As the Vice President, Worldwide Partners & Alliances for Splunk, a Cisco company, I had the privilege of attending Cisco's Partner Summit in Los Angeles last month. It was an incredible gathering of innovative minds, strategic thinkers, and forward-looking partners committed to shaping the future of technology together. The event emphasized one truth: the future of business success lies in harnessing the power of data to deliver Enterprise Security and Observability at scale.

A Unified Vision: Partner-Driven Growth

The energy at the Summit was inspiring. I saw partners from all over the world come together, eager to explore new ways to grow within the Cisco ecosystem. But what really stood out was the excitement I saw among Cisco partners about building a Splunk practice or even acquiring the capability. It was clear that there's a growing recognition of just how crucial Splunk is in addressing some of the biggest challenges our customers are facing today.

The need for enterprise-grade security and observability has never been greater. Customers are demanding solutions that not only secure their environments but also provide actionable insights into their operations-enabling them to respond faster, innovate continuously, and stay ahead of the competition. Cisco's engineering teams are focussed on AI infrastructure, Security for AI, Data, AI-native products, and Services. Splunk's unique ability to bridge the worlds of data, security, and observability positions us as the solution of choice for partners looking to deliver immediate and tangible value to their customers.

Speed to Market: A Competitive Imperative

In conversations throughout the Summit, I noticed a recurring theme: speed to market is critical. Many partners are looking to accelerate their ability to meet the exploding demand for Splunk solutions. Whether by developing in-house Splunk expertise, creating partner-to-partner engagement or acquiring Splunk capabilities, the motivation is clear-partners recognize that getting up to speed quickly with Splunk's offerings is a competitive advantage.

Partners who embed Splunk into their portfolios are not only addressing pressing customer needs but are also positioning themselves as indispensable advisors in their customers' digital transformation journeys. Splunk's comprehensive platform, coupled with Cisco's robust ecosystem, creates unparalleled opportunities for partners to lead in enterprise security and observability.

Lessons Learned: Empowering Partners for Success

The Summit offered critical insights into how we can better support our partner ecosystem:

1. Enablement is Key: Partners are eager for robust enablement programs that accelerate their ability to deploy and manage Splunk solutions effectively. We're doubling down on training, certifications, and co-marketing initiatives to set them up for success. Join both the Cisco Partner Program and Splunk's Partnerverse Program to gain the skills needed to bolster your security practice.
2. Co-Innovation Drives Value: Partners want to collaborate on innovative solutions that combine Cisco's networking expertise with Splunk's data-driven insights. This intersection creates unique, high-value offerings that address the complexity of modern enterprise environments.
3. Customer-Centricity Wins: The customer demand for integrated security and observability solutions is driving significant momentum. By aligning with partners who prioritize customer outcomes, we can help organizations unlock the full potential of their data.

We encourage all partners to get skilled in the latest Security & Observability solutions through Cisco and Splunk. To support and protect your investments, we announced cross-program partner specializations aligned to how you build your business across Security & Observability. When you earn badges in Partnerverse, these will be reflected in Cisco.

When you invest to expand your portfolio with Cisco the hard work building a Splunk practice is recognized and rewarded with a new specialization that gives all partners a future as One!

Looking Ahead: The Power of Partnership

The Cisco Partner Summit reaffirmed a powerful truth: partnerships are the foundation of innovation and growth. As Splunk continues to integrate further into the Cisco ecosystem, our commitment to empowering our partners has never been stronger. Together, we have the opportunity to redefine how enterprises secure and optimize their environments-faster, smarter, and more effectively than ever before.

I left the Summit inspired by the excitement, collaboration, and shared vision for the future. To all the partners ready to build or enhance their Splunk practices, know that we are here to support you every step of the way. Let's seize this moment and deliver unparalleled value to customers across the globe.

Here's to the next chapter of innovation, growth, and partnership!