Introduction

When a quote is created from an imported Cisco BoM, PqW estimates the CPI LAND rebate using each product's portfolio and the partner's standing. For those estimates to be complete and accurate, administrators first need to configure two things per Business Entity: which Cisco Portfolios apply, and which Specializations the partner holds.

StrataVAR PqW manages both on the Cisco 360 CPI Configuration page, allowing administrators to:

• Record a PVI score for each portfolio to set the applicable rebate tier
• Enable the specializations the partner holds to unlock the Specialization Bonus
• Keep these values current per Business Entity as the partner's Cisco standing changes

This article explains how to configure portfolios and specializations, and how each one feeds the rebate calculation, including the base LAND rebate and the additional Specialization Bonus.

Why Portfolio and Specialization Matter and Where It Fits

Cisco organizes its eligible products into portfolios, and each portfolio carries its own PVI score and rebate rates. Without configuring which portfolios your organization participates in and which specializations you hold,  the CPI calculation engine cannot determine the correct rebate tier or apply any specialization bonus. Quotes would either show no rebate or show an incomplete estimate that omits the bonus you've earned.

Where It Fits Cisco 360 LAND Rebate Journey

Before CPI can be estimated on any quote, two foundational pieces of configuration must be in place: the Eligible Offers file (which maps SKUs to portfolios and rebate percentages) and the partner's own standing, which is determined through PVI scores and specialization holdings.

Portfolios and specializations are that second piece. When your PqW Administrator sets a PVI score per Business Entity and portfolio, PqW knows which tier you fall into (Cisco Partner at 5.0+, or Preferred Partner at 7.5+). When the administrator also marks which specializations the partner holds for that Business Entity, PqW can layer on the Specialization Bonus — an additional rebate percentage that Cisco awards to partners who invest in certification and capability-building within a portfolio.

The result is a more complete and accurate rebate estimate on every eligible Cisco item. Without specialization configuration, only the base LAND rebate is shown. With it, users see both the base rebate and the specialization bonus, giving them the full picture of incentive value while the deal is still in progress.

Why It Matters to Your Business

• Maximize rebate visibility: Partners who hold specializations earn more — configuring them in PqW ensures those extra earnings are reflected in every estimate.
• Portfolio-level strategy: Seeing rebate differences across portfolios helps partners decide where to invest in growing their PVI or pursuing certifications.
• Preferred Partner readiness: The Preferred Partner tier (PVI 7.5+) combined with active specializations represents the highest rebate potential in the Cisco 360 program. Configuring both in PqW gives your team full visibility into what that top-tier standing is worth.

Prerequisites

Before configuring portfolios and specializations, make sure following conditions are met:

1. PqW Administrator Permission Set: You need to have PqW administrator permission to access the Cisco 360 CPI Configuration page. Non-admin users can't access the page and do configurations.
2. At Least One Business Entity Exists: Portfolios and specializations are configured per Business Entity. You must have at least one BE GEO ID set up before you can assign PVI scores or mark specializations.
3. Know Your PVI Scores from Cisco: Cisco assigns a PVI (0.00–10.00) per portfolio per Business Entity. You can find these in the Cisco Partner Experience Platform (PXP). PqW does not pull them automatically, you need to enter them manually.
4. Know Which Specializations Your Organization Holds: Check the Cisco Partner Marketing Acceleration (PMA) portal or your Cisco partner profile to confirm which specializations are active for each Business Entity. 
5. Eligible Offers File Ingested: The portfolios listed on the CPI Configuration page must align with the portfolios in the Eligible Offers file. If the file hasn't been uploaded, the system cannot calculate rebates against portfolios even if PVI is configured

Key Terms

The Seven Cisco Portfolios

PqW comes pre-loaded with seven Cisco portfolios that match the Eligible Offers workbook structure:

These portfolios cannot be added or removed by the PqW administrator. They are system-defined and align to the Eligible Offers worksheets published by Cisco each Incentive Period.

How to Set up Portfolio and Specializations

Each portfolio needs a PVI score for the system to determine which rebate tier applies. PVI is always recorded against a specific Business Entity, portfolio, and effective start date.

Entering a PVI for a Portfolio

A rebate is estimated only for portfolios where you have recorded a PVI score. For each portfolio your organization has a PVI for, enter it against that portfolio and Business Entity. The full procedure, including the threshold bar, effective dates, and how scores are kept over time, is covered in How to set up Business Entities and enter PVI scores.

Configuring Specializations Per Business Entity

What are Specializations?

Specializations are Cisco-issued certifications that recognize a partner's depth of capability in a specific technology area. In the context of CPI, holding a qualifying specialization unlocks a Specialization Bonus — an additional rebate percentage layered on top of the base LAND rebate for items in the associated portfolio.

