We’re always thinking of new ways to share knowledge and connect with our partners. Our latest project does just that in an easy-to-consume, sharable format that you can tune into during your morning commute or even during lunch. Introducing the ScanSource KBZ podcast series, “Don’t Change the Channel,” a monthly tech podcast designed to enrich the channel experience for our partners and beyond.  The format is simple; we’re inviting influential Cisco experts and other industry folks to discuss hot B2B trends, recent events and the many ways the channel is changing. We’re offering our take on what’s happening in the industry and facilitating debates that will affect the way you think about your practice. Tune in and share your thoughts and suggestions with us on social media!

Last week we sat down to the microphone to kick-off our first recording with a review of Cisco Partner Summit, our take on the good, the bad and the ugly around Amazon’s ‘dual headquarters’ announcement and an interview with Cisco Meraki’s own Director of the Americas Channels + Distribution, Kristyn Hogan. Kristyn is a former collaboration executive who is now applying her know-how to the Meraki engine.

Tune into the latest podcast here and find out what Kristyn believes to be the key to your Meraki selling success (spoiler: it’s the simplicity and accessibility of the dashboard). Hear her address security in what she calls a ‘cloud-first’ environment, new camera offerings, new revenue and profitability opportunities through APIs and much more. Her most noteworthy takeaway for customers to keep their eye on is Cisco’s evolution from a network hardware leader to a heavy reliance on software and recurring revenue streams (Meraki’s sweet spot!).

What does she want partners to know? That Cisco and Cisco Meraki understand the importance of maintaining and developing traditional business models while a transition to software and new revenue streams occurs. She reassures, “The channel will remain our #1 primary route to market, it is our #1 differentiator, it is out #1 key to success at Cisco and at Cisco Meraki…we should all be excited about the new revenue opportunities that open up. It is a very exciting time to be a Cisco partner.”

Bonus: Find out each host’s ‘what’s hot and what’s not’ pick of the month—we’re calling out battery life, bleeding plants, social media updates, Bitcoin, skipping holidays and more.

Listen in and submit your thoughts, questions and suggestions to our social media platforms!