Over the last few years we've witnessed a major industry shift toward integrated infrastructure as CIOs look to simplify IT and focus on delivering business outcomes.  The opportunity is huge, with the market expected to grow to more than$14B in 2016.  It's also one of the hottest segments of the entire IT industry: Gartner estimates the integrated systems market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 56.3 percent between 2012 and 2016, while IDC expects integrated infrastructure to make up nearly 14% of all IT infrastructure by 2016.

For channel partners, the creation of the category of integrated infrastructure has created enormous business opportunities. When our partners progress from selling servers to selling integrated infrastructure, the average size of the deal grows by two-and-a-half times.  When those partners lead the integrated infrastructure sale with a business-critical application such as SAP, the deal grows by up to seven times.  Even more encouraging:  the size of the services opportunity expands and the margins improve.

Together Cisco, EMC and VCE have played a pivotal role in creating this new category of integrated infrastructure.  Our joint strategy is built around delivering "three paths to the cloud, an unmatched menu of options for building cloud infrastructure.  These include:

• Custom-designed infrastructure with best-of-breed products
• Validated, easy-to-deploy reference architectures with Cisco Solutions for EMC VSPEX?
• Pre-integrated converged infrastructure via VCE? Vblock? System

Today we're taking another big step in the joint efforts of Cisco, EMC and VCE to accelerate growth with our partners. The Cloud Infrastructure Solutions Accelerator is designed to make it easier and more profitable for our top channel partners to sell Vblock Systems and VSPEX solutions.

How are we doing this?

It starts withjoint field engagement. We're requiring all participating partners to engage in joint business planning sessions with Cisco, EMC and VCE. That should translate into bigger deals, more services attached to the deals, greater profitability and more account control.

We're offeringcustomized enablementthrough special "boot camps" for sales, systems engineers and field engineers. These are highly interactive and enriching programs that will help our partners engage in new and deeper conversations with customers about cloud infrastructure solutions.

Then there's enhanceddemand generation. All three companies are working together with our partners to jointly create more demand for our solutions. We're going to give these partners access to customized campaigns for VSPEX solutions and Vblock Systems and a dedicated pool of MDF funding.

Profitability incentivesfor participating partners. These incentives are stackable with existing rebates from the three companies. And to help our partners navigate through this new program and expedite the deal registration process, we're creating a joint Cisco-EMC deal desk to complement the existing VCE deal desk.

Our partners have told us what they need to fuel the next wave of integrated infrastructure growth.  And today Cisco, EMC and VCE are delivering an joint channel accelerator to meet those requirements. Joint field engagement, joint training, joint demand-gen and financial incentives - it's all here to take our game to the next level.

Click here to learn more about the Cloud Infrastructure Solutions Accelerator.