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Value Incentive Program Global Operations Guide

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Value Incentive Program Operations Guide Cisco Confidential

For Channel Partner use only. Not for distribution.



Contents

Welcome ................................................................................................................................................. 3

Important information ............................................................................................................................ 3

Recommended web browsers .............................................................................................................. 3

About the program ................................................................................................................................. 4

Program lifecycle ................................................................................................................................... 4

Program documentation ........................................................................................................................ 6

Pre-enrollment ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Enrollment .............................................................................................................................................. 8

Program management ......................................................................................................................... 12

Activation bonus Proof of Performance (POP) ................................................................................... 15

Activation bonus opportunities ........................................................................................................... 15

Activation POP ..................................................................................................................................... 15

Activated orders/SKUs report ............................................................................................................. 16

POP submission ................................................................................................................................... 17

Cisco review ......................................................................................................................................... 22

Activation support and resources ....................................................................................................... 22

Support and resources ........................................................................................................................ 25

Frequently asked questions ................................................................................................................ 28



Welcome

Thank you for your interest in the Cisco® Value Incentive Program (VIP).

This guide is designed to provide you with information about how to effectively participate in the program and

qualify for incentives, as noted in the documentation on www.cisco.com/go/vip. Use this guide to become familiar

with the processes and tools, including detailed information about the following program phases:

Pre-enrollment

Enrollment

Program management

Important information

This document is updated periodically by Cisco and posted on the Value Incentive Program website (access

requires a Cisco.com user ID and password).

If a translated version of this document exists, always refer to the English version on the Value Incentive Program

website for the most current edition. In the event of a discrepancy between a translated version of the document

and the English version on the program website, the English version shall prevail.

Revision history

Recommended web browsers

The hyperlinks in this guide must be accessed with a web browser. For the best experience, it is recommended that

you use one of the following browsers:

Changed Page Description Effective Date

Creation of VIP 31 document

January 28, 2018

Mozilla Firefox 3.4 or later Google Chrome Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (requires

Microsoft Windows XP or later)

http://www.cisco.com/go/vip




About the program

The Cisco Value Incentive Program (VIP) is a comprehensive back-end incentive program designed to increase

margins for Cisco channel partners. The program provides a reward to partners that achieve program objectives

during either a 6-month program period or a 3-month program period.

The current program period SKUs list provides details about the eligible products and annuity-based offers.

The program is composed of two tracks and multiple subtracks, as outlined in Table 1.

Table 1. VIP tracks and subtracks

Tracks Subtracks

Architecture

Enterprise Networks

Security

Data Center

Collaboration

Service Provider Technology

New Business

Enterprise Networks Annuity

Collaboration Annuity

Security Annuity

Data Center Annuity

Meraki®

The program is closely aligned to the Cisco Channel Partner Program to further extend the benefits our partners

may receive from their investments in Cisco certifications, specializations, and designations.

Program lifecycle

Figure 1 outlines the lifecycle for the Value Incentive Program. It is important to clearly understand how the business

rules, tools, and processes work, using the required documents in Table 3 and resources outlined in this document.

Figure 1. End-to-end process flow for program lifecycle

http://www.cisco.com/go/vipskus



Key dates for VIP 31

Table 2 outlines the specific program dates that you will need to adhere to for VIP 31.

Table 2. Program key dates

Activity Key dates Comments

Duration/period

Program period January 28, 2018 to July 28,

2018 Enrollment is required for each VIP period.

Enrollment 6 months: January 28, 2018 to

March 9, 2018

3 months: April 29, 2018 to May

25, 2018

Use the Partner Program Enrollment (PPE)

tool to enroll and track enrollment progress:

www.cisco.com/go/ppe.

Customer satisfaction

survey

Opens: January 28, 2018

Ends: July 28, 2018. (PAL tool

closes July 13, 2018)

Partners can use the Partner Access Online

(PAL) tool to track CSAT performance at

www.cisco.com/go/pal.

