Solution for managed service providers

[Nikos Nicolaides]

Hello,

I am working in a team as part as a managed service/cloud provider, and I am thinking of recommending Cisco to our MSP portfolio. Does Cisco provide solutions for cloud providers? Something like managed firewall/IPS?

[Philip D'Ath]

Cisco provide the solutions, but Cisco does not manage the solutions for you.

You should get assistance from a local Cisco Partner.

Cisco Partner Locator

Having said that, have you looked at Cisco Meraki?

[Nikos Nicolaides]

Hello,

Sorry for the delayed reply.

I haven't explained correctly. My company is a multinational co-location provider, and our business unit focuses on managed services for some of our clients. An example is given below:

Customer A buys co-location space and infrastructure as a service. We provide them the hardware and manage their infrastructure. Their infrastructure may consist of anything including servers, storage, switching, routers, firewalls, load-balancers and IPS. Cisco is NOT our main platform for firewalls/IPS for the following reasons:

Last time we checked, Cisco did not offer a licensing solution for cloud providers; something equivalent of Checkpoint's Provider1.

Cisco does not offer a solid reporting solution for IPS; we use weekly automatic reporting to our managed customers.

Licensing is not flexible with Cisco; i.e. we could not lease a firewall/IPS for 2 years and renewing it on a yearly basis.

Do you know if Cisco provides a solution for companies like us?

[Philip D'Ath]

This is getting outside my area now.

I am not aware of any special licencing solutions for cloud providers.  However I have never looked for inquired about such,.

With Cisco you can buy the kit, for you can lease it from Cisco finance (usually a minimum of a three year term).  After that you have you annual licencing.