Cisco to help VARs get back to basics

Wightman: most partners have a clear value proposition around a particular area

Cisco aims to let its partner base set the agenda in the coming year as it strives to help resellers achieve success around strategic technologies and verticals.

The networking giant has more than 2,600 Registered UK partners, and channel director for the UK and Ireland Bernadette Wightman told CRN she wanted to give VARs the personal touch.

"One of the real keys is understanding where each of our partners is in their own recovery," she said. "Some have continued to grow fantastically well, but others have had to change their whole focus in the market.

"I am really, really focused on understanding the critical needs of each partner. We will be helping them make intelligent decisions as to where they are going to invest in FY10."

Wightman claimed ensuring partners grew bottom, as well as top lines would be a focus in the coming months. She added that letting partners engage with the vendor on their own terms was crucial.

"Not just Cisco, but vendors in general have always built programmes and strategies around what they wanted and then pushed them out to the channel," she said.

"A sign of a good channel account manager has been how many programmes they can push into a partner, but we have to give a differentiation – if they are going after a particular segment of the market, it is about how we can help them.

"(It can be hard) to try to articulate the breadth of the portfolio in front of a customer; we are pulling that together in a much easier way. I do not want all of my partners doing all of my programmes, all of the time. Most partners have a clear value proposition around a particular area. We do not want to judge everyone by their top line."