offering a wealthy set of instruments and sources, delivered by {industry} consultants, that will help you combine platforms, optimize your follow maturity, and speed up your managed providers enterprise. We wish to cut back the time and price of your evolution, irrespective of the place you might be in your journey.
• Efficiency: Rewarding Your Progress – The Cisco 360 Companion Program is designed to reward companions for progress and for increasing their Cisco capabilities. It’s about recognizing your investments and celebrating your success in delighting clients. We’re aligning you to the Cisco discipline sellers by way of frequent metrics and providing you with managed services-specific, portfolio aligned Cisco Powered Providers.

Companion Managed Providers: Embedded All through the Cisco 360 Companion Program

Single labels not outline a know-how associate. As a result of most companions now function a number of practices, managed providers are deeply embedded within the Cisco 360 Companion Program—not as an add-on, however as a basic measure of success. Your managed providers follow maturity and demonstrated capabilities instantly contribute to your Companion Worth Indices (PVIs), that are central to unlocking your designations and advantages.

Right here’s how managed providers present up within the related metric classes:

• Foundational: We acknowledge your progress in constructing a strong managed providers follow, together with devoted roles and working a Community or Safety Operations Heart (NOC/SOC). Our three-level Managed Providers Apply Maturity framework, aligned with the TSIA LAER buyer engagement mannequin, helps you at each stage of your journey.
• Capabilities:  These metrics replicate your crew’s experience by way of Black Belt enablement and Cisco profession certifications. Companions with a Managed Providers Apply Maturity can earn extra advantages by sharing capabilities from a Heart of Excellence throughout a number of nations by way of a versatile Hub and Spoke mannequin.
• Efficiency: Your managed providers bookings (ACV/TCV) and your use of MS-specific shopping for applications—the Managed Providers Enterprise Settlement (MSEA) and Managed Providers License Settlement (MSLA)—instantly increase your efficiency metrics. Flagging your managed providers bookings additionally helps justify continued funding in MSP-focused options and consultants.
• Engagement: Managed providers naturally embody full lifecycle engagement—from touchdown and adoption to growth and renewal. These motions translate instantly into your Engagement actions and Cisco 360 outcomes.

Reaping the Rewards of Managed Providers Success

Success in managed providers is effectively rewarded within the Cisco 360 Companion Program.

• Differentiation: Attaining Cisco Powered Providers designations helps you stand out. They’re searchable within the enhanced Companion Locator, which helps clients, Cisco sellers, and different companions discover you based mostly on demonstrated strengths.
• Programmatic Discounting: We recognize that MSPs drive architectural desire. Programmatic discounting, aligned to your Apply Maturity and Cisco Powered Service attainment, helps you quote and promote with velocity and profitability, permitting you to populate your service catalog with well-priced provides.
• Cisco Companion Incentives (CPI): Again-end incentives by way of Cisco Companion Incentives (CPI) additionally improve your profitability. CPI rewards you for promoting the most recent Cisco improvements—for instance, Wi-Fi 7 merchandise carry a better incentive than Wi-Fi 6E. Your earnings develop as you put money into your Managed Providers Apply Maturity and capabilities, and attaining the Most well-liked designation unlocks an extra CPI bonus.
• Deal Registration: Protects your pursuits in aggressive conditions, whether or not you might be searching a brand new emblem, teaming with a Cisco gross sales crew, or pursuing a renewal. It helps us handle forecasts and rewards you for constructing this movement into your gross sales course of.

These are just some of the methods we reward your success!

Your success with managed providers is important to our mutual progress. The Cisco 360 Companion Program is designed to create a flywheel impact: as you make investments and ship worth, you might be rewarded, enabling additional progress. After we each make investments, we succeed collectively in a market ripe with demand.

Act Now: Your Path to Success

Maximize the Cisco 360 Companion Program transition alternative by:

• Investing in Cisco Platforms: Construct and improve your managed providers utilizing the industry-leading One Cisco portfolio.
• Attaining Cisco Powered Providers: Differentiate your providers and acquire larger visibility out there.
• Advancing your Supplier Position degree: These investments instantly translate to Cisco 360’s Managed Providers Apply Maturity and defer the necessity for extra validations for 18 months or extra from the launch on January twenty fifth
• Leveraging MS-Particular Shopping for Applications: Optimize your profitability by using software program shopping for applications designed for MSPs.
• Flagging Managed Providers in CCW: Guarantee your contributions are precisely tracked and acknowledged to assist us scale investments that help your wants.
• Using the Companion Expertise Platform (PXP): Monitor your Companion Worth Indices and metrics to see how your efforts translate into program advantages.

Cisco is deeply dedicated to making sure our MSP companions have the platforms, sources, and incentives to develop profitably. By embracing managed providers with Cisco, you’ll be able to unlock new ranges of worthwhile progress and create lasting worth in your clients, all of which you will note mirrored within the Cisco 360 Companion Program

Collectively, we will obtain outstanding success. #GoManaged