In order to better serve the small- to medium-size business (SMB) sector, Cisco announced today that it’s incorporating the Linksys Small-Business Channel Partner Program services and assets into the Cisco Channel Partner Program.
Cisco said the integration includes bringing the Linksys Business Series products into the Cisco SMB portfolio, as well as providing Cisco channel partners with access to a more diverse platform set to allow for more choice and increased revenue potential.
“We have been hoping that Cisco would merge the two channel partner programs into a unified SMB partner program that would span products, services and support,” said Dan Schwab, president of D&H Distributing, a Cisco distribution partner that specializes in the SMB market in the U.S. and Canada. “A single Cisco relationship will definitely mitigate challenges and simplify how we do business with our channel partner community. Quite simply, the whole is more than the sum of the parts for Cisco and Linksys.”
The SMB channel and technology integration represents a broader company focus on the SMB opportunity, with an increased focus on the small-business segment of the SMB market. Earlier this summer, Cisco established a Small Business Council to align the company’s small-business and go-to-market strategies across all functions globally.
“The SMB market continues to present tremendous growth potential for Cisco and our channel partners, and we have been successfully serving the sector with solutions from both Cisco and Linksys,” said Andrew Sage, vice president of small business sales for worldwide channels at Cisco. “We believe that taking a coordinated approach across technology and go-to-market strategies is a natural evolution that brings greater synergies to our customers and channel partners alike.”
Cisco said that the new SMB channel partner program expansion does not affect the Linksys consumer sales efforts.
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