SAN JOSE, CA–(Marketwired – Apr 19, 2017) – In the digital era, acquiring and building talent is a critical capability for organizations working to evolve, drive better business outcomes and create new market opportunities. Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced it is expanding its training and certification portfolio with offerings that enable customers to optimize technology for successful digital business transformation.

Transformation enabled by cloud computing, IoT, analytics, agile data centers, cybersecurity, mobility, ubiquitous access and the programmable network is only part of the equation. In addition to technology, workforce talent is key. Successful programs require involvement of stakeholders from beyond IT — and from other areas of the organization — who bring different perspectives. The evolution of job roles in the digital age requires new skills.

Business Transformation Portfolio

• The current Business Value certifications, the first offerings in the business transformation portfolio, enhance learners’ ability to work across customer lines of business. They enable IT organizations to understand motivations and desired business outcomes, help them architect and implement an approach which delivers the expected value, and effectively communicate how the technology investments enable the corporation to meet its strategic business objectives.
• Cisco has a pipeline of role-oriented program extensions planned throughout the next year around innovation, digital marketing and technical project management that will help create the talent required to drive business transformation across the industry.

Customer Success Manager (CuSM) Certification

• The next component of the business transformation portfolio is the new certification program addressing the CuSM role, a crucial position for driving adoption and value for service or subscription-based products.
• While this has been in practice for software-driven businesses, this mindset is now becoming table stakes for any business to be successful in today’s digital economy.
• The Cisco CuSM certification leverages the Cisco Adoption VALUE Framework™, an award-winning process recognized by the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA) for innovation in strengthening customer relationships. The certification provides a core set of fundamental skills to help ensure that customers achieve the desired business outcomes through their technology investments, to increase and expand adoption and ensure that customers realize enough value to renew contracts, thereby reducing churn.
• This includes a full instructor-led or virtual instructor-led program that will prepare learners for a certification exam at the specialist level.

Supporting Quotes:
Tejas Vashi, senior director, product strategy & marketing, Cisco Services:
“Business transformation is enabled by technology and driven by talent. Technology alone is not enough — skills are the bridge to digital transformation. The customer success manager role is a critical component and we will continue to enhance our progressive portfolio of role-oriented, business transformation certifications throughout the next year to drive our customers’ and partners’ success forward, faster and further.”

J.B. Wood, president and chief executive officer, TSIA:
“Cisco has a long track record of delivering an exceptional customer experience. Particularly, with its software-acquired companies, such as in the security field and with its WebEx product. Their experience has allowed Cisco to properly identify leading practices for customer success at scale. They are now imparting that wisdom to the industry.”

Supporting Resources:

• For more detailed information, including exam topics, please visit: www.cisco.com/go/customersuccess

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