Bookings deadlines

Direct orders Orders must be booked with

Cisco by July 28, 2018 and be

shipped before October 27,

2018.

A booked order is one that has been entered

into Cisco’s ordering system, has passed the

initial hold/credit check, and complies with

Cisco’s internal booking acceptance policy.

Standard orders placed

through distribution

Orders must be shipped and

invoiced by a distributor by July

26, 2018.

Channel bookings

neutrality (CBN) orders

placed through distribution

Order must be booked with

Cisco by July 28, 2018 and be

shipped before October 27,

2018.

Distribution sales visibility

(DSV) orders placed

through distribution

Order must DSV book with Cisco

by July 28, 2018 and must ship

and invoice from the distributor

by October 27, 2018.

Discrepancy cases A Cisco support case must be

received by August 31, 2018 and

can only be opened using the

Customer Service Central (CSC)

case tool.

Raise all bookings discrepancy cases using

the CSC case tool at Customer Service

Central.

Discrepancies reported to Cisco personnel

via email and not by a CSC support case will

not be honored in any disputes.

http://www.cisco.com/go/ppe

http://www.cisco.com/go/pal



Program documentation

Table 3 outlines the program documentation that provides the requirements and available products specific for the VIP 31

period. These documents are available at www.cisco.com/go/vip.

Table 3. Program documentation

Document What’s included

Program rules

Participation prerequisites for each track and subtrack

Payout criteria

Base and incremental incentive details

Other terms and conditions

Review these rules carefully

Selling Guide Highlights of each subtrack

Key strategies for success

Presentation Summary of key VIP 31 details in PowerPoint format

Eligible SKUs list

Each VIP period, the SKUs list defines VIP-eligible SKUs. This list will be

updated throughout the program period identified in Table 2. Any changes to

SKUs or rates will be posted monthly at www.cisco.com/go/vipskus.

Pre-enrollment It’s critical to manage your preferences and assign critical roles prior to enrolling in the Value Incentive Program.

The partner administrator for your company is automatically assigned as Cisco’s primary contact and also

possesses the partner administrator level of entitlement, which allows that role to:

Manage the account profile

Associate employees to your company

Assign other important roles (including additional partner administrators for your company and rebate

coordinator(s))

Gain access to the Partner Access Online (PAL) tool

Grant access to Total Program View and the VIP dashboard

Before the partner administrator for your company begins the enrollment process, it is recommended that the

following be completed in advance:

1. Manage the account profile: Set up your communications preferences through your Cisco account profile.

Payments

Estimated payment dates First payment: October 2018

Second payment: December

2018

Make sure that one of the designated partner

administrators for your company assigns a

rebate coordinator specifically for VIP under

“Manage Program Contacts” in the Partner

Self-Service (PSS) tool at

www.cisco.com/go/pss.



https://rpfa.cloudapps.cisco.com/rpfa/profile/profile_management.do

http://www.cisco.com/go/pss



2. Associate employees to your company: Make sure other employees are associated with your company and

have access to Cisco websites:

a. They need a Cisco.com user ID and password first. Register here.

b. After the Cisco user ID is registered, each employee will need to go to Partner Self-Service to request

association.

c. You will receive an email to approve the association. Within 48 hours of your approval, employees will

have access to all resources based on your company’s access level.

3. Assign additional partner administrators: If you prefer, you can assign another person as your partner

administrator using Partner Self-Service. Refer to the Partner Self-Service job aid, user guide, and FAQs for

directions, and make sure that this individual is assigned one of the following access levels in a specific

country group, as shown in Figure 2:

PPP partner app admin

CPAPP partner app admin

Figure 2. Partner administrator entitlement level

4. Grant access to Total Program View and the VIP dashboard: This will allow you to manage and track

performance for your company within the program.

5. Gain access to the Cisco Partner Access Online (PAL) tool: Partners wanting to enroll in VIP must have

access to the PAL tool for the purpose of providing customers’ contact information (including email addresses

to which surveys will be sent) and for completing follow-up activities on all low scores received on surveys

during the current fiscal year.

