SAN JOSE, Calif., November 6, 2001 - Building on its commitment to identify channel partners capable of delivering value-added professional services, Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today unveiled a new Services Specialization. The new VPN/Security Services Specialization provides a structured training roadmap and exam-based, verification process to identify and recognize channel partners with the advanced expertise to deploy complex, large-scale security solutions.
"As the Internet continues to expand, companies face increased network complexity and security issues that extend beyond their core competencies," said Surinder Brar, senior director of Worldwide Channels at Cisco Systems. "Many customers are looking for third-party network security, consulting and integration services, creating a tremendous opportunity for our channel partners. Our VPN/Security Services Specialization is designed to recognize channel partners who have developed the advanced services to capitalize on this new growth opportunity."
"We have created an extremely successful business around providing customers advanced consulting and integration services," said Paul Shain, president, Berbee Information Networks. "The ability to be recognized by Cisco for providing advanced network security services is a huge competitive advantage."
Building on the foundation of its VPN/Security Technology Specialization, the VPN/Security Services Specialization adds the combination of proven technology-specific and customer satisfaction experience with added personnel requirements to identify channel partners with advanced security expertise, such as security assessment, architecture review, security strategy and planning services. Channel partners can currently earn a VPN/Security Services Specialization by meeting or exceeding the necessary personnel, proven experience, customer satisfaction and lab requirements outlined by Cisco.
Services Specialization Prerequisite
As a prerequisite to becoming VPN/Security Services Specialized, channel partners must have already met VPN/Security Technology Specialization requirements. The Cisco VPN/Security Technology Specialization provides channel partners with the training and knowledge to successfully plan, design, implement and operate Cisco VPN and security solutions. To achieve the VPN/Security Technology Specialization channel partners must fulfill the following job roles: an account manager, a systems engineer and a field engineer. Meeting the VPN/Security Technology Specialization requirements will earn channel partners 25 points toward a Cisco Certification.
Additional Resource Requirements
The VPN/Security Services Specialization increases the personnel requirements from three, in the VPN/Security Technology Specialization, to ten. The new Services Specialization requires channel partners to fulfill the following additional job roles with qualified individuals: an engagement manager, two design engineers, two project managers and two field engineers. These additional resources enhance the channel partners' technology-specific expertise, enabling them to deliver more advanced security services and support complex, large-scale security deployments.
Channel Partner Experience and Customer Satisfactions Requirement
When applying for the new VPN/Security Services Specialization, a channel partner must provide a minimum of six VPN and/or security reference accounts. Three of the reference accounts must include a two or more site deployment and the channel partner must have performed the planning, design and implementation for two or more security products such as firewalls, VPNs and intrusion detection. All six of these reference accounts will be asked to confirm that the channel partner completed the deployment and will be asked to fill out a customer satisfaction survey. The channel partner must achieve a VPN/security customer satisfaction rating of 4.5 from these six reference accounts to become VPN/Security Services Specialized.
Lab Requirement
The VPN/Security Services Specialization requires channel partners to build a VPN/security operational lab. The lab enables channel partners to have internal training, proof of concept and technology demonstration capabilities. To get more information on lab equipment specifics, suggested lab diagram go to www.cisco.com/go/specializations.
Cisco Channel Partner Program
The new VPN/Security Services Specialization is worth 25 points toward a Certification under the Cisco Channel Partner Program. Channel partners who wish to focus exclusively on VPN/Security can now earn 50 specialization points by completing the VPN/Security Technology and Services Specializations, allowing them, provided they meet the other requirements, to qualify for Silver Certification status.
