In a word, YES! In order to defend that answer, one must understand what a master certification is and why it matters.
Cisco’s business model leverages channel partners as an extension of their own sales and engineering capabilities. Cisco has an extensive and multilevel certification model to ensure that their business partners drive an excellent and consistent customer experience.
At the highest level is Cisco’s master certification. Only five master certifications exist, and achieving each requires a large investment by a partner in time, effort, and resources. Doing so, however, elevates that partner into an elite category of Cisco business partners. Validated by an independent auditing firm, a master certification demonstrates not only Cisco technical proficiency, but also business process, systems, and management capabilities.
Datalink now holds three Cisco master certifications: Master Cloud Builder, Master Security, and Master Service Provider. Master Cloud Builder is a validation of Datalink’s capabilities to design, integrate, manage, and support private and hybrid cloud solutions. Master Service Provider validates Datalink’s managed cloud offerings which include both Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) solutions. Master Security validates Datalink’s ability to deliver data center security solutions.
As a Cisco Gold partner, with these three master certifications, Datalink is one of very few partners in the United States to achieve this level of certification. This brings us back to, “Why does this matter?” The answer is that it enables Datalink to solve complex data center problems by delivering business outcomes to our customers. With the highest level of data center capabilities, validated by some of the most stringent certifications in the industry, Datalink can help companies transform their technology, operations, and service delivery to meet their demanding business challenges.
Contact us today to learn how our extensive expertise can help you achieve your strategic goals.
Tim Rasmussen
VP, Cisco National Practice