Cisco, partners to offer tailored IoT/OT packages

Cisco has implemented a new blueprint that involves working more closely with partners to offer packages of networking and software components that meld IT elements with Internet of Things (IoT) and operational technology (OT).

OT suppliers gain access to Cisco’s industrial IoT and Meraki IoT portfolios, guidance, technical expertise, platforms, and lifecycle services so that partners can offer tailored packages of integrated IT/OT technologies to customers, through what Cisco is calling the OT Supplier RTM (operational technology supplier route to market).

Cisco’s industrial IoT portfolio includes wired and wireless switches and routers as well as its IoT Control Center platform to manage the environment. Meraki IoT includes cloud management software, a variety of IoT devices, and wireless access points.

In industries such as manufacturing, utilities, smart buildings, energy and beyond, IT/OT convergence is a top priority as companies merge business processes, insights and controls into a single environment. Digital transformation and smart manufacturing initiatives have accelerated the convergence of IT and OT networks, according to Jason Gallo, Cisco vice president of partner go-to-market acceleration, global partner and routes to market.

“The convergence of IT and OT allows Cisco partners to access new budgets and build relationships with new buyers. In the long term, despite market fluctuations, the IT/OT convergence has shown itself to be a resilient business investment area, as the wave of digitization is rapidly expanding beyond businesses’ carpeted spaces,” Gallo stated in a blog about the effort.

The goal of a OT supplier plan is to ensure that a company’s products are easily accessible to customers through the most efficient and cost-effective channels, while maximizing revenue and profitability, according to The Supply Chain Lab consultancy.

“Customers report … that vendor specializations are among the top three criteria for selecting a partner. Cisco’s Solution Specializations offer partners more opportunities to showcase their capabilities and differentiate themselves in the market,” Gallo wrote. “Cisco offers several Solution Specializations that match customer needs, including our Industrial IoT Specialization and Commercial IoT Specialization launched at the beginning of February 2024.” He cited IDC research on the value of Cisco partners, from the end-customer viewpoint, as input for the blog.

The first OT Suppliers that will be part of Cisco’s OT Supplier RTM are Wesco, Industrial Networking Solutions, Madison Technologies and Routeco.

Enterprises are increasingly turning to technology-specific partners and the managed services they offer. IDC in its research on the future of industry ecosystems found that by the end of 2023, almost 60% of organizations surveyed will have expanded the number of partners they work with outside of their core industry.

According to IDC, a number of market-destabilizing factors – including the pandemic, supply chain shortages, continuing cloud adoption, and growth in infrastructure-as-a-service options – have given enterprises more opportunities to form partnerships to help fill gaps, drive innovation, and disrupt entire industries.

Cisco also has said it expects to see extensive growth in partner sales. “We believe by that by 2027, 47% of what Cisco sells will be sold through a managed service,” Alexandra Zagury, vice president of partner managed services and XaaS sales with Cisco’s global partner organization, told Network World in an interview earlier this year.