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Cisco Names Verizon Business Its 2005 Global Service Provider Partner of the Year
[April 12, 2006]

Cisco Names Verizon Business Its 2005 Global Service Provider Partner of the Year


Associate Editor
 
Cisco Systems has more than 2,800 Certified Channel Partners across the globe.  Which means there is no shortage of top-notch companies vying for recognition from the global networking giant.  Verizon Business, which provides advanced communications solutions worldwide, has bested its competitor-partners and has been named Cicso’s 2005 Global Service Provider Partner of the Year.


 
The selection of Verizon Business — from nearly 3,000 other firms — highlights Verizon’s commitment to achieving complete customer satisfaction.  Winners were identified though a formal nomination and selection process and were chosen by a committee of Cisco worldwide channel program executives. Service providers were judged using a variety of criteria, including managed service practice strength and growth, the number of trained engineering staff, innovation in developing unique product offerings and addressing vertical markets, as well as joint planning, go-to-market and sales activities.

 
“Working closely with Cisco, we are able to provide our customers with a single source for their secure networking and IT requirements, including the necessary hardware and ongoing service and support,” said Nancy Gofus, vice president of product management, Verizon Business.
 
Since the Cisco Channel Partner Program was launched in 2001, Cisco has required partners to measure customer satisfaction using the same processes and tools used by Cisco itself — those measurements have steadily improved.  By requiring consistency in satisfaction measurement, Cisco ensures uniformity of standards across its partners.
 
Cisco Certified partner’s are available to assist with any part of network design, implementation, or maintenance — from planning to implementation to support and optimization to ongoing security.  On average, Cisco Certified Partner has five Cisco certified network experts on staff. 
 
Cisco qualifies its partners at one of three levels:
  • Express Foundation Specialization partners have received integrated training in routing and switching, wireless LANs, and security technologies. This training is required of all Cisco Silver and Premier Certified Partners. It also qualifies partners in the area of converged data, voice, and video networking.
  • Advanced Specialization partners can achieve Advanced Specialization in routing and switching, wireless LANs, security, and Unified Communications technologies. The number of Advanced Specializations a partner has achieved determines the partner’s certification level.
  • Master Specialization partners are highly qualified in a particular technology, regardless of their certification level.  Master Specialization means that the partner is capable of delivering complex business solutions that may involve targeted technical knowledge, the integration of complex applications, or industry-specific implementations.
 
While all Cisco Certified Partners must meet demanding standards , there are, nevertheless, distinctions between them and Cisco provides three levels of certifications, each corresponding to a partner’s breadth of skills across core technologies to enable them to deliver fully integrated solutions.
  • Cisco Premier Certified Partners hold an Express Foundation Specialization, which includes the basic skills necessary for integrating core routing, switching, wireless, and security technologies.
  • Cisco Silver Certified Partners hold an Express Foundation Specialization and two Advanced Specializations.
  • Cisco Gold Certified Partners are certified in advanced routing and switching, advanced wireless, advanced security, and advanced Unified Communications technologies.
 
Verizon Business is a Cisco Gold Partner, with a worldwide service and support team of more than 6,500 personnel and some 1,000 employees with Cisco certifications and advanced specializations in routing, switching, wireless, security and unified communications.
 
“As customer needs evolve, the market transitions and the network becomes the platform for communications, there has never been a better time to be a Cisco partner,” said Keith Goodwin, senior vice president of worldwide channels at Cisco Systems (News - Alert). “In 2005, Verizon (News - Alert) Business continued to deliver superior voice and IP-based managed services to our mutual customers.”
 
Erik Linask is Associate Editor of INTERNET TELEPHONY. Most recently, he was Managing Editor at Global Custodian, an international securities services publication. To see more of his articles, please visit Erik Linask’s columnist page.

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