Smart License is the future state goal of licensing at Cisco, which aims to:

Simplify and streamline license management across Cisco products and solutions

Provide customers with a flexible and transparent way to consume Cisco software

Enable customers to view and manage their licenses through a single portal (Cisco Smart Software Manager)

Reduce operational costs and complexity for customers and partners

When renewing a contract with a customer, it is important to validate their business needs and ensure that the current solution is still meeting their expectations and goals. By validating their business needs, you can demonstrate your understanding of their situation, identify any gaps or challenges they are facing, and propose any improvements or enhancements that can add value to their experience.Validating their business needs can also help you build trust and loyalty with the customer, as well as uncover any opportunities for upselling or cross-selling additional products or services that can benefit them.

SD-WAN is the product that addresses network segmentation issues and is comprised of Viptela and Meraki products. SD-WAN stands for Software-Defined Wide Area Network, which is a technology that simplifies the management and operation of a WAN by decoupling the networking hardware from its control mechanism. SD-WAN enables enterprises to use multiple types of transport services, such as MPLS, broadband, LTE, or 5G, to securely connect users to applications hosted in data centers or the cloud. SD-WAN also provides centralized visibility and control, dynamic path selection, application optimization, and security policies for the entire network.

Viptela and Meraki are two of Cisco's SD-WAN solutions that cater to different customer needs and preferences. Viptela is a cloud-first SD-WAN solution that offers advanced routing, segmentation, and security capabilities for complex enterprise networks. Viptela can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud, and supports multiple transport options, including cellular wireless. Meraki is a cloud-managed SD-WAN solution that offers simplicity, reliability, and automation for lean IT environments. Meraki can be deployed using plug-and-play devices, and provides easy configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting through a web-based dashboard.

Both Viptela and Meraki products help enterprises address network segmentation issues by enabling them to create secure virtual networks that isolate traffic based on business intent and policy.Network segmentation improves network performance, security, and compliance by reducing congestion, preventing unauthorized access, and enforcing granular rules.

the first action that a Renewals Manager should take is to download contract data and develop a renewals strategy, which involves:

Using tools such as TPV, icebreaker, or CCW-R to access and analyze contract data

Segmenting contracts based on their size, complexity, expiration date, product coverage, etc.

Defining objectives, actions, timelines, and resources for each segment

Aligning with the account team on the renewals strategy and value proposition

a solutions-led sales approach is:

A sales methodology that focuses on understanding the customer's business needs, challenges, and objectives

A consultative process that involves discovering, proposing, validating, and closing solutions that deliver value and outcomes for the customer

A way of differentiating Cisco and partners from competitors by offering integrated solutions that leverage Cisco's portfolio and expertise

The first step in a solutions-led sales approach is to understand the customer's objectives, which includes:

Asking open-ended questions to uncover the customer's pain points, goals, and priorities

Listening actively and empathetically to the customer's responses

Confirming and summarizing the customer's objectives and expectations