CISCO PARTNER SUMMIT 2005, VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 5, 2005 - As part of its commitment to provide its channel partners with value-added services and revenue-growth opportunities, Cisco Systems® (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced a global channel partner enhancement to Cisco® Learning Credits. By month's end, channel partners in every region worldwide can offer customers the ability to prepay for high-quality training at the same time they purchase Cisco hardware, software, or support services with Cisco Learning Credits. This service allows channel partners to increase their profitability and generate incremental revenue with every sale.
"As the network continues to change the way people work, customer demand for end user and employee training has increased significantly worldwide. Training has become a means to ensure a seamless transition to newer technology, for example with IP Communications deployments where something as common as the employee's phone will change," said Lyle Speirs, director of global learning alliances at Cisco Systems. "The global availability of Cisco Learning Credits is a tremendous opportunity for channel partners to make significant gains in profitability while offering more innovative solutions that will ultimately increase customer loyalty."
"Cisco Learning Credits have accelerated our customers' adoption of Cisco advanced technologies," said Pat Scheckel, Cisco practice director at Berbee Information Networks, a Cisco Gold Certified Partner. "Cisco Learning Credits allow us to provide our customers with a total solution and position training at the point of sale when they need it the most. Customers will ultimately receive a higher return on their investment if they have a deeper knowledge of the technology."
"Channel partners are under pressure to find additional margin opportunities without adding to the cost of sales such as additional training or certification. When channel partners sell Cisco Learning Credits, they increase their overall profit margin and at the same time increase the value they bring to their customers," said Cyndi Privett, vice president of Viewpoint Research, an analyst firm specializing in channel partner relationships. "Cisco Learning Credits help enable channel partners to extend their customer relationships and differentiate their services when all solutions are available for purchase through the partner."
About Learning Credits
Cisco Learning Credits are currently available to channel partners and customers in the United States, and many countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); Latin America; and Asia Pacific sales regions. Completing the global expansion of Cisco Learning Credits, the Cisco Japan sales region will launch the program later this month. Cisco Learning Credits are valid for one year from purchase date and may be applied toward instructor-led training courses, e-learning, labs, simulations and customized education programs. Training is delivered worldwide by Cisco Learning Solutions Partners, companies that are authorized to deliver Cisco training courses.
Editor's Note: For more features, news, videos, and photos relating to the Cisco 2005 Partner Summit, visit http://newsroom.cisco.com/partnersummit/