If you do not currently have access to the PAL tool, contact your Cisco partner account manager (PAM).

6. Important: Attend a VIP launch call: Launch calls are a critical opportunity to immerse yourself in VIP if you are

new to the program or to find out what’s new if you are a regular program participant. The schedule of events

by region is on the VIP website at www.cisco.com/go/vip, so check the schedule and register to attend a call

for your region.

If you missed the calls, you will find recordings for the different regions on the VIP website for you to review.

https://idreg.cloudapps.cisco.com/idreg/register.do



http://www.cisco.com/web/services/resources/infocentre/documents/EXTERNAL_JOBAID_Managing_Contacts_Partner_Self_Service_Jan2014.pdf

https://getlog.cloudapps.cisco.com/WWChannels/GETLOG/pdf/userGuide_en.pdf

https://getlog.cloudapps.cisco.com/WWChannels/GETLOG/pdf/groupAdminFAQ_en.pdf




Enrollment

All partners must enroll in the Value Incentive Program every six months, regardless of whether they were enrolled

in prior VIP periods or in other programs at Cisco. There is no automatic enrollment.

Only the designated partner administrator for your company can complete and submit the enrollment application. If

your company meets the participation criteria and wants to enroll in one or more VIP subtracks, your partner

administrator must access the Partner Program Enrollment (PPE) tool at www.cisco.com/go/ppe.

To begin the enrollment, launch the PPE tool to access your application (valid Cisco ID and password required).

There are three parts to the application:

Who is involved

Terms and conditions

Review and submit

Make sure to complete the required information on each tab and submit the application.

Start your enrollment

1. Log in to PPE at www.cisco.com/go/ppe.

2. Select Value Incentive Program 31.

3. Click Enroll (Figure 3).

4. The “multi geography” selection pop-up screen appears. Select the geography and click OK.

Note: This drop-down will display only the geographies where the partner holds the required PPE admin

access.

Figure 3. Enrollment steps: Selecting your program

5. The Eligible and Potential Tracks screen appears.

6. Select the desired track, then complete the enrollment steps when prompted (Figure 4).

Value Incentive Program 31





Figure 4. Enrollment steps: Selecting your eligible and potential tracks

Section 1: Who is involved

1. Verify that your company information is correct under the Who Is Involved tab. Make any needed changes.

2. Click Save and Continue (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Program enrollment steps: Defining who is involved

Gar Smith | Cisco Partner ABC Street San Jose, CA 95131 United States

Gar Smith Manager 408-555-1212

[email protected]

Geography: United States Partner Name: Cisco Partner Parent Enrollment ID; 123456 Created By: Gar Smith



Section 2: Terms and conditions

1. Carefully review the terms and conditions.

2. Check the Click Here to Sign check box to accept.

3. Click Continue (Figure 6). You will be directed to the final step of your enrollment application.

Figure 6. Program enrollment steps: Accepting terms and conditions


Cisco Value Incentive Program Agreement: Period 30



Section 3: Review and submit

1. Review your enrollment information under the Review and Submit tab. Under Enrollment Summary, items

designated with a red X status indicate that required information is still needed. All items must have a green

check before you can submit the application (Figure 7).

2. Click Submit Request.

Figure 7. Program enrollment steps: Reviewing and submitting your application

Confirmation and program status

After you have submitted your application, you will immediately be able to view your application submission status

and effective dates for VIP 31 (Figure 8).




Figure 8. Program enrollment steps: Status

You will also receive a confirmation email from Cisco with your program enrollment status.

For any enrollment issues, a Customer Service Central (CSC) case needs to be opened before the end of the

enrollment period. Issues related to enrollment reported via email, not using CSC, or after the enrollment period

ends will not be considered. Refer to the Support and Resources section of this guide for more information.

