RCP Channel BriefingShort Takes from Microsoft’s Channel Community
Blog archive
Cisco Launches New 360 Partner Program to Align Channel Strategy for the AI Era
Cisco has introduced the Cisco 360 Partner Program, a revamped channel framework designed to align partner incentives and capabilities with customer needs in the AI era. The new program moves beyond traditional resale metrics to focus on customer outcomes across the full technology lifecycle, including adoption, expansion and ongoing services. The changes are intended to help partners capture more recurring revenue while supporting customers as they modernize networks, security and infrastructure for AI-driven workloads.
The program introduces simplified roles, clearer specializations and updated incentives tied to customer success rather than transactional volume alone. Included in the offerings are the Cisco Partner Incentives (CPI), Partner Value Indexes (PVI), distributor development fund and an enhanced Cisco AI assistant. Cisco also emphasized closer collaboration with partners in shaping the program, reflecting feedback that legacy partner models were not well-suited to software-driven and AI-centric environments.
The update comes as enterprise vendors reassess channel strategies to keep pace with AI adoption and consumption-based IT models. For Cisco partners, the Cisco 360 Partner Program signals a shift toward deeper engagement across design, delivery and optimization, positioning the channel as a central player in helping customers operationalize AI at scale.
The "RCP Channel Briefing" blog is researched, fact-checked, edited and updated by the editors of RCPmag.com, with writing assistance from AI. To submit your channel company's press release for consideration, contact Ammaarah Mohamed.
Posted by Redmond Channel Partner magazine staff on January 26, 2026