Redefining partner value in the Cloud- Al era

Upfront deal incentives are fading. Lifecycle ownership is rising. Cisco 360 Partner Program shifts rewards to managed services, Al workloads on Cloud and measurable outcomes, pushing MSPs to rethink growth in a subscription-led, Al-driven enterprise world

- BHARTI TREHAN

As managed service providers and Cloud partners navigate a subscription-led, AI-driven enterprise transformation landscape, the rules of partner success are being rewritten. Upfront deal closures no longer define value. Long-term ownership does. In a detailed interaction, Ashok Shivashankar, Managing Director, Partner Organisation, Cisco India & South Asia, outlined how the Cisco 360 Partner Program reflects this shift. The program is positioned as a reset in how partner contribution and long-term value are recognised, especially as enterprises accelerate Cloud and AI integration to modernise infrastructure and operations. The core idea is simple but significant: reward partners for how they build sustainable businesses today, through lifecycle ownership, managed services and outcome-driven engagement rather than transactional sales.

Moving beyond onetime incentives

At the heart of the Cisco 360 Partner Program is a clear shift. Instead of rewarding onetime deal closures, the focus is on sustained customer impact across the enterprise Cloud and AI lifecycle. The framework recognises the expertise that partners bring across the entire customer lifecycle through managed services, Buying Programs, software adoption and renewals. MSPs are positioned not as resellers but as custodians of long-term customer relationships in an era of AI-enabled Cloud services. Growth is rewarded at every stage. The model evaluates partner performance by outcomes, not just revenue volume. These outcomes are assessed through Partner Value Indexes spanning foundational capabilities, performance, engagement and depth of execution. The message is direct: long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty matter more than isolated wins.

Lowering barriers to AI-led managed services