If you offer enterprise networking solutions to your customers, you know how important depth of knowledge and maintaining certifications are to the success, as well as growth and extension, of those offerings. Comstor’s new Surge offering is designed to help define deliverables, create benefits and customized content, and complete or renew certifications in your Cisco enterprise networking practice.
“We have modeled Surge after our successful Comstor Security Initiative (CSI), and have created four stages to help our VARs with their networking practices,” explained Reid Scrimgeour, product manager of Enterprise Networking, Mobility, Meraki and Viptela for Westcon-Comstor Americas. “We start with the basics – at the Ripple Level – to help them define what they want to do and the steps they need to take to achieve their goal. Then, if they choose to expand their networking practice, we can help them through training and certification as they move through the remaining levels: Swell, Peak, and Surging.”
At each level, there will be the opportunity for VARs to take advantage of free training and certification in Networking Express, Meraki 360, Master Networking and Advanced Core and WAN, as well as Advanced Unified Access specializations.
At the Ripple Level, the focus is on account discovery, creating a road map, and Cisco best practices. At the Swell Level, the focus is on obtaining Networking Express Certification and Meraki 360 training. As the VAR moves up to a Master of Networking Specialization at the Peak Level, the focus is on Viptela and Seed units, as well as gaining training in subscription services and renewals. And, lastly, when the VAR has made it to the Surging Level, they will focus on Advanced Specializations in Enterprise Networks Architecture, Core and WAN networks, and Unified Access.
Scrimgeour emphasized that Comstor is the only Cisco partner offering Viptela, and also have Meraki trainings, and the company is offering an incentive for VARs who sign up for the Surge program.
“We have designed Surge to enable our partners to learn, expand and sell more,” he explained. “Another benefit is that Surge will include a certification and training portal, which will be updated every 24 hours, so it will be easy to track company-specific certifications and their expiration dates.
“For end-users, Surge is designed so you can sell in bundles and register those deals in less than five minutes,” Scrimgeour explained. “Our Surge API works within the Cisco tool, so VARs can get bigger discounts.”
