Channel Chat: Cisco channel chief Wendy Bahr talks technology, transition and the economy

Still, while some partners are downright Cisco zealots, others say the company pushes a Cisco-only networking portfolio and is punishing when partners don't fall in line. Now that Cisco is moving further into data center and storage, these partners are being asked to follow along -- despite their existing partnerships with other vendors, like Hewlett-Packard. Solution providers are concerned about what that will mean for their very business models.

In this edition of Channel Chat, Cisco North American channels chief Wendy Bahr -- who was recently promoted to senior vice president of U.S. and Canada channels -- talks about preparing partners to make these transitions while handling their existing relationships with other vendors. Bahr also explains Cisco's initiative to help partners survive in a tough macroeconomic climate, and she addresses the infamous Infracomm lawsuit.