Cisco Program Aims To Help Partners Manage Cash Flow

Deployment of Cisco's Unified Communication solutions -- the next generation of the vendor's VoIP platform that includes upgrades to its entire VoIP lineup -- can be a complex and time consuming process. Not only can it take up to four months for a partner to get a solution up and running for the customer, the partner must also make an upfront investment that can lead to cash flow problems, said Maryann Von Seggern, director of worldwide channel development at Cisco Capital.

Under the program, partners that have earned the Cisco IP Communications (IPC) specialization can have Cisco Capital make payments on their behalf for up to 80 percent of the total value of a Unified Communication solution over the course of a deal. To be eligible for the program, deals must be at least $50,000. Also, partners will also get zero percent financing for 120 days, Von Seggern said.

John Harbour, financing coordinator at Berbee Information Networks, a solution provider in Madison, Wisc., said IPC deals are generally long-term commitments that tend to change a lot over the course of deployment, making them difficult to handle from a leasing perspective. The fact that Cisco will make payments for a partner along the course of a project will make it much easier for partners to see the projects through to completion, he added.

"I expect to do more business that I didn't do as a result of the program," Harbour said.