HOCHIHMINH CITY, Vietnam - March 25, 2004 - Cisco Systems held for the first time ever, the first Partner Summit for Cisco-certified Channel Partners in Vietnam. The event is another milestone in the company's relationship with the government, service providers, enterprises and other organizations in the country. The Cisco Partner Summit also saw the introduction of Linksys into the Vietnam market. Linksys, which was acquired by Cisco last year and operates as a division, is a leading provider of home networking products with a broad line of wired and wireless products for consumers and SOHO (small office/home office) users.
The First Cisco Partner Summit for Vietnam was also an opportunity for Cisco to honor its Certified Partners in the country for the dedication that they have demonstrated to product and technology excellence and customer satisfaction. Cisco currently has eight Certified Partners comprising four Silver Certified and four Premier Partners.
"Our Channel Partners are a vital extension of the Cisco Ecosystem and play an important role in ensuring that our customers get the best possible experience from their Cisco-powered networks. Cisco therefore invests heavily in the training and development of our Channel Partners. This is yet another way we are contributing to the development of home-grown talent and companies," said Owen Chan, Vice President, Asia Operations, Cisco Systems.
"The introduction of Linksys' technologies into the Vietnam market will also benefit the country by making such equipment accessible to a wider group of people. We hope this is the start of greater adoption of broadband and wireless technologies into the home," he added.
Cisco's Silver Certified Partners include FPT Information Systems, ITC Joint Stock Company, Information Service Provider and Data & Telecommunications Services. Cisco's Premier Partners include CMC Computer Communication Company, Datacraft Vietnam Ltd, EIS Inc and HPT Vietnam Co., Ltd.
The Cisco Channel Partner Program is one of the most widely respected Channel programs in the industry. It can help Cisco Certified Partners create a sustainable business model in a fast-changing environment, where customers require value-added services, focused technical expertise and higher levels of satisfaction. The program integrates the technology focus of each Cisco Partner Specialization, flexible individual career certification requirements, customer satisfaction targets, and pre- and post-sales support capabilities. These elements make up the points-based structure of the overall program requirements. There are three partner certification levels: Gold Certification, Silver Certification, and Premier Certification. The integration of Specializations requires every partner to specialize in technology areas as part of the program requirement.
"Achieving Cisco Certification is not easy and requires a lot of hard work and dedication. However, the rewards are high and they will have the backing and support of Cisco resources in Vietnam and regionally," said Robert Hughes, Managing Director, Vietnam, Cisco Systems.
Vietnam is as one of Cisco's fastest growing markets in the region. Cisco established its first office in Vietnam in 1998 and has been an active contributor to the Vietnamese community, mainly though the Cisco Networking Academy Program. To date, the education program has produced over 800 qualified networking professionals.
