Stanimira Koleva, Director of SMB for Cisco Systems in Europe says she is looking for many more smaller partners. "I want to take it to the next level this year. We are over the basics of integration and infrastructure. Where we want to take it next is to expand the numbers of resellers working with us,|" she says."

This means moving from "over-engineering" and product solutions where she thinks Cisco is getting better. "I'm basically driving two main strategies at the moment: One is the SMB - small business has been the most happening place in Cisco for the last year in terms of frequency of launches - since the $100m investment strategy a year ago. The way partners can get registered with us is easier and we have moved to a solution concept - not box level - which allows them to get more information. Half way through the year we launched new web pages - a big focus around using technology, and we now have three party communications using a Cisco agent who can find online resellers to offer a real time three-sided conversation."

This all aims to make working with Cisco SMB easier. "We know that when you come from the large enterprise environment - there is a tendency to over complicate."
"Last year we inherited nearly 200 partners from Linksys, these are the type of partners we want to continue to attract - people carrying DLink, Netgear and 3Com. We believe that these people would normally be multivendor and there are signs that we would be appreciated once we can show partners that there is good news."

"This is not a one day thing - we're here to stay. We will continue to get more resellers trained."

There is a difference of opportunity in the various European countries. "The ones I believe we have done well in include Germany - leading the pack in numbers of partners, and the UK which is doing well with a good increase. I see opportunities in the Nordics and the traditional landscapes - maybe France which represents an interesting landscape. We have a two prong drive - one is the distributors and our territory-based sales team that we rely on to serve up the partners."