The We’re Listening Blog Series: It’s Easier than Ever to Select SW Images on Cisco.com

We’ve heard you say that choosing the right software releases on Cisco.com is too complex. It’s too difficult to narrow down your options and know whether you’re really getting the software that meets your needs.

Now imagine that you have a “configuration cheat sheet” for all Cisco software updates that tells you exactly which release will best suit your memory, reliability and system resource needs. Would that simplify your experience?

This is exactly how the SW Research Tool on Cisco.com works. Using the tool, you enter your requirements for hardware and software features, and access and download the right Cisco software that meets your needs immediately, all in one place, with a few simple clicks.

The tool has been live on Cisco.com since September 2013. Today, you can access release suggestions for 47 product groups (including high-end routers and switches and our newer products) via the SW Research Tool. The same suggestions are also available from the SW Download site, so you can continue to use the download venue of your choice. The current statistics show that 65 percent of all downloads via Cisco.com are for Cisco “Suggested” software versions. Our back-end metrics show both an increasing adoption rate and an improved quality experience for those versions.

Here’s what people are saying about their recent experiences…

“I often get software version recommendation questions from customers. This tool cut down the time this task took tremendously. The feedback has been very positive.” – Cisco Systems Engineering Manager, Americas

“Early adopter reviews help us a lot before we push out new code.” – Cisco Partner

“After reviewing the Software Research application I’m very impressed with the features offered. No doubt that when the product list grows more complete we’ll be using the tool regularly.” – Cisco Customer

Watch a brief video on the SW Research Tool for more information, or read our quick tips guide.

Have you used the SW Research Tool? Tell us what you think, and help us fine-tune the process for an even better experience doing business with Cisco.