Cisco Pilots Learning Tools For Solution Providers

Cisco Systems

At the Cisco Partner Summit 2002 here, Kevin MacRitchie, vice president of worldwide channel operations, said the company is moving to curriculum-based training in which partners can take a sample test and based on the answers, Cisco will highlight the courses they need to take and provide a road map for desired specializations.

In the past, solution providers needed to go through the entire curriculum to get specializations and, at the end of the course, pass the test. Under the new program, solution providers can be tested in the beginning and take portions with which they are not familiar.

"No one in the industry has the ability to do the integration and tie together the learning management," MacRitchie said. The program will be piloted within the next three to four months with a select number of solution providers, he said.

The integration will be done by Cisco's own IT staff, as well as KnowledgeNet, which builds content, Intellinex, which hosts the portal, and other partners.

Cisco also demonstrated a 3-D equipment model to help solution providers reduce costs. A virtual lab scenario will enable solution providers to visually see the equipment and simulate scenarios.

MacRitchie said the company is working on pre- and post-sales scenarios, such as the best way to demonstrate capabilities or pitfalls to avoid.

The 3-D model is available now with 40 percent to 50 percent of Cisco equipment supported. Going forward all new equipment will be supported, the company said.

U.S solution providers were the first to embrace the lab simulation model, and MacRitchie said he expects Europe to come on board next quarter followed by the Asia-Pacific region.

According to MacRitchie, 50 percent of the 4,500 solution providers surveyed said the e-learning helped to increase productivity, with two-thirds of partners increasing customer satisfaction by 50 percent or more, and one-half saying they increases sales by 50 percent or more.

Currently, Cisco gets 100,000 individuals logging in monthly with 75 percent return users and 25 percent new users, the company said.