Definition
Q. What is a Cisco Enterprise Agreement?
A. The Cisco Enterprise Agreement is a cross-architecture buying program for purchasing and managing software and supporting services through a single, flexible agreement. Each Cisco technology portfolio has its own set of products that make up the building-block approach to buying and managing software and services.
Available Product Suites
Q. What Cisco security products are available to choose from in a Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement?
A. For a Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement, the following security product suites are available:
● Cisco Secure Firewall
● Cisco Secure Endpoint
● Cisco Cloudlock
● Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
● Cisco Secure Web Application
● Cisco Secure Workload
● Cisco Secure Email
● Cisco Secure Network Analytics
● Cisco Umbrella
● Kenna Security
● Cisco Secure Access by Duo
● Cisco AnyConnect*
● Cisco Defense Orchestrator*
● Cisco Cyber Vision*
● Cisco Secure Malware Analytics*
● Cisco Secure Endpoint Virtual Private Cloud*
● Cisco Talos Incident Response*
*Indicates an optional product suite that does not count toward the two-product minimum for Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement.
Minimum Requirements
Q. How many security product suites are required to start a Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement?
A. You must choose a minimum of two security product suites or one qualifying security product suite from another Enterprise Agreement Enrollment to begin a Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement.
A. The license minimum would be 100 security content users for a Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement. Agreement terms are for either three or five years.
Discounts
Q. What is Growth Allowance and are there any exceptions?
A. Our Growth Allowance gives you access to additional security software and support services up to 20 percent of the initial number in the Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement—without incurring additional charges. The only product suite exceptions that do not meet the Growth Allowance terms would be optional suites or add-ons.
Q. Are there any discounts available with the Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement? And if so, what are the discounts and what are the eligibility terms?
A. Yes, the Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement offers a Multi-Suite Discount (MSD) based on the number of suites in your agreement. Here is a breakdown of the discounts: 2 suites = 5 percent discount, 3 suites = 10 percent discount, 4 suites = 15 percent discount, 5 suites = 18 percent discount, 6 or more suites = 20 percent discount
Security Support
Q. What support services are available through the Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement? Can I upgrade from basic support to Premium support during an Enterprise Agreement term?
A. The basic support services are available to you through the Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement: 24x7 Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) phone support (1-hour response time), knowledge-base access, and software updates and upgrades. Enhanced and Premium support levels are available to you for purchase, and include analytics/proactive notifications, learning and training, and more.
Existing Agreement Adjustments
Q. Can I add Cisco Secure product suites to my established Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement?
A. Yes, if you have an existing Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement, you can add additional suites to your current Enterprise Agreement. The only requirement is that you would need to add a minimum of one qualified suite to your existing Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement to receive a new Multi-Suite Discount (MSD).
Q. Can you reduce the quantity of products and services entering a Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement?
A. No, you would not be able to make a reduction in the quantity of products and services covered, after entering your Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement.
Q. Can you cancel an existing Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement?
A. No, you would not be able to cancel an existing Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement.
Payment and Billing
Q. What type of payment plans are available for a Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement? Are there annual plus quarterly payment plans or just annual?
A. Cisco offers an annual payment plan. This allows you to consolidate all licenses and agreements into one single transaction.
Q. Will there be charges for any qualifying product suite licenses that I consume that were not part of my initial Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement?
A. If you consume a license not included in the initial Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement purchase, you will receive an immediate charge for the new product. This is when True Forward will be initiated.
True Forward
Q. What is True Forward?
A. True Forward is Cisco’s annual adjustment process to account for any overconsumption of software licenses, software as a service (SaaS), and software support services that you may incur during a Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement term that exceeds the Growth Allowance.
Q. How does Cisco’s True Forward compare to competitors?
A. Unlike other enterprise license agreements that require a “true up” every year, with a Cisco Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement, if there is overconsumption, you are not retroactively charged during the year. Instead, your payment for growth (after an allowance, if applicable) is revised at the beginning of your next billing period (initial Enterprise Agreement anniversary date) and continues through the end of your Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement term. Increases are reflected in each new year of your Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement.
Q. How would True Forward charges be calculated in my Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement?
A. Secure Choice Enterprise Agreements use the Value Shift calculation method to calculate True Forward charges.
Value Shift
Q. What is Value Shift?
A. Value Shift is where you can consume different products within a suite and any unused license values from your original license purchases can be transferred to other licenses within the same suite. Values cannot be shifted across suites or Enterprise Agreements.
Q. How is Value Shift calculated or determined?
A. The Value Shift calculation method allows for a portion of your True Forward payment obligation to be offset by the residual value remaining in software or cloud services in the same suite. True Forward is calculated the same for your subscription and perpetual licenses, utilizing the Pure Consumption or Value Shift calculation methods. For perpetual licenses, there is a true-up at the end of the final term year for any overconsumption you accumulated in that year. With the Pure Consumption method, there is no offset of over- and under consumption. Secure Choice Enterprise Agreements use the Value Shift–only calculation method.
License Management
Q. What type of account would I need to set up to manage my Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement software licenses?
A. The Smart Account is a customer-managed centralized account that provides you full visibility into and access control of your Cisco smart software licenses. This is where licenses are deposited for you to access and serves as a repository. You will need to create your own Smart Account for your own licenses. Cisco Enterprise Agreements are placed by product line, so there is a separate account for the Cisco Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement.
Q. What platform is available to manage my Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement software licenses?
A. Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement software licenses can be managed through the Enterprise Agreement Workspace (EAWS), an enterprise-wide software license management and provisioning tool. This tool is a common platform for all Cisco Enterprise Agreement purchases. Within this platform you can generate licenses without using packs, view entitlements in one single location, generate reports, and verify license consumption and license management.
Q. Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement—Buying made simple.
A. Learn more about how you can buy security the simple way, with the Cisco Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement—a single agreement for instant savings and the freedom to grow.
Security buying made simple—Secure Choice Enterprise Agreement