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TechTrade | 26 Jun 2012 :  Cisco and Citrix have announced the launch of a joint Partner Accelerator collaboration aimed at simplifying the go-to market. The global initiative seeks to consolidate channel sales and delivery models across the two firms through a single framework to build partner competencies and drive profitability.

The Accelerator will help partners engage in consultative sales; expand their data centre, desktop virtualisation and collaboration practises; and develop repeatable solutions. It will also help retailers to build combined virtual desktops, enhance the sales and marketing resources and provide differentiation in the form of unique branding.

Director at data centre go-to-market solutions for Cisco Brian Allison said customer trends are changing the workplace and expectations of what it takes to operate securely. "The Cisco and Citrix Partner Accelerator draws from the two companies' best practices to give channel partners the resources they need to deliver complete, multi-vendor solutions that meet the needs of the changing workplace, and build more strategic relationships with their customers."

Cynthia Gallent, vice president of worldwide channel strategy and market development for Citrix, said: "The partner accelerator, the next step in the evolution of of our partnership with Cisco, arms our joint partners with the tools and training they need to build more strategic relationships with customers and grow their business by increasing revenue and shortening the sales and implementation cycle."

Fiona Donnellan