---
title: "Cisco’s AI Channel Playbook: Cassie Roach on Partner Enablement and Infrastructure Innovation, Podcast"
description: Cisco is positioning itself not just as a networking leader — but as the channel’s go-to platform for AI-ready data centers.
---

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# [Cisco’s AI Channel Playbook: Cassie Roach on Partner Enablement and Infrastructure Innovation, Podcast](https://www.cloudcommunications.com/podcasts/ciscos-ai-channel-playbook-cassie-roach-on-partner-enablement-and-infrastructure-innovation-podcast)

 Written by [Amy Ralls](https://www.cloudcommunications.com/podcasts/author/amy) | Jun 16, 2025 5:51:19 PM

*"AI is a once-in-a-generation opportunity — and Cisco is making it real for partners." *— Cassie Roach, Global VP, Cloud and AI Infrastructure Partner Sales, Cisco

At Cisco Live 2025 in San Diego, *Technology Reseller News* publisher Doug Green spoke with **Cassie Roach**, Cisco’s Global Vice President of Cloud and AI Infrastructure Partner Sales, about the company’s bold steps to transform AI hype into tangible partner opportunity.

With major announcements around **AI infrastructure**, including **AI Pods**, **Nexus HyperFabric**, and **GPU-intensive servers**, Cisco is positioning itself not just as a networking leader — but as the channel’s go-to platform for **AI-ready data centers**.

**Key Cisco AI Updates for Partners:**

- **AI-Ready Infrastructure Specialization**: A new certification that helps partners align with customer POCs, scale faster, and prove ROI.
- **Black Belt Training & Partner Tools**: Designed to educate, equip, and incentivize partner sellers with co-selling platforms, growth planning, and layered rewards.
- **Marketing Velocity Central**: Cisco-branded campaign kits and industry-specific go-to-market resources for partners.
- **AI Pods**: Modular infrastructure for training, fine-tuning, and inferencing workloads — with “small, medium, and large” sizing for pilot-to-production journeys.

“We’re creating an easy button for partners — even in a complex AI environment,” Roach explained.

Cisco’s approach focuses on **frictionless engagement** — empowering partners with everything from vertical use-case blueprints to hands-on support for opportunity identification through **PXP Growth Finder**.

Roach emphasized that success depends on enabling partners at every level — not just executives or system integrators — but also **frontline sellers**, who now have access to tools that simplify the AI value proposition and drive sales.

She also highlighted how AI is being **securely embedded** across Cisco’s portfolio — from infrastructure to **Webex Collaboration** and **end-to-end security**, allowing customers to move from pilots to production with confidence.

“This isn’t just about AI,” Roach said. “It’s about unlocking the entire Cisco portfolio — in a way that creates real stickiness, real customer outcomes, and real partner growth.”

To explore Cisco’s partner programs and AI infrastructure resources, visit [cisco.com](https://www.cisco.com/), or log into the partner portal via Sales Connect.

[View full post](https://www.cloudcommunications.com/podcasts/ciscos-ai-channel-playbook-cassie-roach-on-partner-enablement-and-infrastructure-innovation-podcast)

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