Cisco unveils partner program updates

Cisco has unveiled a wave of partner program updates, technology launches and new incentives at its annual Partner Summit, anchored by the general availability of Cisco IQ for Partners and expanded benefits inside the Cisco 360 Partner Program.

The announcements span three areas: enhancements to the Cisco 360 program aimed at advisors, developers and distributors; new revenue opportunities for partners through Cisco IQ; and a set of AI-ready and quantum-safe infrastructure innovations delivered through Cisco Cloud Control.

Cisco 360 program updates

The Cisco 360 Partner Program has added dedicated paths for advisor, developer and distributor partner types as it enters its first full year.

Key changes include a 50% increase to the annual contract value (ACV) growth reward under the Cisco Partner Incentive (CPI), a 2x increase on Adopt incentives across all use cases, and a new additional +2% cross-sell bonus for Preferred and Portfolio partners expanding customer accounts into net-new Cisco architectures, including Splunk.

A new Ecosystem Deal Registration mechanism lets advisors and developers be formally recognised for contributions that lead to transactions. Separate Partner Value Indexes (PVIs) for advisors and developers are now available, with a unified distributor PVI expected by the first half of 2027.

Cisco is also releasing a beta version of the One Cisco Content Agent, an on-demand tool that lets partner sellers and marketers generate co-branded presentations from approved Cisco content in minutes. A new CPI Deal Estimator lets partners model deal economics and project rebate yields, while a new Cisco OT Security Practitioner certification has also been announced to address the convergence of IT, operational technology and security.

Cisco IQ for Partners

Cisco IQ, which the company said has more than 16,000 customers and visibility across close to 20 million devices since April 2026, is now available to the broader partner ecosystem.

The extension is aimed at giving partners access to the same installed-base intelligence previously held by Cisco, enabling managed services providers and resellers to deliver recurring, data-led services after the initial deal closes.

Managed services partners can integrate Cisco IQ intelligence into their own workflows and AI agents via a new MCP Server and expanded API access. Resellers gain direct, secure visibility into customer installed bases through new role-based access controls, removing the need for manual data exports and supporting proactive modernisation conversations.

New capabilities include AI-powered quantum-safe and software end-of-vulnerability-support playbooks, priority bug and software conformance assessments, and enhancements to the Cisco IQ AI Assistant, which can now draw on device diagnostics and Cisco Technical Assistance Centre knowledge and manage TAC cases from within the assistant.

"For too long, partners walked into customer conversations without the same view Cisco had. That changes today," said Liz Centoni, executive vice president and chief customer experience officer at Cisco.

"With Cisco IQ Partner Support Standard, partners get that same intelligence under their own brand, delivered through their own experts."

AI-ready and quantum-safe infrastructure

Cisco is also introducing new capabilities to its Cisco Cloud Control platform, including a Model Foundry service that lets partners discover, evaluate, fine-tune and deploy Cisco's purpose-built AI models on customer data. Controlled availability begins with Cisco partners before broader release.

ThousandEyes network intelligence is being integrated natively into Wi-Fi 6E and 7 access points, included with eligible Cisco Networking Essentials and Advantage licences at no additional cost.

Cisco is also adding Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for its networking platforms, creating a standardised bridge for AI tools to access live network data and reducing the need for partners to build custom integrations.

On the hardware side, Cisco said it is launching what it describes as the industry's first Wi-Fi 7 access point with quantum-resilient capabilities, extending a portfolio it said now spans wireless, switching and routing.

Live Protect, which narrows the window between vulnerability disclosure and patch completion, has been expanded to cover additional switch, SD-WAN and wireless controller platforms, with support for Cisco 8000 Secure Routers and Cisco Firewalls intended by the end of 2026.

A new Privileged Infrastructure Access capability, developed in collaboration with Teleport, provides network teams and AI agents with short-lived, identity-bound access to Cisco routers and switches, with sessions recorded and privileges expiring at session end.

"Customers need partners with the agility to move first and fast," said Tim Coogan, senior vice president of global partner sales at Cisco.

"By combining the strength of the Cisco 360 Partner Program with Cisco IQ and Cisco Cloud Control, we're giving every type of partner new ways to deliver that and be rewarded for it."