Cisco Gold Provider

The audit included a deep dive into our 24/7/365 UK based Network Operation Centre and how we handle proactive customer infrastructure checks, incident monitoring, management and resolution – illustrated by a live demonstration.

The audit also took a close look at our Support Lab and Staging Facility, where we ensure the efficacy and security of complex networks before implementation. And it included  a presentation of key personnel qualifications, across technical, project management and support roles.

Focusing on three Powered Services

The award is structured around Cisco Powered Services. We chose to focus on three core capabilities that we have been offering for over a decade:

• Meraki Access – covering cloud-managed, secure, and intelligent networking, wireless, switching, and security (SD-WAN).
• Campus Access – which includes the design, deployment, and management of wired and wireless Local Area Network (LAN) infrastructure within a localised, multi-building, or campus environment.
• Managed Firewall – the comprehensive, 24/7 provision of end-to-end security for network infrastructure, covering everything from initial configuration to proactive, around-the-clock monitoring and incident response.

Whilst the award commends these particular services, all of the business processes assessed here are applied across our entire portfolio of solutions.

What the auditor said

The auditor commended us on having ISO9001:2015 (Quality Systems) and ISO27001:2013 (IT Security) certifications. They noted that our customer base is very impressive, including several household names and described our Service Portfolio Process as “…one of the best the auditor has seen.”

“On this complex Gold Provider and CPS Audit, Ideal showed themselves to be a very professional Cisco Partner. Their attention to detail was first class using well documented procedures. Julia Elliot and her team are to be congratulated in providing a memorable and rewarding Gold Provider and Cisco Powered Service Audit experience.”

What it means for our customers

Cisco Powered is not about selling products – it is about ongoing service delivery that achieves business outcomes, such as improved reliability, predictable performance and a reduced operational burden.

For customers, the Cisco Powered logo signals: 

✔ The service follows Cisco approved designs 

✔ The provider has been audited, not self-certified 

✔ They can expect predictable SLAs and service consistency, with reduced risk vs bespoke or “best efforts” managed services.

Moto Shakoori, Founder and CEO of Ideal, says he is really proud of this milestone in the company’s journey:

“When I set the company up, over 17 years ago, my aim was to focus on delivering  absolute quality for customers, in everything we do. This Gold Award is a testament to that ambition and an acknowledgement of how everyone at Ideal works so hard to exceed customer expectations every day.”