A Clear Definition
A Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner is a Cisco partner that has been validated under the Cisco 360 Partner Program for its delivery capability within the Cloud & AI portfolio.
This designation confirms that the partner has demonstrated consistent ability to design, deploy, optimise, and operate cloud and AI-ready infrastructure environments across the customer lifecycle. It is a portfolio-specific recognition and does not apply across all Cisco technologies by default.
From January 2026, Cisco Preferred Partner designations replace legacy tier-based labels as the primary customer-facing benchmark.
How Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner Status Is Awarded
Cisco awards Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner status based on measured performance rather than organisational scale or historical tenure.
Under the Cisco 360 Partner Program, Cisco evaluates partners on how effectively they deliver cloud and AI infrastructure outcomes in real-world customer environments. This includes architectural depth, deployment quality, customer adoption, and ongoing operational performance.
The designation must be sustained through continuous execution. It is not a one-time certification.
What Falls Under the Cisco Cloud & AI Portfolio
Cisco’s Cloud & AI portfolio brings together technologies that support modern data centres, hybrid cloud architectures, and AI-ready infrastructure.
This typically includes data centre networking, cloud connectivity, workload mobility, automation, observability, and infrastructure foundations designed to support AI and data-intensive workloads. A Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner is validated specifically for competence across these cloud and data centre domains.
Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner vs Legacy Cisco Gold Partner
Under the earlier partner framework, Cisco Gold Partner status was awarded at an organisation level. While it indicated investment and alignment with Cisco, it did not always reflect depth in cloud or data centre delivery.
Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner status replaces broad assumptions with explicit portfolio-level validation. It confirms where a partner has proven capability in cloud and AI infrastructure, rather than implying universal expertise. For customers, this distinction improves clarity and reduces delivery risk.
Why Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner Status Matters
Cloud and AI initiatives depend heavily on the reliability, scalability, and performance of underlying infrastructure.
Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner status helps organisations:
- Validate cloud and data centre expertise before engagement
- Reduce risk in complex hybrid or AI-ready environments
- Align partner selection with Cisco’s evaluation framework
- Ensure lifecycle ownership beyond initial deployment
This is particularly relevant for large-scale data centre modernisation and AI adoption initiatives.
What Customers Should Look for in a Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner
Beyond the designation itself, customers should assess how a Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner approaches architecture, integration, and operations.
Key considerations include experience with hybrid environments, automation practices, operational governance, and the ability to support evolving workloads over time.
Verification of portfolio-specific Preferred status should always form part of due diligence.
Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner in the Indian Context
In India, organisations are modernising data centres while balancing cost, scale, and performance requirements. Cloud adoption and AI readiness often progress in parallel.
Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner status provides Indian enterprises with a clearer signal of validated capability aligned to Cisco’s global evaluation framework and local delivery realities.
Where Proactive Data Systems Fits In
Proactive Data Systems is recognised as a Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner in India under the Cisco 360 Partner Program. This recognition reflects consistent delivery across data centre modernisation, hybrid cloud connectivity, and AI-ready infrastructure environments, supported by lifecycle ownership and pan-India execution capability.
The Practical Takeaway
Cisco Preferred Cloud & AI Partner status reflects Cisco’s shift toward outcome-based, portfolio-specific partner validation. For organisations building or modernising cloud and AI-ready infrastructure, this designation provides a more reliable indicator of proven delivery capability.