Program management

VIP is recognized worldwide by partners as a primary contributor to partner margins. In order to qualify for the

payout and benefit the most from the program, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with and review the

documents and processes outlined:

1. Assign rebate coordinator(s).

2. Review the program documentation.

3. Participate in customer satisfaction (CSAT) measurement.

4. Track your performance using Total Program View (TPV).

5. Maintain relevant certifications and specializations.

6. Monitor and track incentive payments.

Regular reviews will help you maximize your incentive earnings by selling applicable products and offers while

maintaining required eligibility.

1. Assign VIP rebate coordinator(s): Failure to assign at least one VIP rebate coordinator is one of the biggest

reasons for partners not receiving their VIP payments on time. Your rebate coordinator is the person

responsible for executing the VIP rebate claim process, and all VIP rebate claim notifications are sent to the

person assigned to this role for your company. Individuals who are to be assigned as rebate coordinators

specifically for VIP must already be associated to your company. For step-by-step instructions on how to

assign this role, go to www.cisco.com/go/gep.

2. Review the program documentation in Table 3.

3. Participate in customer satisfaction (CSAT) measurement: The Annuity subtracks are not subject to the

CSAT requirement. Refer to the VIP program rules document for a complete list of CSAT requirements:

www.cisco.com/go/vip.

USA

Gar Smith

http://www.cisco.com/go/gep




4. Track your performance using Total Program View (TPV): TPV is an essential tool for tracking your VIP

performance. It is recommended that you check it regularly to make sure that all eligible bookings are

recognized for VIP. If there are discrepancies, you need to report these through a CSC case immediately or

at least within 1 month from the final bookings date, but no later than August 31, 2018. You can also track

the status of minimum bookings; specialization, certification, and designation status; and CSAT

requirements in TPV, making it critical to review TPV at least monthly.

Access: To request access to TPV, refer to the resource materials here.

Training: Refer to the interactive training within the TPV tool or refer to the related documentation on the

Cisco Operations Exchange Community here.

Tracking payments: To access your Value Incentive Program dashboard, refer to

www.cisco.com/go/tpv.

As indicated in Figure 9, the VIP dashboard displays your incentive payment-related information and

detailed reports. You can download and view reports by clicking the icon located in the upper right

corner of the program summary. If you would like to download detailed reports about eligibility,

bookings, or payments, select Detailed Reports (available in the left navigation).

Figure 9. Steps to access your Value Incentive Program dashboard

5. Maintaining relevant certifications, specialization, and designations: The program rules specify what

certifications, specializations, and designations your company needs to maintain for participation in VIP. It is

important to maintain these for the duration of the VIP period in which you are enrolled. Otherwise, you will

lose the rebates offered through VIP. Of course, your company might also want to consider whether it

would be advantageous to invest in achieving other specializations or certifications or whether to exploit the

opportunities in the new business areas outlined in VIP (Annuity subtracks, and Meraki).

6. Incentive payments: Incentive payments are paid on a specific schedule, as outlined in Table 2.

http://www.cisco.com/go/cs

https://forums.cisco.com/OperationsExchange/s/Training-Details?L1Category=Training&L2Category=Total_Program_View_Training&L1CategoryPath=training

http://www.cisco.com/go/tpv

https://forums.cisco.com/OperationsExchange/s/Training-Details?L1Category=Training&L2Category=Total_Program_View_Training&L1CategoryPath=training




Activation bonus

Proof of Performance (POP)

submission



Activation bonus Proof of Performance (POP)

The Activation bonus pilot is the latest addition to the Value Incentive Program.

To qualify for the incremental payment in the Enterprise Networks and Enterprise Networks Annuity subtracks, you

need to validate that eligible software has been activated by submitting Proof of Performance (POP) for review at

www.cisco.com/go/ppe.

In the Data Center Annuity subtrack, for Cisco Intersight™, eligible activations will be monitored using telemetry. As

a result of this pilot, Proof-of-Performance (POP) submissions are not required in order to qualify for the Activation

bonus.

