Updated: Jan 27, 2026
Cisco’s new 360 Partner Program replaces broad partner tiers with portfolio-based recognition. Partners are evaluated on outcomes, lifecycle engagement, and delivery consistency, not just certifications. Preferred becomes the new benchmark, helping customers identify partners with proven capability across specific technologies.
Cisco has officially launched the Cisco 360 Partner Program. With it comes a clear shift in how partners are recognised, evaluated, and presented to customers.
Instead of a single headline label, Cisco is moving to a more precise, outcome-driven model. Below are the six most important changes enterprise buyers should understand, without partner jargon or complexity.
Enterprise IT has evolved. Networks are more distributed. Security is continuous. Collaboration is businesscritical. Cloud and AI infrastructure must scale without disruption. In this environment, certifications and partner scale alone are no longer reliable indicators of delivery capability.
Cisco’s response is the Cisco 360 Partner Program. The new program shifts partner evaluation away from legacy tiers and toward a holistic, outcome-focused framework that reflects how customers actually experience technology across its lifecycle.
Under Cisco 360, long-standing partner levels such as Gold, Premier, and Select are being phased out.
These tiers played an important role in signalling capability and commitment over the years. However, they offered a single, broad label that often masked where a partner was truly strong.
What this means for customers:
Partner recognition is no longer generic. It is becoming more precise and more relevant to specific technology decisions.
Cisco 360 introduces portfolio-based recognition. Instead of one umbrella status, partners are evaluated independently across Cisco technology areas, such as:
Each portfolio has its own performance and capability criteria.
What this means for customers:
You can now see where a partner has depth and maturity, rather than assuming capability across all areas based on a single tier.
Certifications and technical skills remain important under Cisco 360. But they are no longer sufficient on their own.
The new model places equal weight on:
Partners are assessed on how they design, deploy, secure, operate, and support solutions over time.
What this means for customers:
Partners are recognised for what happens after golive, not just what happens before the deal is signed.
Within each portfolio, Cisco 360 introduces the Preferred designation.
Preferred represents a higher level of validation, based on demonstrated capability, performance, and customer engagement within that specific technology area.
It is not a marketing badge. It is a signal that a partner has crossed a defined threshold of maturity and execution.
What this means for customers:
Preferred partners are more likely to deliver predictable outcomes and support longterm technology roadmaps.
Cisco 360 allows partners to earn recognition across more than one portfolio.
This reflects the reality that enterprise environments are interconnected. Networking decisions affect security. Collaboration depends on network reliability. Cloud and AI workloads place new demands on infrastructure.
What this means for customers:
It becomes easier to work with fewer partners, without compromising on depth or accountability.
A major concern during any program transition is disruption.
Cisco 360 is designed to protect existing customer and partner investments during the transition period. Current engagements, capabilities, and lifecycle support models continue to be recognised as the new framework is phased in.
What this means for customers:
There is no forced change midproject and no reset of ongoing initiatives.
At its core, the Cisco 360 Partner Program is about clarity.
It helps customers:
The move from broad tiers to portfoliospecific validation reflects how enterprise IT decisions are actually made today.
Under the Cisco 360 Partner Program, Proactive holds Cisco Preferred status across four portfolios:
This reflects sustained investment and execution across interconnected technology domains that modern enterprises rely on.
As Cisco’s partner ecosystem evolves, the intent of the program is clear: reward partners who deliver outcomes consistently, across the full lifecycle, and across the portfolios that matter most.
If you are evaluating what the Cisco 360 Partner Program means for your organisation, understanding these changes is the first step. Choosing partners who align with this new model is the next.
Does Cisco 360 change how customers buy Cisco solutions?
No. Cisco 360 changes how partners are evaluated and recognised, not how customers purchase products or services. Buying motions, contracts, and commercial engagement models remain the same.
Should customers be concerned if their partner was previously Gold?
No. Gold status reflected strong capability under the earlier program. Cisco 360 introduces a different model that focuses on portfolio-specific outcomes. Existing investments and ongoing engagements remain protected during the transition. If customers want to work with the finest partner, they need to find a partner that is Preferred across portfolios, such as Proactive Data Systems.
What does “Preferred” actually signal to customers?
Preferred indicates that a partner has demonstrated deeper capability, consistent delivery, and sustained lifecycle engagement within a specific technology portfolio. It helps customers reduce delivery and execution risk.
Can a partner be strong in one area but not another under Cisco 360?
Yes. Cisco 360 is designed to make this visible. Partners are evaluated by portfolio, allowing customers to clearly see where a partner has depth rather than assuming broad capability across all technologies.
Does Cisco 360 reduce the number of partners customers can work with?
No. The program does not limit customer choice. It provides clearer signals to help customers select partners aligned to their technology priorities and long-term outcomes.
How should enterprise buyers use Cisco 360 when choosing a partner?
Buyers should look for partners whose Cisco 360 designations align with the portfolios central to their roadmap, particularly where reliability, security, and long-term operational continuity matter.
