Cisco Names HBS a Preferred Partner Across Five Portfolios
Little Chute, Wisconsin — Heartland Business Systems (HBS) has earned Cisco Preferred Partner status across five Cisco portfolios: Cloud & AI, Networking, Security, Services, and Collaboration. The recognition is part of Cisco’s new Cisco 360 Partner Program, which takes effect January 25, 2026.
The Cisco Preferred Partner designation recognizes partners that demonstrate advanced technical expertise, strong customer engagement, and mature lifecycle practices within specific Cisco portfolios. Unlike legacy partner tiers, Preferred status is earned and maintained independently in each portfolio.
"Becoming a Cisco Preferred Partner is far from a blanket label. We’ve earned this Preferred Partner status, and we’re very proud of that fact. This is the result of 15 months of focused preparation from our team. Cisco evaluates real capabilities: architecture, delivery, operations, ongoing support, and more. Earning Preferred status across five portfolios reflects the depth of the HBS team, the way we show up for our clients every day and our strong and growing partnership with Cisco."
Mike Nolan, HBS Chief Commercial Officer
What the Cisco Preferred Partner Designation Means
Cisco redesigned its partner ecosystem to better reflect how modern technology environments work. Instead of broad, company-wide partner tiers, the Cisco 360 Partner Program validates expertise at the portfolio level.
A Cisco Preferred Partner has demonstrated:
- Advanced sales and technical certifications
- Proven delivery and lifecycle practices
- Deep customer engagement and adoption support
- The ability to deliver outcomes, not just deploy products
Additionally, Preferred status is measured continuously and must be maintained over time.
"Preferred status sets a high bar. One that we’re proud to reach, and continue to exceed. Preferred status shows our ability to design, deliver and support Cisco solutions with consistency and accountability. It speaks to the strength of our engineers, our solutions consultants and our service teams."
Aaron Hilley, HBS VP of Field Engineering
HBS Cisco Preferred Partner Portfolios
HBS holds Cisco Preferred Partner status in the following portfolios:
- Cloud & AI: Designing and supporting hybrid infrastructure ready for modern workloads and data-driven use cases
- Networking: Building resilient, scalable networks across campus, WAN and hybrid environments
- Security: Delivering identity-first, policy-driven security with operational depth beyond initial deployment
- Services: Providing lifecycle ownership, managed services and long-term operational support
- Collaboration: Enabling secure, reliable communication platforms with a focus on adoption and user experience
What Cisco Preferred Partner Status Means for Clients
For HBS clients, the new designation provides both confidence in our ability to delivery Cisco solutions and transparency.
It confirms that HBS has been independently validated by Cisco to deliver across the full lifecycle. From design and deployment to adoption and ongoing operations.
Cisco Partner Designations
Cisco has modernized its partner program, transitioning legacy Gold, Premier, and Select levels to simplified designations—Preferred Partner and Partner.
Managed Services Leadership
Cisco’s new Managed Services Practice Maturity framework highlights partners with proven operational excellence. As part of this evolution, HBS achieved Gold Provider Status for Managed Services, reinforcing our leadership and commitment to delivering high-quality, Cisco-powered managed services.
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About HBS
HBS is a premier provider of customized technology solutions, cybersecurity, and IT services. Through end-to-end technology, cybersecurity, and managed services solutions, HBS empowers organizations of all sizes, in diverse industries, to realize the full potential of their people, processes and technology. Backed by a team of highly skilled experts and relationships with leading technology manufacturers, HBS helps organizations drive growth, inspire innovation, and strengthen security.
