Cisco will raise list prices on software and a limited set of hardware products, in a move it described to partners as a portfolio "rebalancing."

Per CRN, the software price increases will average in the mid-single-digit percentage range, with Splunk services excluded from the changes. Cisco has not disclosed which hardware products will be affected or the extent of their particular price increases.

The changes will be effective from November 7, according to a notice from Tim Coogan, Cisco's senior vice president of global partner sales. Said notice to partners and distributors was sent ahead of its 2026 Cisco Partner Summit, which starts today (October 26) in Canada.

"I recognize that this information reaches you two days before Partner Summit, as many of you are getting ready to travel to Vancouver," Coogan wrote. "We chose to share it now so you arrive with the full details and can plan with them in hand."

Telling CRN the move represented a “rebalancing” across the Cisco portfolio rather than a broad-based price increase, Coogan explained the firm “looks at its product portfolio and pricing strategy ongoing to make sure it reflects market dynamics, our own investments in innovation and the value we’re delivering, and we make targeted adjustments when needed."

The channel chief added Cisco’s standard price protection policies would continue to apply to both software and hardware purchases, without exceptions or modifications. Cisco also aims to work with partners and end customers to manage the transition, with partner account managers available to address questions.

The most immediate impact will be on deals already in progress, with solution providers needing to ensure quotes remain current and customers receive updated pricing before existing quotes expire.

Cisco’s latest move comes after various adjustments to its pricing models and deal structures in response to the ongoing global memory chip shortage. In April, Cisco reinstated its compute deal registration after eliminating it a few months prior to the chagrin of partners, some of whom reportedly saw potential margins hit by up to 8%.

August then saw Cisco double server quote validity and price protection from seven to 14 days, with some partners comparing this to standard 30-day guarantees from Cisco rivals like Dell and HPE.