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Cisco has introduced the Cisco 360 partner programme, a major update to its global partner framework developed over more than a year of work with partners. The company says the new structure is intended to reflect how customer needs are shifting as organisations move deeper into AI adoption, and to give partners clearer ways to demonstrate capability across areas such as AI‑ready data centres, workplace modernisation and digital resilience.
The programme brings together several strands of Cisco’s previous partner initiatives and places greater emphasis on recognising the expertise partners contribute throughout the customer lifecycle. It also introduces a new Partner Locator tool that allows customers to search for partners across Cisco’s core portfolios, including security, networking, collaboration, services, Splunk and cloud and AI infrastructure.
Tim Coogan, Cisco’s Senior Vice President of Global Partner Sales, said the redesign strengthens the company’s long‑standing ecosystem model and supports customers navigating rapid technological change. Partners involved in the co‑design process echoed that view, noting that the new structure places more weight on demonstrated capability and the value delivered to customers.
Cisco’s recent AI Readiness Index suggests that organisations with strong AI foundations are better positioned to compete, and the company argues that partners play a central role in building those foundations. The new programme is intended to reflect that reality by aligning incentives, measurement frameworks and partner development resources with the skills required to support AI‑driven transformation.
At launch, Cisco is introducing updated incentives, expanded measurement indexes and new development funds intended to support different partner types, including developers, advisors, mass‑scale infrastructure specialists and distributors. The company has also updated its AI Assistant within the Partner Experience Platform to streamline partner workflows.
Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, who leads Cisco’s partner programme organisation, said the redesign is meant to make the value of Cisco’s ecosystem clearer to the market and to give partners a structure that supports long‑term growth. Early reactions from partners and analysts suggest the programme’s emphasis on clarity, capability and lifecycle value has been well received. Several partners involved in early testing said the new tools have already helped with planning and customer engagement, while analyst Anurag Agrawal described the programme as a shift toward a more outcome‑focused, AI‑ready partner model.
