Focus is key

Chris Marin vows that he will read any proposalor statement of qualifications thatcomes his way."If you can size up your value in three paragraphs,I commit to read [everything] and followup," said Marin, Cisco Systems Inc.'s managerof federal channel operations.Although Cisco is not a prime governmentcontractor, it has established extensive relationshipssince it created a federal channelunit in mid-2006. The unit draws on the company'svast corporate connections ? and itsvalue-added reseller database ? plus its ownsales relationships with federal agencies."We don't prime, but we work with all kindsof partners," said Dawn Duross, director of theCisco Federal Channels group. "Part of our goto-market strategy was in response to the government'sdemand. We wanted to do somethings more creatively to take advantage of theentrepreneurial spirit" of value-added resellersand small-business partners.When evaluating a potential small-businesspartner, Cisco looks for focus, Marin said. "Focusis key, whether on a technology or a series of customers.When we look to align our small-businesspartners with the government or Cisco'saccount teams, we need to ensure that we canjump-start a relevant conversation," he said.Cisco looks for a small business with past performanceat a specific customer or a uniquecapability that is IP-based and important to thecustomer's mission. "While financial stability isimportant, we have business partners such asGE Finance that can help small businessesshore up their credit line," hesaid.Marin and Duross emphasized thatCisco has introduced small businessesto integrators, then acted as an advocate."We're viewed as subject-matterexperts," Marin said. "Sometimes a primedoesn't have anyone in his portfolio who canachieve a certain goal." That's where Ciscocomes in with specialists. For example, thecompany recommended Global TechnologyResources Inc., of Denver, to NorthropGrumman Corp.In another case, Cisco connectedMetronome Inc. of Irvine, Calif., with theVeterans Affairs Department for a hospitalcommunications project. "We were able totake a service-disabled veteran's firm that hasdeveloped real commercial value," Marin said,and match it to a government requirement."Metronome works with our commercialteams, and we're looking for companies thatare innovative," he said.Marin cited similar alliances with othersmall businesses doing work with agenciessuch as the Agriculture and Defense departments and the Army."As the network becomes the platform todeliver business services, it is increasingly criticalthat all our partners, not just small businesses,specialize in those services," he said."We need our small-business partners to focuson skills in the areas of mobility, security, voice,collaboration and data center, including storageand WAN optimization."The best way to initiate contact with CiscoFederal is to send a three-paragraph e-mailmessage to Marin or federal channel accountmanager Heather Warren that articulates areasof networking expertise, existing customers andexperience with networking technologies."We read e-mail, and we will respond within48 hours articulating whether there is a possiblefit," he said.A team of Cisco account managers focuses onsmall-business partners. Marin and Warrenserve as a clearinghouse to direct prospectiveteam members to the appropriate Cisco manager.Cisco tries to use existing relationships withsmall businesses with the large primes, meaninga successful partner may get repeat business."As Cisco enters new technology markets,we will look to establish or nurture relationshipsthat encourage the growth of these newsolutions," he said.Unlike many federal prime contractors,Cisco uses the Central Contractor Registration,an online directory of government contractors,only to a limited degree, finding that it is moreeffective to work through its own resources,Marin said. The American Small BusinessCoalition is one such resource, he said, becauseit offers a wealth of insight that Cisco frequentlytaps.Marin and Duross said their approach toteam building relies on the ability to crossfertilizeconnections across various lines ofCisco's diverse business."There is always room for more innovation,"Duross said. "That's the excitement ofworking with these small businesses."