Michele Hostetler Partnerships are so common among tech companies, and fail so often, that they can mean little.
Analysts say it's one of the best programs in the field.
The effort began two years ago, when Chief Executive John Chambers realized Cisco would need to become a global company - fast. Companies that want a global presence would do well to follow Cisco's example, says Jonathan Poe, an analyst with Stamford, Conn.-based Meta Group. Cisco has strategic alliances with companies such as Hewlett-Packard Co., Microsoft Corp. and KPMG Peat Marwick LLP . If we don't partner, we'll be left behind. At the helm of these big partnerships is Charlie Giancarlo, Cisco's senior vice president of global alliances.