Major ecosystem overhaul replaces Gold status with new tiers and unified incentives to drive AI readiness.
In sum – what we know:
- The new program – Cisco 360 Partner Program has officially launched, replacing a 25-year-old framework to consolidate programs and drive profitability.
- New tier structure – Eliminates Gold designation; introduces Registered, Portfolio, and Preferred Partners based on specific value and capabilities.
- AI and telecom focus: Introduces “Secure AI Infrastructure” specialization targeting AI-ready data centers and mass-scale infrastructure relevant to telecom operators.
Cisco is completely revamping its partner program. The company has announced the new Cisco 360 Partner Program, representing the company’s most sweeping ecosystem restructuring in a quarter century. The move consolidates a patchwork of legacy frameworks into a single program built around one priority — helping partners capitalize on the AI infrastructure buildout. Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, Senior Vice President of the Cisco Partner Program, framed it as strengthening “what is already a world-class ecosystem to deliver even greater value and help our mutual customers connect, protect and thrive.”
The timing isn’t accidental. Enterprise conversations around AI have shifted from whether to invest to how fast organizations can move, and critically, which partners they trust to execute. For telecom operators and large service providers spinning up AI-ready data centers, the program carves out dedicated pathways and incentives designed to accelerate those deployments.
Cisco spent 15 months co-developing the 360 Partner Program alongside its ecosystem, positioning 2026 as a year of “unprecedented profitability” for the channel. The restructuring consolidates previously siloed programs, including VIP, Perform Plus, and the Cisco Services Partner Program, into a unified incentive structure called the Cisco Partner Incentive (CPI). The goal is essentially to cut complexity and give partners clearer, more predictable earnings across Cisco’s full portfolio.
Also gone is the longstanding Gold partner designation. In its place sits a new tier system, with the “Cisco Partner” designation as the baseline, and “Cisco Preferred Partner” representing top companies that bring advanced technical capabilities. Starting in February 2026, Preferred Partners can pursue the new Secure AI Infrastructure specialization, focused on secure AI infrastructure delivery. A Secure Networking specialization has also been introduced to recognize security-focused expertise.
Telco AI
For telecom operators and service providers pushing into AI, the program’s structure could be quite helpful. The Secure AI Infrastructure specialization speaks directly to AI-ready data center needs, while the Mass-Scale Infrastructure portfolio targets the very large buildouts that define service provider environments. Partners chasing these areas will be evaluated through the Partner Value Index (PVI), which emphasizes capabilities, performance, and engagement over purely transactional metrics. Cisco plans to expand PVI with dedicated indexes for Developers/Advisors, Mass-Scale Infrastructure, and Distributors.
The financial model is designed to reward partners for delivering tangible AI deployment outcomes. CPI offers payments tied to total contract value, with earnings kicking in fas partners meet defined milestones. New tooling also accompanies the launch — a Cisco Partner Locator that lets customers search by portfolio (including Cloud and AI Infrastructure), plus an enhanced Cisco AI Assistant embedded in the Partner Experience Platform to streamline partner workflows. That said, partners have flagged marketing and customer education as essential for making the Preferred Partner designation actually mean something in the market. The long-term payoff of the new tier structure ultimately hinges on how clearly Cisco communicates these distinctions to enterprise buyers.