HBS Earns Cisco Gold Provider Status and Cisco Powered Services Expert Recognition
HBS now among the top 6% of Cisco providers worldwide.
LITTLE CHUTE, WISCONSIN — December 11, 2025 — Heartland Business Systems (HBS) has achieved Cisco Gold Provider Status and earned Cisco Powered Services Expert recognition in Meraki Access, Cloud Calling and Managed Firewall. These designations place HBS among the top 6% of Cisco Providers worldwide, reinforcing the company’s role as a trusted leader in delivering secure, scalable and outcome-driven managed services.
This accomplishment builds on a long, proven partnership between HBS and Cisco. Over the past two decades, HBS has earned several of Cisco’s highest honors and certifications—including the renewal of its Cisco Master Security Specialization, recognition as the 2025 Cisco SLED Partner of the Year for the Central Region, and earlier achievement of Cisco’s Customer Experience Specialized Partner status. These milestones reflect the sustained investment by HBS in Cisco technologies, client success, and engineering excellence.
The Gold Provider designation—Cisco’s highest program tier—follows a comprehensive multi-month audit led by Aaron Hilley-HBS VP of Field Engineering, Tom Ugoretz-HBS Director of Collaboration Engineering and Matt Cross-HBS Director of Engineering, Architecture whose preparation and leadership were recognized by both Cisco and the audit team as exceptional.
As part of a broader HBS initiative to strengthen alignment across Cisco’s 360 Program, this achievement expands the HBS team’s ability to deliver premium managed services across the Cisco portfolio.
"Achieving Gold Provider status is a tremendous milestone for our organization. It reflects the depth of our expertise, the trust our clients place in us, and our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes.”
Mike Nolan, HBS Chief Commercial Officer
“This designation is validation of the investments we’ve made in our people, our Cisco partnership and our client experience. We’re proud of this accomplishment and even more excited about the new opportunities it creates for both our clients and our team.”
Aaron Hilley, HBS VP of Field Engineering
Elite Positioning in the United States
Cisco has approximately 4,200 providers worldwide and 2,200 in the Americas. With this designation, HBS becomes one of only 129 Gold Providers in the region, signaling exceptional operational maturity and service capability.
Cisco Powered Services Expert: Depth Across Key Architectures
In addition to Gold Provider status, HBS earned Cisco Powered Services Expert distinctions in:
These validate the HBS ability to design, deliver and operate Cisco-powered services with consistency, reliability and measurable impact.
"I am pleased to congratulate Heartland Business Systems on achieving Cisco Gold Provider status and earning three new Cisco Powered Service designations in Meraki Access, Cloud Calling, and Managed Firewall. This accomplishment reflects the advanced maturity of their managed services practice and the exceptional technical expertise of their team. I greatly value their commitment to the Cisco 360 Partner Program and look forward to continued innovation, driving durable growth, and delivering superior experiences for our customers."
Leonard Thompson, Cisco Director of Partner Managed Services and XaaS
The HBS history with Cisco tells a clear story. Years of partnership. Deep expertise. A commitment to delivering what clients need through the best of Cisco technology.
Gold Provider status builds on that legacy and opens new opportunities for the organizations HBS serves.
Reach out to HBS to explore how our Cisco expertise can support your next project, challenge or transformation.
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.
