Cisco announced it has launched the Cisco 360 Partner Program, a new global partner framework that the company says was co-designed with partners over 15 months to better support customers as they modernize for the AI era.
Now live, the program is built for a broad range of partner models, including developers, consultants, managed services providers, resellers, and distributors, and is intended to help partners deliver outcomes in three priority areas: AI-ready data centers, future-proofed workplaces, and digital resilience.
Cisco positioned the launch as an update to how it enables and rewards partners, with an emphasis on creating clearer pathways to profitability while making it easier for customers to find the right expertise across Cisco’s major portfolios. Alongside the program rollout, Cisco introduced a Partner Locator tool designed to help customers search for partners across areas, including Security, Networking, Collaboration, Services, Splunk, and Cloud and AI Infrastructure.
A central element of the redesign is the Cisco Partner Incentive, which Cisco said streamlines prior program components into a more predictable earnings structure. The company also introduced new partner designations to signal partner capabilities and maturity. All participants are recognized as registered Cisco Partners, with additional tiers that include Cisco Portfolio Partners, described as demonstrating proven sales and technical expertise and customer engagement, and Cisco Preferred Partners, positioned as offering advanced technical skills and stronger lifecycle and adoption practices to support end-to-end delivery.
Cisco also highlighted a set of new and enhanced resources intended to help partners build and differentiate their offerings. These include temporary Cisco Partner Incentive bonuses tied to select strategic areas, partner measurement updates through Partner Value Indexes that are expected to expand with tailored indexes for different partner types, a new Distributor Development Fund to strengthen alignment and enablement between Cisco and distributors, and an enhanced Cisco AI Assistant within the Partner Experience Platform that Cisco said is designed to help partners work more efficiently.
Cisco framed the program in the context of customer demand for AI readiness, pointing to its AI Readiness Index and arguing that meeting AI-driven infrastructure and security requirements will increasingly depend on partner-led delivery across the customer lifecycle.
KEY QUOTES
“With our partners, we’ve strengthened what is already a world-class ecosystem to deliver even greater value and help our mutual customers connect, protect, and thrive.”
Tim Coogan, Senior Vice President of Global Partner Sales, Cisco
“The Cisco 360 Partner Program helps us differentiate based on our expertise. We appreciate that we’re measured on the value we bring; that only benefits our mutual customers.”
Nicko Roussos, Senior Vice President, Cisco Strategy & Transformation, TD Synnex
“The Cisco 360 Partner Program was designed with partners to foster collective success, enable differentiation, and help partners scale with confidence. It’s about making our ecosystem’s unique value clear to the market and our customers.”
Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, Senior Vice President, Cisco Partner Program
“Insight is fully aligned with the Cisco Partner 360 Program and its focus on delivering meaningful customer outcomes. This approach reflects how we engage every day — leaning in to solve complex business challenges and accelerate transformation. Together, we are positioned to create even greater impact and measurable value for our shared customers.”
Kevin Brown, Vice President, Partner Management, Insight
“We’ve already actively engaged in the Cisco 360 Partner Program leading up to the launch and are already seeing the benefits of the Cisco Partner Incentive Estimator for planning. This insight plays a critical role in ensuring we deliver the most competitive solutions to our customers.”
Lane Irvine, Director, Strategic Alliances, Long View Systems
“Cisco has invested significant time and effort in the redesign of this program. While there was understandable hesitation at the start, it’s clear that the refinements made along the way have strengthened the overall approach. I especially appreciate that partner feedback was actively listened to and thoughtfully actioned throughout the process.”
Alex Schank, Senior Partner Operations, Pomeroy Technologies, LLC
“Cisco 360 is a bridge to the new partner model: high-touch, high-value, outcome-based, and AI-ready. The partners who embrace the Partner Value Index not as a scorecard but as a business plan will find that 2026 is not a year of consolidation but of unprecedented profitability.”
Anurag Agrawal, Founder and Chief Global Analyst, Techaisle
