Cisco affirms commitment to Boston

Networking giant confident Boston remains a safe city for business travel and is making no plans to change the venue for the upcoming Cisco Partner Summit

Editor's note: As part of our special editorial partnership, CRN is publishing this recent article from Channelnomics in the US

Despite the terror that gripped Boston last week, Cisco has affirmed its commitment to the Athens of America by telling resellers it has no plans to change the venue of its annual Partner Summit in June.

In a letter to partners, Cisco's channel leaders Bruce Klein and Edison Peres expressed condolence and support for the people of Boston for having to endure the terror attacks on Patriots Day, 15 April, and the aftermath of the manhunt for the bombing suspects, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

"Our commitment to an informative and secure event at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center remains unchanged. We are working closely with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority to safeguard our attendees, guests, employees and event staff," wrote Klein and Peres in a letter to partners Friday.

"Cisco Global Protective Services continues to classify Boston as a Low Risk Destination for business travel. Similar to any major metropolitan area, we recommend following basic security precautions. As in previous years, Cisco Global Protective Services will be available onsite to answer any questions about safety and security at Cisco Partner Summit 2013."

Cisco made the recommitment to Boston in the waning hours of the manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. At the time the letter was released, few knew what would become of Boston. The city and environs were in lockdown, businesses and schools were closed and the streets were empty as police conducted massive door-to-door searches for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Few knew whether Boston would remain under siege for days, weeks or months.

By the time most partners received Cisco's message, the worst of the Boston nightmare was over. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was taken into custody Friday evening. And the city of Boston started to return to normal.

Cisco's sentiment and comment is more than just altruistic. It, like others who know the City on the Hill, understands Boston's capacity to endure, survive and overcome.

As Klein and Peres wrote: "We will continue to support the city of Boston and look forward to seeing you there."

For more US channel coverage from Channelnomics, visit www.channelnomics.com