Cisco to add 600 more partners

Cisco announced that it would add 600 more partners across the country to
take on the SMB market. Pramod Menon, Senior VP-India and SAARC, Cisco said that
the new partners will be equipped with specialized skill-sets and manageability
for approaching the SMB market in India.

“The new 600 partners will be over and above our existing 1,500 partners
spread across the country. We will be initially targeting 16 cities in the first
phase and 16 other cities in the next phase. The cities we will be concentrating
on tier-2, such as Coimbatore, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar and Baroda,” he said.

Menon said that new SMB partners would be 'select partners' who have a
presence in the metros as well. “We are in talk with few such partners and will
be finalizing plans in the next 12 months,” he further added.

The company will focus on more partner enablement with the roll-out of the
SMB products and solutions. “Our SMB strategy includes focusing on new
customized SMB products/solutions and financing schemes like the recently
launched 'Easy Lease program' for SMBs. To increase awareness of its products
and programs. Cisco will continue to invest heavily in partner enablement and
the 'Network On Wheels' (NOW) campaign among others,” he said.

Pramod Menon, Senior VP-India and SAARC, Cisco

“Cisco is also planning to leverage on Web 2.0 technologies to help the
partners. We are also evaluating the possibility of offering the new partners
their own micro-sites, which will give them a good web presence,” Menon
informed.

“As part of our partner enablement program, we will also equip the channels
with solutions such as sales accelerator, mobility business advisor, IPC RoI
calculator, quote builder, vertical sourcebook and SMB guide book, as part of
our smart business roadmap. Cisco will be launching 30 products tailored for the
SMB market in India during the next 12 months,” he informed.

To start with, Cisco will be targeting at the financial services,
manufacturing, ITeS, apart from the tourism, real estate and construction
verticals within the SMB space.

To take the solutions to the customers doorstep, Cisco will be expanding its
NOW program. “Besides the US and Canada, India is the only market where the NOW
program has been launched,” Menon said.