Cisco 360 Partner Program empowers partners to drive profitability in the AI era

At its annual Partner Summit, Cisco unveiled key updates to the Cisco 360 Partner Program, set to launch globally on January 25, 2026. The enhanced program, co-designed with partners, aims to help them accelerate profitability, differentiate through AI expertise, and deliver greater customer outcomes amid the rapid evolution of digital and AI-driven ecosystems.

Building on more than two decades of collaboration, the Cisco 360 Partner Program introduces new bonuses, certifications, and enablement tools that align incentives directly with customer priorities. As partners increasingly expect AI to drive a major share of their revenue within the next five years, Cisco’s program is designed to strengthen collaboration across its global ecosystem and unlock the full potential of its innovation portfolio—from secure networking and AI-ready data centers to future-proof workplaces.

New Incentives and Specializations

The updated Cisco Partner Incentive rewards portfolio breadth and depth of expertise with two new bonuses:

• Cross Sell Bonus: Rewards partners for expanding across Cisco’s portfolio.
• Next Generation Specialization Bonus: Recognizes deep expertise in high-impact domains.

In February 2026, Cisco will roll out two new specializations—Secure AI Infrastructure and Secure Networking—that reward partners delivering integrated hardware, software, and services to power AI infrastructure. Both unlock additional profitability levers through incentive bonuses.

Enhanced Partner Enablement

To support faster skill-building and go-to-market readiness, Cisco has expanded its enablement suite with:

• Partner Learning Journeys: Role-based training paths for technical and sales teams.
• Cisco AI Assistant for Partners: Multilingual, AI-powered access to training and enablement resources.
• Advanced dCloud Demo Experiences: Virtual environments simulating real-world customer scenarios.
• Cisco U. AI Skills Expansion: Practical AI, data, and API training, including a new Cisco AI Infrastructure Specialist Certification within the CCNP Data Center track.

Marketing Investment and Launch Support

Ahead of launch, Cisco is providing partners with a Marketing Launchpad, Branding Toolkit, and personalized marketing support to help them communicate their new capabilities and drive visibility from day one. “The Cisco 360 Partner Program is about more than recognition—it’s about empowering every partner to thrive at the center of Cisco’s innovation,” said Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, Senior Vice President, Cisco Partner Program. “By investing in our partners’ capabilities, we’re enabling them to lead in an AI-powered world.”

“Cisco engaged partners early in the process and took our feedback along the way,” added Brian Ortbals, SVP at WWT. “We believe these changes position us perfectly for the next wave of market opportunities.”

With this evolution, Cisco reinforces its long-standing commitment to driving mutual success, predictable profitability, and sustainable growth in the age of AI.