Cisco's main announcements
• Channel program. New programs and incentives to help partners build competitive advantages around software development and lifecycle services, including:
◦ DevNet Specialization: proven software capabilities in network automation, DevOps and digital transformation.
◦ Towards Gold Certification: DevNet Career Certifications will count towards obtaining Gold Certification and DevNet Specialization.
◦ Solution Starter: Included in Cisco DNA Enterprise Agreements, this new program allows partners to kick-start lifecycle services with their customers by selling value-added services.
◦ Lifecycle incentives: reward partners who successfully promote the adoption and activation of software in their customers' networks.
◦ Use Accelerator Bonus: incremental bonus for DNA technologies.
• Customer Experience. Lifecycle services represent the greatest opportunity for Cisco partners. Cisco Customer Experience (CX) announcements focus on strengthening end-customer success and partner profitability throughout the lifecycle, including:
◦ Business Critical Services (BCS) 3.0: Packaged services of experience, analytics and visibility that help customers transform, based on AI/ML and with access to Cisco and partner experts.
◦ Solution Support: coordinated services across all technology portfolios that resolve complex problems 44% faster. Collaboration is available now, followed by Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) and Security in Q2 FY18.
• Operate Offers: an updated portfolio of managed services that help partners simplify IT operations and ensure the availability of end-customer networks, based on advanced orchestration and automation capabilities. The three new offerings are Managed Detection and Response, Managed Secure SD-WAN, and Unified Communications Manager Cloud.
• Cisco Meraki. New managed solutions to help end customers adopt the latest networking and security technologies, including:
◦ MS390: Next-generation access switch, based on the intent-based networking technology of the Catalyst family.
◦ Adaptive Policy: allows companies to easily group users, applications, and devices to apply the correct policies.
◦ New integrations with the security portfolio: Meraki Trusted Access (authentication without the need for an MDM solution), Umbrella Integration (to protect against DNS attacks) and improved Security Appliance Firewall rules.
◦ Meraki Mobile Gateway (MG): A wireless WAN cellular gateway that leverages the potential of cellular connectivity while offering simple management and provisioning.
