Cisco Services and the Interaction With Channel Partners

Network-related professional services are going through a significant transformation fueled by the complexity and demands of the business and technology environment. This transformation will impact the way in which organizations buy services, but also the overall services market and models. IDC sees a move from simple, reactive services to proactive, end-to-end services that leverage a vendor's intellectual property.

Nick Earle, Cisco's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Services Sales and Channels, said that, in the light of market developments and Cisco's business transformation, the vendor aims to align its services strategy to meet customer demands and enable partners to leverage the vendor's intellectual property. Cisco introduced a couple of initiatives ranging from a change in its business structure ("Next Cisco") and technology focus, to the innovation of its Smart Services strategy, which are reviewed in this IDC Vendor Profile. This document aims to help channel partners and customers to gain an understanding of the Cisco Smart Services strategy.