The Axians & Cisco partnership reflects more than three decades of collaboration built on trust, strategic alignment, and shared innovation. With the launch of the Cisco 360 Partner Program and accelerating opportunities in AI, secure networking, and managed services, the alliance continues to evolve in response to a rapidly transforming market.
José Van Dijk, Vice President, EMEA Partner Sales & Routes to Market at Cisco, provides insight into this enduring collaboration. She shares her perspective on the evolution of the partnership, the importance of alignment and investment, and the strategic priorities that will shape the next phase of the Axians–Cisco journey.
Cisco has recently introduced the Cisco 360 Partner Program. How do you see this evolution and what does it represent for a strategic partnership with Axians?
We just celebrated the launch of the Cisco 360 Partner Program in Amsterdam, and it marks a major milestone for us at Cisco. We haven’t made significant changes to our partner program for about 20 years. The market is moving incredibly fast, especially with AI accelerating change across all technologies.
We needed to ensure that our incentive program evolves alongside the market and technology. At the same time, we have changed the way we incentivize our own sales teams. Partners are Cisco’s DNA. So when we adjust our internal incentive structure, we must ensure our partners are aligned as well.
Strategic partners like Axians played an important role in shaping the Cisco 360 Partner Program. The feedback we received from Axians during the design phase helped us tremendously in bringing it to market successfully. We are very pleased with how we have worked together, and now that the program is live, we are ready for the next phase of our partnership.
Axians and Cisco have been working together for over 30 years. How would you describe the evolution of this partnership?
When you’ve been working together for more than 30 years, it’s like a marriage. It’s built on trust, loyalty, and knowing how to support each other.
Our customers trust Axians. Our sales teams trust Axians. When you connect what the customer needs, what our sales teams do, and what Axians delivers, you create what I call a golden triangle.
Axians is a trusted advisor to customers and continues to invest heavily in technology and technical expertise. Within the Cisco 360 Partner Program, we assess partners through a partner value index, where the highest level is above 7.5. The ongoing investments Axians makes in technical knowledge and development are key to the success of our collaboration.
We truly appreciate how we drive business and move forward together.
From your perspective, what makes Axians a strong and trusted Cisco partner across different markets and technologies?
Axians consistently invests in technical capabilities and innovation across multiple markets, technologies, and architectures.
We don’t just want to capture market share from competitors. We want to expand the size of the market itself. Axians’ expertise and technological strength, combined with Cisco’s innovation engine, create a winning combination.
That synergy is what makes this partnership incredibly strong. In addition, Axians’ strategy, particularly its best of ICT approach, aligns very well with Cisco’s strategy. As long as both companies are aligned from a strategic perspective, the structural model becomes less important. That alignment is what makes the partnership successful.
Can you share an example of how close collaboration with Axians has helped address complex matters?
We are here in Amsterdam at Cisco Live, and just before this interview, someone asked me to make sure I mention a major SD-WAN project completed together with Axians in Madagascar.
There was also a very successful collaboration in Portugal. What’s interesting is that when you talk about Axians here, people immediately bring up successful projects, even without being prompted.
That clearly demonstrates the impact and strength of our partnership. There are so many successful projects that it’s hard to single out just one.
Looking ahead, how do you see the future of the Cisco Axians partnership? Where do you see the greatest opportunities for joint growth?
There is so much happening in the market, especially in AI. A decade ago, AI seemed like science-fiction. Today, it is here to stay and acts as an accelerator for everything.
The biggest opportunities lie in helping customers grow faster through AI. This requires networks that are scalable, secure, and ready. We are seeing significant refresh cycles in networking and strong momentum in secure AI networking, areas that are very well aligned with what Axians is doing.
Security is also critical. With rapid AI development, protection from outside in and inside out becomes essential. Our joint solutions help customers prepare for that.
Another major opportunity lies in managed services. Talent is becoming a challenge in this rapidly evolving market. Axians has made impressive investments in certifications and technical expertise. Combining that expertise with Cisco’s innovation creates strong managed service opportunities.
This not only increases customer loyalty but also helps customers overcome their most complex challenges in a market where skilled talent is scarce.
We’ve just started 2026. In a few words, what are the objectives of the Cisco Axians partnership for this new year?
The objective is simple. It’s called CISCO:
“C” for Core, “I” for Infrastructure, “S” for Security, and “C” for Customer Experience, which drives the “O” for Opportunity. That’s the direction for 2026.