Exclusive: Cisco To Raise Prices On Software, Select Hardware In Portfolio ‘Rebalancing’

Cisco has informed solution providers that it is increasing list prices on software and a limited set of hardware products effective Nov. 7, a move channel chief Tim Coogan described as a portfolio "rebalancing."

Cisco Systems channel chief Tim Coogan Saturday morning notified partners and distributors of list price increases on software and a limited set of hardware products that will take effect in two weeks.

The price changes are focused on networking and security software products, with increases averaging in the mid-single digit percentage range. On the hardware side, changes are limited to a small number of products, but the San Jose, Calif.-based tech giant didn’t specify which offerings would be affected or how much hardware pricing would increase.

Coogan, senior vice president of global partner sales at Cisco, sent the notice about impending price increases as the company is preparing to kick off its 2026 Cisco Partner Summit, which starts Monday in Canada.

"I recognize that this information reaches you two days before Partner Summit, as many of you are getting ready to travel to Vancouver," he wrote in the note, which was provided to CRN by Cisco. "We chose to share it now so you arrive with the full details and can plan with them in hand."

Coogan in an interview described the pricing changes as "a rebalancing."

"We have to consistently look at ways to optimize the portfolio, so it’s really more of a rebalancing across the portfolio," Coogan said. "Cisco looks at its product portfolio and pricing strategy ongoing to make sure it reflects market dynamics, our own investments in innovation and the value we’re delivering, and we make targeted adjustments when needed."

Cisco’s standard price protection policies will apply to software and hardware purchases with no exceptions or changes, he said, adding that the company will work closely with partners and end customers to support them through the price changes.

Splunk technology will be excluded from the prices changes.

For partners, the biggest impact may be on deals "in flight," Coogan said. Solution providers will need to keep pricing current for sales that are in progress and make sure "updated quotes are in front of clients" as pricing expiration dates approach, he said.

New prices will go live in Cisco’s Commerce Workspace on November 7. Partners can find product-level changes in the company’s list price catalog and on its SalesConnect platform starting Saturday, according to the memo.

"Two weeks is a short window for a price change. You should always hear about changes from us first, with as much time to plan as we can give you," Coogan told partners in the note. "If you have questions, your Cisco partner account manager is ready to help."

Continued Memory Shortage Impact

Coogan said that the move is not dissimilar to other actions the tech giant has taken as market dynamics shift.

Throughout 2026, Cisco has adjusted its pricing models and deal structures in response to a volatile global memory chip shortage. These shifts, driven by rising component costs, forced the company to modify contract terms and quotes to protect compute margins.

Following initial decisions to cancel compute promotions and deal registration incentives in February 2026, Cisco in April reinstated compute deal registration after feedback from its partner ecosystem.

CRN is continuing to report on this developing story.