The modern IT environment is mission critical, highly complex, and spans from the datacenter to the cloud often consisting of hardware and software from a variety of technology providers. Companies that deliver solutions integrated with other vendors’ products inevitably face the challenge of resolving complex multi vendor support issues for customers.

Multi vendor issues take longer to resolve, increase customer dissatisfaction, can put mission critical systems at risk, and can even cause friction between partners. Resolving these support issues quickly and efficiently is essential for keeping delivery costs low and customer satisfaction high.

Cisco products are a central component of many enterprises’ IT backbone. Cisco provides solutions for networking, datacenter, and security often integrated with products from trusted partners extending capabilities yet increasing support complexity.

Cisco meets its strategic need to support customers’ complex, mission critical multi vendor environments through its Solution Support program, collaboration with a network of trusted Alliance Partners, and membership in TSANet.

Cisco’s Multi Vendor Solution Support

Cisco supports complex customer environments through its Technical Assistance Center which services over 300,000 customers globally and handles 1.8 million cases per year. Cisco’s TAC is committed to delivering efficient and effective support and achieves 89% customer satisfaction.

Customers realize value from collaboration between Cisco’s TAC and over 140 trusted Solution Support Alliance partners through its Solution Support. Cisco’s Solution Support offers:

• 7x24x356 access to Cisco TAC with expedited service levels of 30 minutes for high priority cases.
• Multi product coverage for Cisco and Alliance Partner products.
• Cisco Solution Experts assume responsibility as the primary point of contact for cases from initial triage to resolution.
• Solution Experts actively manage, diagnose, and in many cases resolve issues for both Cisco and non-Cisco products.
• For complex issues, Cisco coordinates and escalates to Alliance Partner support teams for collaboration and resolution.

This end-to-end process eliminates customer needs to contact multiple parties for a solution, ends finger pointing between vendors, results in 44% faster case resolution, and lowers unplanned downtime by 51%.

Cisco attributes its attainment of high service level performance and customer satisfaction to its innovative and collaborative approach to multi vendor support with Solution Support, collaboration with a network of trusted Alliance Partners, and membership in TSANet.

How Cisco Uses TSANet

Cisco’s Solution Support program stands out as a strategic enabler helping customers to implement, manage, and support complex, mission critical environments. Solution Support is unique in its collaboration with a network of trusted Alliance Partners and its membership in TSANet.

Cisco leverages the TSANet Partner Program framework to onboard Solution Support Partners into a private group on the TSANet Connect system. TSANet Connect provides a consistent method for Support Engineers to collaborate with Partners’ technical teams, ensuring efficient communication and accelerated problem resolution without the friction caused by informal efforts to work with partners. Cisco’s use of TSANet tools includes TSANet Connect, for secure exchange of cases information, SLA monitoring, and a defined escalation process to maximize service level performance.

Cisco works to enhance the capabilities of TSANet with active participation in the TSANet Connect Technology Committee, providing input into the next-generation TSANet Connect system. TSANet Connect 2.0 provides fully integrated end-to-end case management and escalation integration between multiple case management systems, allowing for efficient multi vendor collaboration between 100’s of Partners.

TSANet Enables Multi Vendor Support

TSANet was established in 1993 as a global, vendor-neutral support alliance that allows members to collaborate on multi vendor customer solutions. Cisco, along with other major technology companies, was involved in setting up this alliance to enable a cooperative network where companies can provide better integrated support services to handle complex customers, environments.

TSANet works by providing a framework for members to collaborate by establishing a standard Code of Conduct to guide member interactions, sets service level expectations, and defines the treatment of confidential data shared between member companies.

TSANet members also leverage TSANet Connect to streamline multi vendor case creation, collaboration, and to manage escalations between members. TSANet Connect can be integrated with members’ existing case management systems.

TSANet offers the following member benefits:

• Collaborative Problem Solving: TSANet allows member companies to work together directly on resolving customer issues that involve multiple vendors’ products.
• Enhanced Customer Experiences: By participating in TSANet, companies can deliver a better support experience by minimizing delays that can occur due to lack of formal relationships between vendors.
• Compliance and Standardization: TSANet provides a framework for cooperation that adheres to legal and regulatory standards.
• Reputation and Trust: Being a member of a well-known, respected alliance such as TSANet enhances a company’s reputation by showing a commitment to high-quality customer service and willingness to work cooperatively with other industry players.
• Cost Efficiency: By collaborating with other vendors to solve problems, companies can reduce the time and resources typically spent on troubleshooting complex issues that cross company boundaries.
• Networking and Relationships: TSANet provides a platform for building relationships with other technology companies, including potential partners and competitors.

TSANet helps companies improve customer experiences by accelerating multi vendor case resolution and minimizing customer efforts to resolve complex issues. It provides the ability to create and scale trusted partner relationships with an established legal framework, enabling collaboration technology, with knowledge sharing and proven best practices.

TSANet Can Deliver Multi Vendor Support Efficiency to Your Company

Multi vendor support is a reality and a challenge many companies face. Today’s modern IT infrastructure is complex, mission critical, and consists of products from multiple vendors. Customers expect rapid solutions to their problems and don’t want vendors to point figures to blame others or pass off responsibility to resolve issues.

Cisco takes its customer support issues seriously and takes significant measures to quickly troubleshoot and resolve complex issues through collaboration and cooperation with partners. There is no finger pointing or unnecessary customer strife, just streamlined rapid resolution resulting in higher satisfaction.

The challenges of multi vendor support are not unique to technology giants like Cisco.  Many companies face the complexity of supporting products integrated with other vendors’ hardware and software.  Companies like Cisco that recognize the importance of delivering solutions and offering Solution Support and close partner collaboration realize greater support efficiency and deliver better customer experiences.

Developing, scaling, and operationalizing multi vendor support can be challenging when you attempt to do it alone, but you don’t have to.

TSANet is a vendor neutral, member managed association that has created the tools and practices necessary to implement, manage, and scale support. Vendors with multi vendor challenges need to make this a strategic priority. TSANet makes it possible for all members to rise to meet the challenge of support delivery.