Phase-1 Specializations

In this first phase of Cisco 360 in PqW, two specializations are supported:

Additional specializations may be added in future phases as Cisco expands the program.

Step-by-Step: Enable or Disable a Specialization

1. Open the Cisco 360 CPI Configuration page from the App Launcher.

   

2. Select the Business Entity from the dropdown.

   

3. Scroll to the Specializations section on the page. You will see the available specializations listed for that Business Entity, each with an enable/disable toggle.
4. To make a specialization active, toggle the specialization to Enabled. A confirmation toast appears: “Successfully enabled specialization.”
5. To remove a specialization, toggle the specialization to Disabled. A confirmation toast appears: “Successfully disabled specialization.”

How Specializations Feed the Rebate Calculation

The Specialization Bonus

When the CPI estimation engine runs on a quote, it checks two things for each eligible item:

Does the partner's PVI qualify them for a rebate? (PVI ≥ 5.0)

Does the partner hold a specialization that applies to this item's portfolio?

If both conditions are met, the system applies the Specialization Bonus Percentage from the Eligible Offers data in addition to the base LAND rebate:

Total Estimated CPI = Base Land Rebate + Specialization Bonus

Where:

Base Land Rebate = Total VAR Cost × Base Rebate Percentage

Specialization Bonus = Total VAR Cost × Specialization Bonus Percentage

The bonus percentage comes from the Eligible Offers file and is specific to the portfolio and partner tier.

The Preferred Partner (PVI 7.5+) Requirement

Cisco's Preferred Partner designation (PVI 7.5 and above) represents the highest tier of partner status within a portfolio. In many Cisco programs, achieving Preferred Partner status requires not just a high PVI score, but also holding an active specialization in the relevant portfolio area.

In PqW, this manifests as follows:

If your PVI is 7.5+ and you hold the relevant specialization → you receive the Preferred Partner rebate percentage plus the Specialization Bonus.

If your PVI is 7.5+ but you do not hold the relevant specialization → you still receive the Preferred Partner base rebate percentage, but the Specialization Bonus will be zero for items in that portfolio.

If your PVI is 5.0–7.49 and you hold a specialization → you receive the Partner rebate percentage plus the Specialization Bonus.

The specialization configuration on the CPI Config page ensures PqW knows whether to include the bonus in its estimates.

Refreshing Portfolios

The CPI Config page includes a Refresh Portfolios action. Use this when:

• A new Incentive Period begins and portfolio data may have been updated
• You suspect the displayed portfolios or specialization options are outdated
• After your StrataVAR administrator has updated the underlying data source

To refresh:

1. On the CPI Configuration page, click Refresh Portfolios.
2. The system re-syncs portfolio and specialization data.
3. A toast message confirms: "Successfully refreshed portfolios and specializations."

This does not change your PVI scores or specialization enable/disable settings — it only refreshes the available options and metadata.

Where to Confirm Your Status

To verify that the portfolios and specializations configured in PqW accurately reflect your Cisco standing:

• PVI Scores: Log in to the Cisco Partner Experience Platform (PXP) at partner.cisco.com. Navigate to your partner profile to view your current PVI per portfolio.
• Specializations: In the same portal, go to Partner Programs → Specializations to confirm which certifications are active for your organization and which Business Entities they apply to.
• Preferred Partner Status: The PXP portal displays your current tier designation per portfolio. Cross-reference this with the PVI and specialization status you've entered in PqW to ensure alignment.

Summary

Portfolios and specializations are the two configuration elements that determine which rebate rates PqW applies and whether the Specialization Bonus is included in your CPI estimates. The seven Cisco portfolios (Collaboration, Networking, Security, Services, Cloud and AI Infrastructure, Mass-Scale Infrastructure, and Splunk) are system-defined and align to the Eligible Offers workbook structure. Your PqW Administrator records a PVI per portfolio per Business Entity — establishing the partner tier — and enables or disables specializations per BE to unlock the bonus rebate. In Phase 1, two specializations are supported: Secure Networking and Secure AI Infrastructure. Together, these settings give PqW everything it needs to calculate the most complete rebate estimate possible on every eligible Cisco item.

What's Next

With portfolios and specializations configured, your CPI estimates will now include both the base LAND rebate and any applicable Specialization Bonus. If you have recently updated these settings, existing quotes will not reflect the changes automatically. Navigate to the CPI Recalculation page to refresh estimates on affected quotes in bulk. If your PVI changes in the next fiscal month, return to the CPI Config page and add a new PVI entry with the updated Effective Start Date to keep your estimates aligned with your current Cisco standing.