The Age of the Partner is here, and partners have played a central role in delivering value to our customers for over 25 years. We know that when partners combine Cisco solutions with their customized services you have a recipe for achieving powerful customer outcomes.

I recently sat down with Oliver Tuszik and Bob Bailkoski of Logicalis for an in-depth conversation onPartnering for Success in the Age of the Partner. It was full of insights you won't want to miss, so I encourage you to watch the entire discussion. In the meantime, here are my top four takeaways from our chat.

1. We are in a new era: The Age of the Partner

The pandemic and new technology trends have  accelerated a new way of partnering. In this new, fast-moving, and complex environment, customers are looking for companies that can deliver the outcomes and services they need to keep their infrastructures running. Innovation is coming from our partners like never before, and the Age of the Partner is  putting partners at the center, delivering all the benefits around the customer's desired outcomes.

2. The changing landscape is causing more demand for managed services

If you look, the best way to deliver an outcome right now that's been codified for the industry is a managed service. It's what the industry understands. But what's changed is that it's no longer just about the outcome that's being delivered-it's also about the experience.

3. Everything starts with the customer

To drive business outcomes in the Age of the Partner, partners must find the problem they're trying to solve for and the value they're trying to generate for their customers. Partners need to understand their essence-such as security, working with SMBs, managed services, etc.-and utilize that essence.

"The primary goal is to align with customer expectations and create a comprehensive solution where Logicalis serves as the central component connecting different vendors seamlessly. With this approach, all the complexities are removed from our customers' shoulders so that they can focus solely on achieving successful sustainable outcomes."
-Bob Bailkoski, CEO of Logicalis

4. How to find the best partner: Trust, Execution and Values

Finding the best partner starts with trust, followed by the experience they can deliver. Customers need to be able to understand a partner's capabilities and trust them when handing over important managed services projects. Next, though, is execution-how we bring trust together and how we execute together. Trust and execution go hand-in-hand when deciding who's the right partner for a customer at that point in time. And last, but certainly not least, is alignment of goals and values.

You can watch the entire conversation and hear more about our thoughts on the Age of the Partner, managed services, and more. And if you want a deeper dive into the Age of the Partner, check out our ebook: Age of the Partner: A New Era of Business, A New Era of Partnering.

Take part in the LinkedIn Live conversation:

'Partnering for Success in the Age of the Partner' 

(25:48 minutes)

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