In this section you will find the required steps to validate activation within the Enterprise Networks and Enterprise

Networks Annuity subtracks. Figure 10 outlines the end-to-end process flow.

Figure 10. End-to end process flow for Activation bonus POP submission

Activation bonus opportunities

SKUs eligible for the Activation bonus are identified within the VIP SKUs list. Any changes to the SKUs will be

posted monthly at www.cisco.com/go/vipskus. It is recommended that you compare your pipeline deals against the

Activation-eligible SKUs regularly, to identify key opportunities for incremental rebates. No specific notifications

about Activation opportunities and incentives will be sent to partners. By including Activation services in the initial

pricing of the deal, and collecting the POP during the service delivery, you can reduce your efforts and receive

payment faster.

Activation POP

Each of the software solutions has a set of requirements, including Activation POP, that must be validated before

you can qualify for your rebate. Table 4 provides links to the POP requirements and submission form for each

eligible software product. You will need to submit a completed form and accompanying screen shots as the

Activation POP via the PPE tool.

Table 4. Links to Activation POP guidelines

Eligible software Documentation

Cisco DNA™ Center: Build an

intelligent network.

Proof of Performance Guidelines

Partner books SKUs

eligible for

Activation bonus

Delivers solution,

activates software,

and completes

Activation POP

Runs VIP report and

filters customer,

sales order(s), and

SKUs

Submits Proof of

Performance

(Activation POP and

filtered VIP report)

Cisco reviews Proof

of Performance and

notifies partner




https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/cloud-systems-management/dna-center/index.html?stickynav=1

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/partners/downloads/partner/WWChannels/vip/dnac-activation-vip-pop.pdf



Cisco Stealthwatch®: Offers

network visibility and security

analytics.


Cisco Identity Services Engine:

Delivers secure network access.


Activated orders/SKUs report

To avoid facing many questions and potential discrepancies, it is important for you to identify the orders and SKUs

you have activated in your VIP eligible bookings report.

To download the report, log in to TPV, then refer to the Detailed Reports section (available in the left navigation;

see Figure 11). It is recommended that you regularly download and review your VIP eligible and ineligible bookings

reports to track your VIP performance. For more information, refer to the Program Management section of this

guide.

Figure 11. Displaying Detailed Reports

Once you have downloaded the VIP eligible bookings report, filter the end customer and sales order(s) or SKUs that

you have activated (Figure 12), copy the data to the new spreadsheet, and then save it to your desktop. You will

include this activated orders/SKUs report in your POP when you submit it via the PPE tool.

Figure 12. VIP eligible bookings report

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/stealthwatch/index.html?dtid=osscdc000283

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/partners/downloads/partner/WWChannels/vip/stealthwatch-activation-vip-pop.pdf

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/identity-services-engine/index.html

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/partners/downloads/partner/WWChannels/vip/ise-activation-vip-pop.pdf




POP submission

Start your submission

1. Log in to PPE at www.cisco.com/go/ppe.

2. Under the Eligible Programs tab, select VIP 31 Activation Bonus.

3. Click Enroll (Figure 13).

4. When prompted, select the applicable geography and click OK.

Note: This drop-down will display only the geographies where the partner holds the required PPE admin

access.

Figure 13. Submission steps: Selecting VIP 31 Activation Bonus

Section 1: Who is involved

5. Verify that your company information is correct under the Who Is Involved tab. Make any needed changes.

6. Click Save and Continue (Figure 14).




Figure 14. Submission steps: Defining who is involved

Section 2: Additional information (questionnaire)

7. Identify the customer by filling in the required contact details (Figure 15).

8. Answer six simple questions.

9. Select the Upload a File link and upload the following:

a. Activation POP form, including required screen shots

b. VIP eligible bookings report that identifies the activated sales orders/SKUs

10. Click Save and Continue.


Gar Smith Director 408-555-1212 [email protected]'

Cisco Partner 123 555 Cisco way San Jose, CA 95131

United States



Figure 15. Submission steps: Questionnaire



Section 3: Terms and conditions

11. Review the terms and conditions.

12. Check the Click Here to Sign check box to accept.

13. Click Continue (Figure 16). You will be directed to the final step of your submission.

Figure 16. Submission steps: Accepting terms and conditions




Section 4: Review and submit

14. Review your mandatory information under the Review and Submit tab. Under Enrollment Summary, items

designated with a red X status indicate that required information is still needed. All items must have a green

check before you can submit the application.

