Cisco Connects to TMB scheme

Government-backed initiative wins more industry support

The government-backed Technology Means Business (TMB) scheme added another string to its bow last week, when Cisco announced it was adding the accreditation to its SME Connect partner programme.

To become an SME Connect partner, resellers must be accredited as a TMB Advisory Centre or be signed up with a view to becoming accredited as a Centre within 12 months.

Dave Kelly, channel development manager at Cisco, said any Cisco partner, whether Bronze, Silver or Gold, can join the Connect scheme, provided it fits the criteria.

"It is designed for partners that really understand what an SME is all about. About 60 per cent of their turnover must come from the SME space," he said. Over the next year the firm hopes to put 100 partners through the Connect programme.

Paul Cunningham, director of services at Cisco distributor Comstor, said the vendor had launched Connect to encourage smaller resellers to work together and to give them more support. "SME has been the only growth sector of late, and it is overdue for Cisco to target it," he said.

He added that Hewlett-Packard (HP) and 3Com, two rivals of Cisco, had already targeted the SME sector. "Cisco has HP and 3Com squarely in it sights," he said. HP is also a founder member of the TMB scheme.

Cunningham said he thought Cisco's channel would find the scheme a good idea, but would need to see more substance before committing to it.

Joanna Douglas, TMB agency manager at the Chartered Management Institute, which runs the scheme backed by the Department of Trade and Industry, said it was essential that SMEs get good advice if they want to compete.

"Cisco's involvement clearly demonstrates the industry confidence in TMB," she said.