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Cloud computing, vertical-based sales and professional services are all top opportunities for Cisco channel partners, and it is those things, along with other, that Edison Peres believes will drive their growth going forward.
Peres, who became Cisco's worldwide channel chief in early August, sees partners becoming even more relevant to Cisco and to technology sales in the future, even as the move toward services, architectures and solutions-selling and away from product resale and the margin models of old.
Those were some of the key takeaways from Peres, who in an exclusive interview with CRN in northern New Jersey late last week, discussed his goals for growing partner profitability in the Cisco channel, and described what he hopes will come to define his tenure at Cisco's channel helm.
Following a series of changes in Cisco's channel executive ranks, Peres became the company's senior vice president, worldwide channels, and has assumed most of the day-to-day channel-facing oversight from Keith Goodwin. What he's committed to, Peres told CRN, is making sure the 80 percent of Cisco business that goes through the channel stays strong, and that partners become more profitable and more invested -- financially, but also passionately -- in Cisco.
"My goal is to build a strong passion, because we think it's there," Peres said. "I want partners to see Cisco as their way to success. I want partners to love Cisco, and to see Cisco as the most refreshing company to work with."
NEXT: Building Vertical Practices