15. Click Submit Request (Figure 17).

Figure 17. Submission steps: Reviewing and submitting your activation POP

Submission confirmation

After your application has been submitted, you will receive an email confirmation from Cisco and will be able to

view your submission status (Figure 18).




Figure 18. Submission steps: Confirmation

Cisco review

Upon your submission, Cisco will review the submitted documents within 5 business days. You may be asked for

additional information or customer verification. Such inquiries will be sent to the partner contact from the Who Is

Involved tab. Approved POP submissions will be paid in the earliest VIP 31 payment run. You’ll receive an email

notification when your POP submission is approved.

Activation support and resources

Table 5 provides support guidance for software activation. When opening a case using the Customer Service

Central tool, you might see the category “Other Option” appear. Disregard this option and proceed to step 2. When

using the “View All” function, you will need to use the scroll bar to view all available options.

Table 5. Software activation: Support and resources

Issues How to resolve in advance Correct pathway to choose

Program rules and administration

Activation bonus requirements Program rules questions Exception requests

Open a support case if review of VIP documentation does not answer your question.

Additional Support > View All > Partner Program Bookings Claim

POP preparation and submission

Payment and reconciliation questions

USA

Gar Smith

http://www.cisco.com/cisco/psn/web/workspace




Technical questions

Any technical questions on implementation and activation

Refer to resources and links

located in the Software

Activation POP documents.

Contact Partner Support

Partner Support Provides support to

partners for all presales, post sales,

training, quotes and program help.

Partner Support or call 1-800-553-

NETS



Support and resources



Support and resources

Table 6 provides guidance for some of the most common support case issues and recommendations for how you

can resolve them. Important: When opening a case using the Customer Service Central tool, you might see the

category “Other Option” appear. Disregard this option and proceed to step 2. When using the “View All” function,

you will need to use the scroll bar to view all available options.

Table 6. Quick reference table for common support issues

Issues How to resolve in advance Correct pathway to choose

Tool-related support: Upon submission of your case, you will receive a response from Cisco within 2 business

days with a status. To check the status of your case, refer to the Customer Service Central portal at

http://www.cisco.com/cisco/psn/web/workspace and select the “My Cases” tab for further information.

Access to tools (assign partner admin role and so on)

Open a support case.

Tools > View All > Channel Partner Tool Access

Tool support (partner registration, associate contacts, assign rebate coordinator, and so on)

Tools > View All > Channel Partner Tool Support

Other tool-related support: partner registration, associate contacts, assign rebate coordinator.

Tools > View All > Channel Partner Tool Support

Program rules and bookings

Program rules questions Open a support case if review of VIP documentation does not answer your question.

Additional Support > View All > Partner Program Bookings Claim

Bookings

Enrollment and administration

Enrollment: Not able to complete the enrollment process using the Partner Program Enrollment tool

Refer to the Partner Self-Service tool

for more information.

Contact the partner administrator for

your company, who can help resolve

your issue.

Additional Support > View All > Partner Program or Promotion Enrollment

Login issues

Tools > View All > Channel Partner Tool Access

Associating your Cisco.com ID with your company

Assigning a Value Incentive Program rebate coordinator






Updating your company information

Important: The rebate coordinator role

is required for rebate collection and

must be assigned specifically for the

Value Incentive Program.

Open a support case.

Compensation

Rebate claim notification not received because of incorrect or missing contact information

Use Partner Self-Service tool.

