Cisco to Retire the Cisco MDS Fabric Switching Authorized Technology Provider (ATP) Program

Announcement Date: August 4, 2009
Last day for new partners to be invited: August 4, 2009
Retirement Date: August 4, 2009

Cisco will retire the Cisco® MDS Fabric Switching Authorized Technology Provider (ATP) Program effective August 4, 2009, and is moving direct access to MDS fabric storage switching products from the ATP Program to Cisco’s Wholesale Price List (WPL), to provide a direct route to market for all Cisco partners. This move to WPL demands exception to normal 90 day continuation of the invitation process. However, existing partners as of August 4, 2009 will still be recognized as MDS ATP program until their anniversary expiration process.

Although original storage manufacturers (OSMs), such as EMC, IBM, and HP, and solution technology integrators (STIs) remain Cisco’s primary route to market for MDS storage networking products, starting July 27, 2009, Cisco will also allow partners to have direct, unrestricted access to Cisco MDS 9100 Series and 9200 Series Multilayer Switches through participating Cisco Authorized Distributors.

Direct access to Cisco MDS 9500 Series Multilayer Director switches still requires that partners follow an additional exception process (just as was used in the ATP Program), to allow Cisco the opportunity to verify whether a direct route to market is deemed more appropriate for a specific deal than Cisco’s primary route to market through OSMs and STIs.

To determine which Cisco Authorized Distributors are participating in providing direct access to MDS fabric storage switching products, or if you have an MDS Director switch deal you believe should be considered for an exception process, please contact your assigned Cisco channel account manager (CAM).