Building on a shared vision of data center virtualization for enabling customers to build private clouds, Cisco and VMware today announced the expansion of the companies' relationship with the launch of a comprehensive channel partner acceleration initiative.

Targeting mutual channel partners that are Cisco data center specialized and authorized to resell VMware solutions, the initiative includes a wide range of new benefits, including solutions training, solution bundles, financial incentives, funding for virtualization assessments, online demo labs, market enablement and financing.  The initiative will help solution providers derive greater value for their investment in Cisco-VMware capabilities by simplifying the delivery of a complete architecture with the industry-leading Cisco Unified Computing System and VMware vSphere™.  The integrated solution will reduce data center complexity, lower costs and enable a more flexible, agile IT service delivery model.

Empowering Mutual Cisco and VMware Channel Partners

• The initiative is designed to help channel partners accelerate the adoption of data center virtualization for customers:  
• It will enable channel partners to pursue incremental revenue and profit opportunities through enhanced virtualization systems, software and services sales.
• It will also align channel partners with key technology trends and thought leadership, including private cloud computing, virtualization, unified fabric, and data center architectures.
• Training:  Joint Cisco Unified Computing System and VMware vSphere™ online solutions training will be offered at no cost to channel partners worldwide. All Cisco channel partners can participate in this training and will be able to sell VMware vSphere™ with no additional VMware certification required.
• Special Bundled Offering: By the end of May 2010, a new bundled solution offering will be available that includes the Cisco Unified Computing System C250, the Cisco Nexus 1000V distributed virtual software switch and VMware vSphere™.
• Virtualization Assessments: From May 2010 through July 2010, Cisco DCNI Specialized channel partners in the United States and Canada will be eligible to receive a reimbursement for pre-approved Cisco and VMware virtualization assessments.   
• Demo Equipment: Beginning in April 2010, the new Cisco Unified Computing System Demo Equipment Program will be available for channel partners in the United States.  This program will be expanded globally by the end of May 2010.  This program will enable channel partners to obtain Cisco Unified Computing System and VMware vSphere™ at a discounted price from Cisco.
• Demand Generation and Marketing Benefits: The initiative will provide customizable campaign tools, including seminars in a box, ongoing lead generation, and follow-up and qualification campaigns.
• Online Demo Labs:   Beginning in May 2010, channel partners will have online access to demonstration labs that feature Cisco Unified Computing System and VMware vSphere™ solutions operating over a unified fabric.  The online demo labs complement the online training that channel partners will receive.
• Cisco Capital Financing: Financing is available from Cisco for purchases of Cisco Unified Computing System with VMware vSphere™.

Reduced Cost, Improved Performance and Simplicity

• Cisco and VMware are combining their best-of-breed solutions to create an industry leading platform for virtualizing data centers and enabling cloud computing:
• Designed as a radically simplified, stateless system, the Cisco Unified Computing System, powered by the latest Intel® Xeon® processors, has fewer components to purchase, configure, manage, maintain, power, and cool — leading to increased business agility, greater return on investment, and lower total cost of ownership.
• VMware vSphere™ is the industry's most robust and powerful virtualization platform to build and deploy a cloud infrastructure, increase control through service-level automation and pool resources to deliver IT as a Service (ITaaS). VMware vSphere dramatically reduces capital and operating costs and maximizes IT efficiency while giving you agility through automation and the freedom to choose applications, OS and hardware.