Additional Support > View All > Partner Program Payment eligibility

Rebate coordinator for Value Incentive Program not assigned

Incorrect beneficiary name on claim notification

Questions regarding payment amounts

Open a support case. Additional Support > View All > Partner Program Bookings Claim




Frequently asked questions



Frequently asked questions

Support case management

Q. Can I submit multiple cases for the same issue?

A. If you are experiencing separate issues, it is recommended that you submit separate cases. Do not submit

multiple cases for the same issue, because this will not expedite resolution. Instead, follow the case

escalation pathway for the original case. If a previous case was closed prematurely, reopen the case if

possible rather than opening a new one. You can prevent premature case closure by responding to case

inquiries in a timely manner.

Q. How do I escalate a case using the standard Cisco support escalation process?

A. Use Customer Service Central to submit and escalate a case. Customer Service Central allows you to submit

and track interactions for both services and products in a streamlined and simple-to-use manner. There is no

longer a 24-hour wait to escalate a case in Customer Service Central; cases can be escalated immediately.

Rebate coordinator role

Q. How do I assign a rebate coordinator in the Partner Self-Service tool for the Value Incentive Program?

A. Refer to the training section of the Global EasyPay website and access the Global EasyPay Manage Program

Contacts training document. Included in this training document are the steps for setting up a rebate

coordinator in Partner Self-Service. It’s important to note that this assignment, and any updates, can be

made only by the partner administrator for your company. Cisco cannot make updates to the rebate

coordinator.

Payments, metrics, bookings, and metrics freeze

Q. What are the program rules for rebate claims, and how can I avoid expired claims?

A. Cisco might not be able to make Global EasyPay payments to a partner for several reasons, including

incorrect banking information, lack of required supporting documentation, and incorrect contact information.

If Cisco cannot make such Global EasyPay payments because of the partner’s failure to either respond to

Cisco’s requests for payment details or provide Cisco with correct payment details, Cisco will retain the

payment for 90 calendar days after Cisco’s first attempt to notify the partner that additional information is

needed to process the payment. If the partner does not remedy its failure by providing correct payment

details within that 90-day time period, the partner will forfeit any right to that specific payment.

Partners that have initiated a claim for payment within the 90 calendar days, resulting in a payment delivery

failure as a result of incorrect or incomplete information, will have an additional 30 calendar days from first

notification that payment delivery failed to resolve the issue. If the partner fails to respond to support

inquiries and requests for information within the additional 30–calendar day window, the partner will forfeit

any right to that specific payment.

Q. What is the process if I have concerns about my VIP bookings and potential rebate payments?

A. As communicated in the published program rules for the Cisco Value Incentive Program, eligible bookings

will be reported through the Total Program View portal. If you believe there are discrepancies between what

is indicated by Cisco and your own sales records, you are responsible for reporting the discrepancies to



Cisco in a support case before the deadline for the applicable VIP period.

Q. When are the bookings frozen for rebate calculation?

A. Bookings are frozen on the last day of the VIP period.

Calendar and timing

Q. How are the dates on the calendar established?

A. The incentives team works with operations and finance to define the dates for the rebate payment calendar.

Q. Are there specific dates for payments?

A. Yes. See Table 2 and the Program Calendar in TPV to view targeted payment notification dates.

Notifications and communications

Q. What information is included in the rebate notification sent to partners?

A. The notification sent to partners includes the rebate type, rebate amount, link to claim, and instructions

along with a PIN for rebate coordinators, among other related information.

Q. Who is responsible for sending out notifications to partners?

A. The Global EasyPay team sends rebate notifications to partners. If any questions arise regarding these

notifications, contact the Cisco Global EasyPay team at [email protected]. Note that

payments will be distributed under the name Vistex, Inc.

Q. Where can I find more information about the Value Incentive Program?

A. Refer to the program documents on the program website at www.cisco.com/go/vip.

mailto:[email protected]


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