DiData and Optus score major medal haul at Cisco Live

By Steven Kiernan on Mar 8, 2016 10:02PM

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Dimension Data and Optus Business have each taken home a three-medal haul at Cisco Live in Melbourne, with Data#3, Telstra, Datacom and UXC Connect all scoring two awards apiece.

Cisco recognised its top Australia & New Zealand partners on the first day of Cisco Live, following the Partner Insight day at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on Tuesday 8 March.

The awards scheme comprised 23 awards, with the multi-award winners joined by a bevy of other IT providers.

Dimension Data picked up awards for Software Partner of the Year and Cisco Capital Partner of the Year, while account manager Terry Kimball was recognised for Teaming Excellence Award of the Year.

The trifecta of local awards follows DiData's win at last week's Cisco Partner Summit in San Diego, when it was the sole Australian company to pick up a global award as Asia-Pacific partner of the year.

Optus Business scored three significant awards: Cloud Solution Excellence Partner of the Year, Services Partner of the Year and Community Contribution Award of the Year.

Two Data#3 executives picked up individual awards – group practice manager Graham Robinson was named Alliance Manager of the Year and consultant Chris Day won the Technical Excellence Award of the Year.

Dicker Data was named Cisco's Distribution Partner of the Year.

Many of these Australian winners also scooped awards during the APAC celebration at the global conference.

Some 400 executives representing 250 distinct partner organisations registered to attend the Partner Insight session at Cisco Live. Opening the day, Jason Brouwers, director of the Partner Business Group for Cisco ANZ, said that the company was investing heavily in its tier-two partner segment, where growth had reached 40 percent.

“Cisco is committed to working closely with its partners, and collaborating to develop our businesses to mutual benefit. Recognising the value of the partnerships is part of our commitment to those relationships. It has been incredible to see the level of innovation that’s taking place in the Australian and New Zealand markets this year.”

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Sales Partnership of the Year: UXC Connect

Teaming Excellence Award of the Year: Claudine Beltrami (Cisco)

Teaming Excellence Award of the Year: Terry Kimball (Dimension Data Australia)

Alliance Manager of the Year: Graham Robinson (Data#3)

Application Partner of the Year: AVI

Mid Market Partner of the Year: Kytec Group

Small Business Partner of the Year: AINS

Innovation Partner of the Year: Telstra Corporation

Vertical Solution Innovation Partner of the Year: MOQdigital

Software Partner of the Year: Dimension Data Australia

Cloud Partner of the Year: Telstra Corporation