[May 21, 2013] Cluster service will assess capability of Cisco Partners to drive BYOD business Tweet May 21, 2013 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Cluster, a leading global Cisco Business Learning Partner, has launched a Cisco BYOD Competency Audit Service that will assess the readiness of resellers to deliver solutions to address the challenge of growing mobile device usage by employees. A recent survey by CompTIA*1 found that more than six out of ten companies now allow employee-owned mobile devices to be used for work. With more users now wanting to hook-up all their laptops, tablets, and smartphones to the network, the strain on wireless LANs is growing. Clusters Cisco BYOD Competency Audit will assess a partners ability to meet customer needs and address the market potential. Matthew Hathorn, CEO of Cluster, states: With its range of access points and controllers, Cisco offers products that enable secure and manageable high-performance wireless access. But in order to deliver effective, dependable solutions, resellers need to understand how to meet the specific requirements of customers with regard to performance, security and manageability. Our BYOD Audit will measure and assess their understanding and capability in these areas, and identify where they need to improve their levels of competency. As a result of the audit, Cluster will recommend a learning programme that is suited to the partners needs. Hathorn says: It is assumed by many partners that they need Cisco Advanced Technology Partner (ATP) specialisation status to sell BYOD. But achieving ATP status is not a pre-requisite to selling wireless solutions for BYOD by any means; about 70 percent of the BYOD market opportunity is non-ATP wireless access, so we anticipate that most partners will simply want to attain a higher level of competency in Cisco wireless technologies, both from a technical and sales perspective, to address this market. The Cluster Cisco BYOD Competency Audit helps partners understand that Cisco is a very credible BYOD provider, that you dont have to be an ATP to sell Cisco BYOD, and that Cluster can help them improve sales and technical competencies. The audit and subsequent training provided by Cluster will help resellers to get results by focusing how Cisco technologies can make a real difference to customers wireless deployments, says Hathorn. For example, many Cisco Partners are leading BYOD sales with the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), which is used to provide a central policy enforcement infrastructure. Leading with ISE however, can lengthen the sales cycle, especially when customers are looking at both wired and wireless unified access. Cisco Partners in the Nordics have been more successful in selling ISE as a management option for large projects, where the requirement is predominantly for wireless guest access. This subtle difference in approach results in quicker sales cycles and higher conversion rates. For more information on Clusters Cisco BYOD Competency Audit Service, resellers are advised to call Cluster on 0208 123 1600, or email [email protected]. Cluster is a leading Cisco Business Learning Partner for Unified Communications, TelePresence and Video. It provides courses for the full Cisco curriculum, though instructor-led training at its own training centres in the UK and delivers partner enablement services across in EMEAR, North America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and through virtual and online resources. Notes *1 CompTIAs second Annual Trends in Enterprise Mobility study surveyed of 502 IT and business executives in the United States during February 2013. For more information, please visit CompTIA.org About Cluster Cluster is an accredited Cisco Business Learning Partner and Cisco Learning Partner that focuses on the enablement of the vendors partner community, with the aim of achieving measurable improvements in effectiveness and business performance. Cluster provides training on a global basis through classroom-based, virtual and online learning resources. Drawing on its in-depth experience of Cisco technologies and its close partnership with the vendor, Cluster develops its own unique courses and training materials. Cluster has its own Cisco Labs facility, which provides trainers and delegates with access to the very latest Cisco networking, unified communications and collaboration and data centre technologies. Cluster provides training itself and through a global network of training partners and also makes use of an extensive community of fully-qualified and experienced training contractors to deliver courses to Cisco partners throughout the world. Cluster is 100% channel-focused and provides training for and on behalf of Cisco and its distribution partners and direct to resellers. The company was founded in 2011 though an outsourced agreement from Comstor and in its current financial year expects to achieve revenues of $3 million. For more information, please visit www.clusterlearning.com. Media Contact: Matthew Hathorn, CEO, Cluster Email: [email protected] Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. 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