Comstor was in force at Cisco Partner Summit 2024 in Los Angeles, end of October. The event is at the heart of Cisco's strategic partner engagement – an annual event bringing together partners from around the world. This exclusive experience offers a unique and more candid platform for the more than 2,000 attendees to delve into inspiring keynotes, connect with Cisco leadership, and explore the latest developments in products and solutions.
Celebrating success
The Cisco Partner Summit isn’t just about learning and networking. It’s a time when Cisco celebrates accomplishments and recognises outstanding contributions. This year, we were honoured to receive several awards for Distributor of the Year in multiple locations.
Global Distributor of the Year - Comstor South Africa
- Middle East, Africa Distributor of the Year - Comstor South Africa
- North Europe Distributor of the Year - Comstor Denmark
- Denmark Europe Distributor of the Year - Comstor Denmark
- Netherlands Distributor of the Year - Comstor Netherlands
- Norway Distributor of the Year - Comstor Norway
- Sweden Distributor of the Year - Comstor Sweden
A meeting of minds
It was a great opportunity for our leadership to reinforce our commitment as a value-add Cisco distributor. Our executives had a chance to meet with Cisco leadership, which is of strategic importance to our companies aligning and moving forward as one. We had the opportunity to discuss how to continue delivering the best for the channel and end customers. The importance of these engagements cannot be overstated, as they contribute to the overall success and growth of the partner ecosystem.
AI and New Partner Program take centre stage
AI will be transformational, the biggest thing to hit the IT industry since the early 1990s. Cisco is integrating AI technology across the entire portfolio to ensure digital resilience for Cisco customers. This will be incredibly exciting in the months and years ahead. In addition, Cisco has announced new targeted business outcomes focused on the AI-Ready Datacenter, Future-Proofing the Workplace, and Digital Resilience. Comstor is fully committed to these priorities and will align our specialist teams to support and accelerate our partners’ success in these key areas.
As part of the Future-Proofing the Workplace initiative, Cisco has introduced the next-generation Wi-Fi 7 Access Points (available from November 2024). In response, Comstor is launching an EMEA-wide roadshow to empower our partners with the knowledge and resources they need to bring this cutting-edge technology to their customers
The first announcement of a new partner program, Cisco 360, to be launched in Feb 2026 was also made. The program has had input from partners and distributors across the globe and aims to simplify and enhance the program. Comstor will work closely with Cisco over the next 15 months to ensure partners are familiar and take advantage of the great new components.
Willem De Haan, Executive Vice President - Comstor Europe & International, had this to say about our award wins:
“We're humbled and delighted to be distributor of the year across so many different areas, but most notably as Global Distributor of the Year in South Africa. It's a reinforcement of our commitment to our partners and is a testament to our expertise that we demonstrate with Cisco every day to strengthen our relationship, but above all to stimulate greater growth and profitability for our partners.”
Forward as One
Cisco's commitment to its partners was a recurring theme throughout the summit. The company reinforced its dedication to collaboration and innovation, emphasising the role that distribution and its partners’ plays in Cisco's success.
Cisco's theme of "Forward as One", and their commitment to partners is echoed by our relentless pursuit of Partner Success. Coming together at this summit and empowering business communities is a shared value and we're excited for the future.
Until next time
As we look forward to the next chapter with Cisco, their Partner Summit remains a cornerstone in fostering growth, innovation, and lasting connections within the ever-evolving landscape of technology and business. We’re excited to continue working closely with Cisco to deliver exceptional value to our partners and shape the future of technology.
Find out more about our work with Cisco.
