Become a Small Business Foundation Specialized Partner
Prove your skills in designing and deploying Cisco Small Business solutions. Learn more.
Small Business Specialization
| Entry | Express | Advanced | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Related certifications: Small Business Foundation is required for Cisco Select Certification. | |||
Cisco Small Business Foundation Specialization helps increase your competitive advantage through understanding of and access to Cisco Small Business offerings. You can also:
- Increase your technical competency in deploying integrated Cisco Small Business solutions
- Meet role-based requirements to qualify as an account manager and an engineer for the small business market
- Become eligible for the VIP-Express program and earn rewards for selling Cisco products, starting in Q2FY11
- Qualify for Cisco Select Certification in the Cisco Certified Partner program
- Be recognized as a Cisco Specialized Partner in the Cisco Partner Locator
Cisco offers a variety of additional Small Business Specialization resources and partner training.
Specialization Requirements
Two roles are required for the Small Business Foundation Specialization:
- Account manager
- Engineer
These roles provide a roadmap with training content and exams that are tailored to pertinent jobs within a company. Following is a summary of training format, cost, and duration specifically for each role, as well as additional general training requirements. All costs are estimated and may vary by region.
Account Manager
Responsible for sales methodology and customer engagement.
| Prerequisite: | Format | Cost (USD) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | - | - | - |
| Requirement(s): | Format | Cost (USD) | Duration |
| SBF for Account Managers (650-256) | Exam | $65 | 60 min |
| Recommended Training: | Format | Cost (USD) | Duration |
| Smart Business Roadmap for Small Business Cisco for Small Business v2 Cisco Small Business - Routing v1 Cisco Small Business - Security v1 Cisco Small Business - Services and Support v1 Cisco Small Business - Switching v2 Cisco Small Business - UC320 v1 Cisco SMART Designs v2 Cisco OnPlus Cisco Webex - Meeting Center Cisco Tools and Resources for Account Managers |
E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
15 min 25 min 45 min 55 min 32 min 20 min 75 min 25 min 60 min 30 min 30 min |
| Total: | $65 | 8 hrs |
Engineer
Combines presales and post-sales functions; responsible for designing and implementing simple customer business solutions.
| Prerequisite: | Format | Cost (USD) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | - | - | - |
| Requirements: | |||
| SBF for Engineers (650-395) | Exam | $65 | 75 min |
| Recommended Training: | Format | Cost (USD) | Duration |
| Smart Business Roadmap for Small Business Cisco for Small Business v2 Cisco Small Business - Routing v1 Cisco Small Business - Security v1 Cisco Small Business - Services and Support v1 Cisco Small Business - Switching v2 Cisco Small Business - UC320 v1 Cisco SMART Designs v2 Cisco OnPlus Cisco Webex - Meeting Center Cisco Tools and Resources for Account Managers SB Technology Fundamentals |
E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning E-learning |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
15 min 25 min 45 min 55 min 20 min 75 min 60 min 30 min 30 min 30 min 30 min 120 min |
| Total: | $65 | 11 hrs | |
Country Requirements:Learn more about Country Groupings |
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Your company must be a Cisco Registered Partner before you apply for specialization or certification. Follow these steps to apply:
- Visit the "Become a Registered Partner" page if you are new to the Cisco Channel Partner Program and have not registered.
- Verify that the certified individuals fulfilling job roles are allocated to your company with their CSCO testing number. Partner Administrators and internal Cisco employees (associated through the CAM Assignment tool) are able to verify this information using the Partner Self Service tool . (It takes five to ten business days on average for Cisco to receive the exam results data from its respective testing agencies.)
- Complete and submit the Specialization application.
If you encounter any issues in the application or renewal process, please open a case with the Partner Relationship Team.
To renew a specialization:
- Begin the recertification process 90 days before your anniversary date.
- Verify that you are in compliance with the current specialization requirements.
- Submit your application using the Certification and Specialization Application online web tool.
You must meet all requirements to submit your application. If you encounter any issues in the application or renewal process, open a case with the Cisco Partner Relationship Team.
If you fail to submit a recertification application within 10 days after your anniversary date, you will lose your specialization.
Note: If a partner does not remain in compliance with the applicable specialization or certification requirements, Cisco reserves the right to revoke the specialization or certification at any time. Partners must notify Cisco of its non-compliance promptly, but in no event more than thirty (30) days after partner fi rst becomes aware of its non-compliance. Upon receipt of such notice, partner may qualify for an extension of time in which to renew its compliance with the applicable specialization or certification requirements. Partner's failure to provide such notice may disqualify partner from receiving such an extension. If no extension is granted or if partner fails to comply with the certification or specialization requirements by the end of the extension period, Cisco reserves the right to revoke the applicable specialization or certification immediately. Additional information regarding non-compliance may be found in the Audit and Policies Document.