If you've been implementing technology for your company for any length of time, you know a few things:

• Technology is increasingly complex
• Business requirements are dynamic
• IT solutions are ever-changing
• You need the right partners to help you solve for all that

Partners who plan and deliver technology solutions are playing an increasingly important role in accelerating your speed to outcomes by providing fast, flexible and simple solutions. At the same time, we are seeing the diversity of partners increase as they offer new ways to buy and consume innovation-whether as solution integrators, managed- and as-a-service providers, application developers, advisory consultants and more. You've probably seen this with your Cisco partners as they evolve their offerings.

Cisco firmly believes we are in the Age of the Partner. Partners with complementary capabilities, solutions and business models are working together to create solutions that drive your digital transformation. It's about getting the right combination of partners working together in new ways to deliver the value you need.

We are fortunate to have a robust and vibrant ecosystem of partners -a community we have developed and grown with for 30 years. In that time, we have established an industry-leading partner program which affirms that Cisco partners have the skills and expertise to deliver world-class business outcomes.

Making sure you have the right partners is one of the most important decisions you can make. But how do you find the right partners to bring your vision and requirements to life quickly and efficiently? And how do you understand what their certifications and designations mean for you?

We are launching a new initiative to help you answer these questions, whether you are a part of an IT department in a large organization or working in a business unit that wants to leverage technology to become more competitive. We want to help you understand how different types of Cisco partners can deliver value, so you can get where you want to go. Over the next several months, you will be hearing more from me and my colleagues about our amazing ecosystem of partners including:

• Demystifying the partner selection process
• How partner specializations drive business outcomes
• Finding your best managed services providers
• The importance of working with different types of partners
• What sets Cisco Gold partners apart
• How our partners can help you achieve your sustainability goals

Because a critical element in any partnership is trust, Cisco and our partners are working hard together to make sure they have certified expertise to support you across a variety of architectures and solutions, and throughout your solution lifecycle.  Whether they are acting as systems integrators, managed service providers, application developers or consultants, our partners build and deliver solutions that address your unique business requirements. They combine Cisco innovation, other companies' technology and their own capabilities and services to deliver value.

You can find more information here or by going to blogs.cisco.com and typing 'Cisco + Partner Value' in the search field.

Learn more about our partner ecosystem and connect with the right partners at our partner connection site

We'd love to hear what you think. Ask a Question, Comment Below, and Stay Connected with#CiscoPartners on social!

Cisco Partners Facebook  |  @CiscoPartners Twitter  |  Cisco Partners LinkedIn|  @CiscoPartners Twitter  |  Cisco Partners LinkedIn