Retired Requirements
(Expired on July 31, 2015)
You may become a Gold Certified Partner by meeting the current requirements until Jul 31, 2015. The new program requirements will become mandatory on Aug 1, 2015.
Note: During the period of Apr 1, 2015 - Jul 31, 2015, the new program requirements will be available as an option to become a Gold Certified Partner.
Note: If you are applying as a new Gold Certified Partner, but do not have the Advanced Borderless Networks
Architecture Specialization, then you must have a combination of four (of five) other specific architecture specializations. The Advanced Enterprise Architecture and Advanced Security Architecture are mandatory. In addition, you must have two of the following three specializations: Advanced Collaboration Architecture, Advanced
Data Center Architecture, or Advanced Service Provider Architecture.
You will need to meet the new requirements as of Aug 1, 2015 when renewing your Gold Certification. Partners with a certification anniversary date of Aug 1, 2015 or later will be expected to renew with the new program rules.
Certification and specialization are based on meeting all requirements within a given country, or country grouping where relevant. All applicants must agree to the Channel Partner Program Terms and Conditions which can be found in the Certification and Specialization Application (CSApp) tool during the application process.
● Specialization Requirements
● Certified Role Requirements
● Support Requirements
● Customer Satisfaction
● Service Requirements
● Advanced Borderless Network Architecture Specialization* (Required)
Note: This specialization is now retired and must have been previously attained or
● Advanced Enterprise Networks Architecture Specialization (Required) and
● Advanced Security Architecture Specialization (Required) and choose two additional specializations from the list below:
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◦ Advanced Collaboration Architecture Specialization
◦ Advanced Data Center Architecture Specialization
◦ Advanced SP Architecture Specialization or
◦ Advanced IP NGN Architecture Specialization (retirement date and last date to apply: March 10, 2015; program end date is March 10, 2016)
Note: Advanced Borderless Network Architecture Specialization went end-of-sale on July 1, 2014.
View Original Announcement (April 1, 2014)
Partners are being provided with additional time to migrate from the Advanced Borderless Networks Architecture
Specialization to the Advanced Security Architecture and Advanced Enterprise Networks Architecture
Specializations (including Advanced Unified Access and Advanced Core and WAN Specializations).
View Announcement (February 19, 2015)
Partner must have a minimum of 12 unique certified full-time employees:
● Minimum of four CCIEs and
● No more than four Cisco Sales Experts (CSEs) can be counted toward the total
Type
Legal agreement
Demonstration capabilities
Customer service
Escalation process
Call Back
Support lab
Pre-Sales Support
Post-Sales Support
Gold
Valid resale agreement or Cisco Indirect Channel Partner Agreement (ICPA) in place
Ability to demonstrate one specialization technology/solutions at the time of audit
24 hours a day, seven days a week
Required
One hour
Support lab equipment requirement for Collaborative Services partners only
Required
Requirements based on Partner Support Agreement
Note: Participation in the Cisco partner customer satisfaction survey is required.
January measurement
July measurement
Provide 30 valid contacts/email addresses for current customers to receive a customer satisfaction survey.
Partner must enter follow-up activities in the PAL tool for all low scores received for the current fiscal year.
New Partner Certification* Participation in customer satisfaction activities at the first measurement after a full six months of attaining
Gold certification (January or July measurement)
Participation in both January and July measurement customer satisfaction activities Recertification
*The definition of "new" partner as it relates to the enforcement of the customer satisfaction requirement is a partner that has not been certified at any level within the previous six months.
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Premier or Silver partners moving to Gold Certification must provide a minimum of 30 valid customer contact names/email addresses at the first January measurement period that occurs after a full six months of attaining
Gold Certification.
New and renewing Silver and Gold Certified Partners are required to have a minimum service attach rate of 40 percent during the four previous Cisco quarters.
For partners who have not previously been Gold or Silver Certified, the Service Attach Rate requirement may be met by achieving a rate of 40 percent within the past 12 months.
New and renewing Silver and Gold Partners must generate at least 15 percent of revenue from services during the two previous Cisco quarters.
For example:
● Total product revenue (from the networking products division) for the past two Cisco quarters
● Total services revenue (from all services sold, including Cisco SMARTnet and professional services)
Revenue from
Services %
=
Total revenue of service sold (Managed, Professional Service, & SMARTnet)
Total product revenue of the networking division
X 100 = 15%
Revenue from services must meet the following requirements:
● The percentage of revenue from all services (includes all vendors, and does not have to be 100 percent
Cisco-specific) against the product revenue must be at least 15 percent
● Partners must provide documented evidence that they have met or exceeded this requirement
Measurement must be specific to the division engaged in providing networking services or solutions in the country applying for certification.
The service requirements apply to both Cisco branded services (CBR, packaged services, pay-for-performance) and Partner branded services (CSSP, Co-Brand, Collaborative Technical Services).
Before Silver or Gold Certification or re-certification is awarded, an independent firm will conduct an audit in order to ensure that your company has met all program requirements.
Note: Certification and specialization are based on meeting all requirements within a given country, or country grouping where relevant. All applicants must agree to the Channel Partner Program Terms and Conditions which can be found in the Certification and Specialization Application (CSApp) tool during the application process. All
Certifications and Specializations must be renewed in CSApp every year. A complete list of requirements including certified personnel may be found in the Audit and Policies Document .
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