Trouble working with Cisco partners/integrators?

[ComputerWeekly]

My name is John-Paul, I'm a reporter with Computer Weekly magazine in the UK.

A Cisco user told me that his company had worked with an accredited Cisco partner, but that the partner's lack of knowledge in being able to install one specific Cisco application meant that his company was left to work out some installation issues itself.

Has anybody had similar problems? How do you vet systems integrators beyond accreditation?

[Tommer Catlin]

Sounds like the VAR got in over it's head. ALWAYS, a contract is signed or statement of Work. If the "cisco user" did not use a statement of work for the Cisco VAR, then shame on them. It's a contract stating what will be installed, how, when and what it to be delivered.

Typically, if a Cisco VAR can not meet the SOW requirements, they will hire a subcontractor that will complete the work for the client.

The "Cisco User" can go back to Cisco and complain that the VAR did not meet xyz. Cisco has items in place to downgrade the VAR, pull their certs or work around the VAR to make the client happy. Cisco's goal is make them happy, almost anyway possible.

There may be other answers... or I may have left soemthing out, but I find the story a little silly. I have been doing this for years. Either I have worked for very good Cisco VARs, or I have never heard of this type of situtation.