It's Valentine's Day, are you looking for a new technology partner?

What's it like to be a communication or collaboration-focused reseller in today's technology market? With the industry evolving at such a rapid pace -in terms of both technology and shifting revenue streams -the vendor landscape is changing dramatically. Resellers have an important decision to make. With whom are you willing to risk your company's long-term well-being? Who can you trust to be by your side as you navigate the challenging, yet opportunistic waters of digitization?

I spent three years as the president and CEO of a reseller, and what I wanted was a partner that could provide a mutually beneficial relationship, who was in it for the long haul, and someone that understood our needs. Choosing the rightcollaborationpartner can be like dating (with consequences for choosing poorly).

Important traits to consider when seeking a new technology partner:

• Dedication-A partner who understands the importance of maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship to deliver success to mutual customers.
• Responsibility-Someone committed to making the right decisions with your business needs and goals top of mind.
• Flexibility-Someone established, yet dynamic and forward-thinking and willing to disrupt and capitalize on change.
• Conviction-A self-aware partner that knows who they are, where they stand, where they are going, and transparent on how they will get there with you.
• Commitment to the future-Someone who not only embraces change, but also has the vision and financial wherewithal to help lead it.

Some resellers in this UC and collaboration space may be finding themselves in a difficult position, with their company's future on the line. I believe business owners should be analytical and realistic when it comes to choosing the right path to success in a digital world. It's important to know when to seek a new opportunity or a new partner for what lies ahead.

For those resellers currently pondering their future, looking for a new, stable partner to find success and happiness, we invite you to join the Cisco family.

In honor of Valentine's Day, here's our 'dating' profile: 

• Cisco's Dedication-We know that Cisco's partners are key to our go-to-market, and we are dedicated to their
  (your) growth and profitability.
• Responsibility-We are committed to making the business choices that will continue to maintain our position as a globally recognized leader in the Collaboration space.
• Flexibility-Our current products and solutions are well respected and proven, and Cisco is evolving our portfolio as a technology provider of the future. We will continue to make the proper partnerships and acquisitions to adapt to our rapidly changing industry (more below).
• Our conviction-We build the best technology in the industry -and when someone else beats us to it, we acquire.
• Our commitment to the future-Cisco has a history of embracing change, and we plan to continue that track record by pioneering this exciting collaborationrevolution (because that's how we see it -technology is a key factor in shaping the way we all connect, communicate and relate to one another).

Cisco's commitment to the future of collaboration and its partner ecosystem is evident through:

Extensive Investments and Strategic acquisitions

 "One key element of Cisco's strategy is collaboration... Cisco has$2.1 billion invested in startups around the world, and has acquired 190 companies."  - Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins in a 2016  ZDNet Article

Forging Strategic Partnerships with some of the world'sbiggesttechnology innovators such as Apple, IBM and Salesforce.com.

Channel Insider 2016 article Cisco, Salesforce Alliance a Boon to the Channel:"Every once in a great while two great channel ecosystems come together in a way that holds the promise of creating a raft of new opportunities that many would have otherwise overlooked... on tap is ajointly developed customer service platform that will combine communications and contact center technologies developed by both companies... Whileopportunities stemming from this alliance should be abundant for the channel,the most intriguing are perhaps the IoT projects. Cisco is in an especially good position to use its networking dominance to collect data from thousands, perhaps millions, of endpoints."

The pursuit of new technology & product categories

"We are completely reinventing how the world connects and communicates. We are right on the cusp of massive change... Our goal is to get amazing technology into everyone's hands."  - Rowan Trollope, eWeek 2016

According to 2017 CRN article 12 Reasons Why Cisco's Spark Board is Its Coolest Product Ever, "Cisco Systems is making technology in the workplace cool again."

So, if you're looking for a change in your current technology relationship and the reality of an uncertain future in your current situation is forcing you to reconsider your commitment, consider Cisco. The breadth and depth of our technology is unrivaled. We are committed to innovation, especially in the collaboration market. And, we are in it for the long haul.

But most importantly, we know that our partners are at the heart of our success.

"We must enter this market together" -without our partners, we cannot succeed! -@ChrisDedicoat, EVP for Worldwide Sales#CiscoPS16 pic.twitter.com/LCgb6X2Cdy

- Cisco (@Cisco) November 2, 2016

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