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Cisco Unveils Open Partner Ecosystem, Focuses on Unified Computing

By: Chris Riedel

3/23/2009

Cisco recently launched an open partner ecosystem aimed at accelerating the adoption of their Unified Computing System. The new program will include a range of technology partners, business consulting and systems integration partners, and channel partners.

According to Cisco, the Unified Computing model--a data center architecture that integrates compute, network, storage access, and virtualization resources--is intended to help organizations streamline processes, increase agility, and reduce overall costs. The company has collaborated with several major industry players including Accenture, BMC Software, EMC, Intel, Microsoft, and VMware, among others.

"Time and again, we've seen that orchestrating an open partner ecosystem is the most effective way to successfully drive major market transitions," said Gary Moore, senior vice president, Advanced Services for Cisco, in a prepared statement. "Through world-class partnerships and collaborative service delivery, Cisco will accelerate the industry evolution to Unified Computing."

Outlining their overall strategy, the company has tapped technology partners to help develop a "holistic approach to data center virtualization" as well as provide end-to-end support. Business consulting and systems integration partners will help customers integrate the Unified Computing architecture, and will develop solutions catered to specific client needs. Finally, a select group of channel partners will take the Unified Computing System to market, with additional partners being added as demand for the architecture increases.


About the author: Chris Riedel is a freelance writer based in Florida. He can be reached here.