Distributors to be invited to Cisco's cloud party

Networking giant to formalise cloud services engagement with distributors in programme launch this summer

Cisco has talked up the role distribution can play in pushing cloud services through the channel and is to launch a designation for distributor partners.

Ed Baker, Cisco's EMEA director of datacentre channel, told ChannelWeb that the vendor is currently piloting the Cloud Services Distributor programme, with a view to launching the scheme in July. The vendor wants existing product distributors to get involved and has no plans to add specialist newcomers to its distribution stable, he added.

"We can see a key role for distributors to play in the delivery of Cisco Powered Cloud Services," said Baker. "This is a great way to accelerate the adoption of those services."

The vendor will be looking to the channel's middlemen to act as "matchmakers", ensuring that Cisco and its certified Cloud Providers work with resellers that are sufficiently skilled to deliver cloud services to end users.

In her keynote speech this morning, Cisco chief technology officer Padmasree Warrior explained that the vendor's "cloud strategy has four pillars": building cloud; facilitating connections to cloud; developing relationships with technology ecosystem partners; and bringing innovative applications to market.

"We are the only company that can bring cloud applications, cloud networking and cloud infrastructure all together," she added.