New Cisco SMB specialization

This week Cisco announced a new specialization -- the Cisco Small and Midsize Business (SMB) Specialization -- for channel partners interested in selling strategically across all technologies to the SMB market.

Topics such as borderless networks, collaboration, data center, updated services training, cloud concepts, telepresence, virtualization and data center switching will be included in the new trainings.
According to the vendor, the SMB Specialization combines two Cisco specializations -- the former Small Business (SB) and the Small Business Foundation (SBF) -- and takes the curriculum up a notch to reflect its advanced-level specializations.
Partners holding the existing SB and SBF Cisco specializations will have to take additional classes by March 3, 2014 to maintain specialization status and, therefore, the Select Certification. Cisco's Select Certification offers benefits such as Cisco branding, recognition in the Cisco Partner Locator, and access to Cisco Channel Incentive Programs.
For new SMB Specialization candidates, Cisco has significantly reduced the number of training courses from 15 to four, all of which are available on the vendor's Partner Education Connection (PEC) site.
The new specialization comes with a number of partner benefits, such as the Cisco Value Incentive Program (VIP); the Partner Helpline and distribution sales support; business planning and demand generation sales tools, such as collateral and Web content; and eligibility to sell Cisco Smart Care Service.
SMB Specialization holders will be eligible to apply for the Cisco Select Certification.