When you hear the name Cisco, what comes to mind? A pretty safe bet is that you think "enterprise networking leader." Of course, we want you to always think of us in those terms, because it's true. However, I wanted to be sure our partners that operate in the midmarket space are recognized, because you are vital to the Cisco Partner Ecosystem.

It's not just "big business" that powers the economic engine globally, and that is especially true here in North America. The midmarket space has increasing IT demands and even more limited resources than their enterprise siblings. Business is business, and those midsize companies are looking to grow their customer base, hire the best employees and simultaneously reduce their IT costs. Integrating solutions that provide those outcomes to the midmarket is where Cisco partners have enormous opportunities.

We aim to back you up on those opportunities and make sure you have everything you need at your disposal for success in this space. In fact, we have a wealth of information for our partners in the midmarket space in our Midsize Business Solutions area for partners.

Midsize Business Solutions

In this partner -specific area, which does require a login, you can get a great overall look at our latest additions, such as information on driving recurring revenue with the WebEx Try and Buy 90 promotion and access to the latest Made -for -Midmarket portfolio.

Within this page for partners you will also find the latest information on training and specializations for the midmarket. This is vital to Cisco Partners as items such as Midmarket Sales Excellence online training in the Partner Education Center is designed to accelerate sales success by focusing on techniques specific to Cisco Midsize Business Solutions.

Be sure to review our section for partners on sales and marketing. You can get a wealth of information on our sales promotions, demand generation and enjoying our Distribution Advantage. You can also get up to speed on the Cisco Partner Plus Program.

Partner Plus Program

I will actually be sharing even more information with you about Partner Plus in an upcoming blog, but you shouldn't hesitate to check out the Partner Plus site and gather a little information on your own. The Partner Plus Program helps you:

• Prepare, build and expand
• Generate demand and increase sales
• Enjoy your success through rewards and incentives

We want you to be a successful part of the Partner Ecosystem and the Partner Plus Program helps ensure you get the support you need from us in order to succeed in the midmarket. As I mentioned before, I'll be back in an upcoming blog to give you more detailed information on this valuable program.

Cisco Midmarket

As you can see, there is a wealth of information at your fingertips in order to conquer the midmarket. Your brand visibility and the ability to build demand generation are keys to your success in the midmarket.

Our approach to the midmarket includes in-depth understanding of midsize customers. Using our expertise there, we developed a strategy that focuses on partners, our portfolio and marketing. Our partner led strategy puts you in the driver's seat and with our portfolio in hand and our commitment to providing you with sales-qualified leads, you are in a unique position. You, as a Cisco Partner, will work with us to generate opportunities and make money in the midmarket.

As the Cisco Partner Ecosystem continues to evolve, I'll continue to bring you more in-depth looks into different partner types or market segments. Be sure to watch this space for a deeper look at the Partner Plus Program next time around. In the meantime, let me know what you think about how we're doing with the evolution of the Cisco Partner Ecosystem in the comments section. I am always excited to hear your feedback.