Cisco and Comstor enhance Qatar’s digital ambitions with new partner-focused strategies

Cisco and Comstor are accelerating Qatar’s digital transformation through innovative partner programmes and strategic collaborations aligned with the country’s National Vision 2030, focusing on AI infrastructure, secure connectivity, and economic diversification.

Cisco and its distribution partner Comstor are intensifying their efforts to accelerate Qatar’s digital transformation in line with the country’s ambitious National Vision 2030. In an exclusive interview, Hasan Khan, General Manager of Cisco Qatar, Sameena Naaz, Distribution Account Manager for Cisco Emerging Gulf & Qatar, and Renton D’Souza, Vice President of Comstor MEA, outlined their strategic priorities for fiscal year 2026, emphasising the dual focus on technological innovation and partner empowerment.

Cisco’s strategy in Qatar is built around three core pillars: AI-Ready Data Centers, Future-Proofed Workplaces, and Digital Resilience. This approach underpins Cisco’s global vision of securely connecting everything to enable limitless possibilities. The company is deepening its collaboration with Qatar’s Ministry of Communications and IT (MCIT) and technology leaders such as NVIDIA and AMD to advance AI infrastructure critical for the nation’s future competitiveness. Moreover, Cisco prioritises security for communities, businesses, and national infrastructure while also focusing on transforming experiences in sectors like sports and entertainment, sectors vital to Qatar’s economic diversification.

Central to achieving these ambitions is Cisco’s partner-led ecosystem, which Sameena Naaz describes as pivotal. Their FY26 strategy leverages the partner ecosystem through enhanced programs like Cisco 360 and digital platforms like the Partner Experience Platform (PXP). These platforms provide distributors and resellers with advanced training, resources, and tools to deliver outcome-based, managed services and adopt recurring revenue models. The intent is to equip partners to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy while supporting Qatar’s goal of becoming a digitally empowered society.

Comstor plays an integral role in this ecosystem, aligning with Cisco’s FY26 vision by simplifying partner journeys and enabling profitable transitions to software and services models. Renton D’Souza explains that Comstor offers specialised training, commercial flexibility, and self-service digital tools like Partner Central, which facilitate partners’ shift towards subscription-based business models. Their initiatives, including the Comstor Cyberfire program, focus on maximizing recurring revenue and lifecycle value across Cisco’s multi-architecture portfolio, which spans security, networking, collaboration, and data centre technologies.

A significant evolution shaping Cisco’s partner interaction is the new Cisco 360 Partner Program. Unlike previous incentive schemes which were complex and transaction-based, Cisco 360 consolidates incentives into a streamlined program with simplified partner tiers and a strong value-based framework. This program rewards partners on outcome metrics such as customer lifecycle value, managed services, and skills investment. Comstor supports this transition through dedicated enablement tools, playbooks, and personalised guidance sessions focusing on Partner Value Index (PVI) improvement, which is critical for partners to unlock incentives under the new model.

This collaboration between Cisco and Comstor is expected to be a cornerstone in advancing Qatar’s digital economy. Leveraging Cisco’s innovation and Comstor’s expertise in partner enablement, both companies underscore their commitment to sustainable, secure, and inclusive technology development. They aim to nurture local talent, foster ecosystem growth, and position partners as trusted advisors driving digital transformation in sectors aligned with Qatar’s National Vision 2030.

Qatar’s broader digital ambitions complement Cisco and Comstor’s efforts. The country is strategically investing in digital infrastructure to become a leader in AI innovation, economic diversification, and comprehensive digitisation of public services. Government initiatives like the National Digital Agenda 2030 set clear targets including creating 26,000 ICT jobs and enhancing professional skills in the sector. Additionally, Qatar Investment Authority’s merger of telecom entities to form a flagship digital and AI infrastructure player illustrates the nation’s drive to create a future-ready digital ecosystem, combining domestic fibre networks with international submarine cables.

These developments resonate with the partnerships Cisco is fostering, including projects with local entities such as Hamad International Airport, where digital transformation initiatives seek to modernise infrastructure and improve service delivery. Similarly, collaborations unveiled at events like Web Summit Qatar 2025 showcase AI-driven IT innovations that enhance operational efficiency and security, reinforcing Qatar’s positioning as a hub for technological advancement and digital innovation.

Through this strategic alignment of technology, partners, and national objectives, Cisco and Comstor aim to be key enablers of Qatar’s digital future, marrying cutting-edge infrastructure with an empowered partner ecosystem capable of delivering sustainable growth and innovation across the country’s economy.

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Source: Fuse Wire