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We're pretty proud of a news release we issued last week, announcing that we've achieved Silver Certification from Cisco. Any time you can align yourself at this level with an acknowledged industry leader such as Cisco, that's a good thing. But we're really pleased about what this means for our customers.
Companies such as Cisco are very particular about to whom they grant their advanced certification levels. After all, it's their name on the line as well. Companies applying for Cisco certification must meet rigorous standards for service and support. So, in our case, it means that we at Windstream have made a significant commitment, both in money and personnel training, to better understand how Cisco's Unified Communications, Security and Wireless LAN solutions can effectively be put to use for our business customers. Cisco Silver Certification is a indication of Windstream's ability to develop, implement & troubleshoot a network end-to-end.
Customers want solutions that work reliably around the clock and don't require a Ph.D. to put into place or maintain. They want to deal with companies that are willing to truly partner with them in helping them solve their challenges, and not just sell them a bunch of stuff. So, it's incumbent on us to find and work with companies that offer products that combine significant value with proven performance. That focus makes it possible for our clients to go about their business without having to worry about whether their VoIP system is going to work when they pick up the phone. Or whether their network is being protected from the myriad of cyber criminals who would infect it with viruses, or malware or spyware. Or whether the data that they've relied on Windstream to protect will be there when they need it when (invariably) something goes wrong.
There's obviously a lot of due diligence going on here, from every perspective. Customers issue RFPs and check references before choosing a vendor for IT services; service providers check out hardware and software product and the companies behind them, and those companies check out potential partners. In the marketplace, nobody wants to be aligned with anyone whose products and services aren't consistently top-notch.
Early on, we did our due diligence and identified Cisco as a company with which we wanted to align ourselves, as a partner who shared our commitment to service delivery and technology development. They did the same, and have now awarded us their Silver Certification, along with the Advanced Managed Services Certification. That's a win for Windstream, and a win for Cisco as well. Mostly, though, it's a win for our business clients. And that's a reason for everyone to feel good.
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