By Suparna Chawla Bhasin
Publication Date: 2026-01-26 15:00:00
Cisco has launched the new Cisco 360 Partner Program after more than a year of working closely with its partner ecosystem. While it looks like a program update, it is not. Cisco is reacting to a real shift in how customers buy and how partners make money in an AI-driven market.AI is pushing partners beyond product resale. Customers now expect partners to deliver outcomes across infrastructure, security, and operations, often at the same time. Cisco 360 is meant to make that shift clearer, easier to navigate, and more predictable from a revenue standpoint, while helping customers find partners with the right skills.
Why Cisco is changing its partner model now
AI projects rarely follow clean handoffs between vendors and integrators. Customers need AI-ready data centers, secure networks, modern collaboration tools, and ongoing support all working together. Traditional partner programs were built for transactions, not this kind of end-to-end delivery.Cisco’s AI Readiness Index reflects…