Enventis, a subsidiary of HickoryTech announced that it has achieved both the Master Unified Communications Specialization from Cisco (News - Alert).

According to company sources this achievement emphasizes that Enventis has fulfilled all the training requirements and program prerequisites for selling, deploying and supporting advanced Cisco unified communications solutions in the United States.

John Finke, president and chief executive officer of HickoryTech said, "We are very proud to achieve this prestigious specialization from Cisco, affirming Enventis' (News - Alert) ability to deliver secure, integrated solutions."

"As a Cisco Gold Partner with a Master Unified Communications (News - Alert) Specialization, we help businesses become more efficient and productive by implementing unified communications services. Not only does this specialization underline the hard work and dedication our team devotes to our customers' implementations, it differentiates us as a leading unified communications and network integrator," Finke added.

Edison Peres, vice president and chief go-to-market officer for the Worldwide Partner Organization at Cisco added that as the network becomes the platform for more advanced communications and innovation, customers are demanding an enhanced set of skills and capabilities from channel partners.

Peres added that Enventis' investment in the Master Unified Communications Specialization ranks them among the industry's elite.

According to company sources the Master Unified Communications Specialization can be achieved by resale channel partners by first obtaining Advanced Unified Communications and Security Specializations. Partners are also required to meet series of stringent requirements in three categories including technology capabilities, sales expertise, and Cisco Lifecycle Services.

Also it is important for partners to meet Cisco and industry-standard technical certification requirements, provide customer references that document Cisco-prescribed design and deployment capabilities, and also show evidence that they have the infrastructure to support a Lifecycle Services offerings and capabilities.

The Cisco Resale Channel Program helps partners by providing the training required to build sales, technical and Cisco Lifecycle Services skills besides validating their skills through a third-party audit.

Cisco resale partner certifications include Select, Premier, Silver and Gold. These represent an ability to deliver integrated networking solutions. Cisco resale partner specializations reflect sales, technical and service expertise in particular technologies. This will enable Enventis to access sales, technical, and lifecycle services training and support from Cisco.

Enventis provides integrated communication solutions for businesses of all sizes ranging from enterprise multi-office organizations to small and medium-sized businesses. Enventis provides IP communications, transport, data and network integration services that combine voice and data into a single platform.