Cisco today announced that it is expanding the industry’s broadest portfolio of small business technology with new solutions to help small businesses connect their business to the world, secure their network and communicate more effectively. New technologies include a family of energy-efficient, unmanaged switches and a wireless virtual private network (VPN) firewall that small businesses can easily install themselves, as well as customer premises equipment that can enable service providers to deliver high-value services to small businesses. Cisco is also launching a Web-based Small Business University, where partners can find all the tools and training materials necessary to develop a successful small business practice, and two new local-language Small Business Support Communities to help partners better support their small business customers.
KEY FACTS / HIGHLIGHTS
Broad Technology Portfolio: Cisco has expanded the industry’s broadest portfolio of small business solutions with new technologies to help small businesses connect, secure and communicate. New technologies include:
- Easy-to-Install Switches: The Cisco 100 Series Switches are a new series of
energy-efficient, unmanaged switches that provide wire-speed Fast Ethernet and
Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for small business offices, simply and affordably,
right out of the box.- The Cisco 100 Series Switches are the first series in a broad new portfolio
of feature-rich, affordable Cisco Small Business Switches. Other series will be
announced over the next year.
- The Cisco 100 Series Switches are the first series in a broad new portfolio
- Easy-to-Use Wireless Firewall: The Cisco RV 120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall allows small
businesses to affordably connect to the world in a highly secure environment and
provides business-class features for small businesses with 20 or fewer
employees.- The device includes built-in high-speed 802.11n wireless access as well as
the ability to link multiple offices and remote employees to the business
network with a high degree of security via VPN. - The device also allows the business to segment the network to control access
to files and applications and enable secure wireless guest access.
- The device includes built-in high-speed 802.11n wireless access as well as
- Flexible Customer Premises Equipment for Service Providers: The Cisco SRP 526W and SRP 527W Services Ready Platforms
are new ADSL2+ models in the Cisco SPR 500 Series of affordable customer
premises equipment that enable service providers to deliver data, voice and
other services to small businesses to help them connect, secure and communicate.- Demand for managed services is expected to grow dramatically over the next
few years. The Cisco SRP 500 Series Services Ready Platforms can help providers
seize this opportunity and deliver high-value services cost effectively. - The devices are also part of Cisco Hosted Small Business Communications, a
complete, reliable, cost-effective customer premises equipment solution that
enables service providers to deliver hosted IP telephony services to small
businesses.
- Demand for managed services is expected to grow dramatically over the next
Support and Services: Cisco has launched new and revised tools, training offerings and support communities to help partners sell and deliver technology solutions that build customer loyalty.
- Cisco has introduced a new Web-based Small Business University, which
includes new and updated partner tools and training offerings to help partners
further develop their sales, technical and business knowledge. This
one-stop-shop brings all the tools and trainings that partners need to build a
successful small business practice to one central place. New and updated tools
and training offerings include:- Small Business Specialization: Updates to the specialization address
the unique skills partners must have to best serve small businesses with 100 or
fewer employees. The specialization now includes trainings on the complete Cisco
Small Business technology portfolio, and the trainings are available for free
via the Small Business University. - Small Business Partner Practice Builder: An enablement platform
designed to assist partners in building a successful and profitable small
business practice with Cisco Small Business technology. - Smart Business Roadmap: A Web-based training framework consisting of
video tutorials, tools and relevant Cisco resources all designed to improve
partners’ solution sales skills. - Small Business Technical Labs: Self-paced, hands-on technical
trainings for Small Business Specialized partners. Trainings can be
instructor-led or via the newly developed on-demand sessions.
- Small Business Specialization: Updates to the specialization address
- With the success of the original Small Business Support Communities,
Cisco created two new Small Business Support Communities in Spanish and German,
adding to the communities already available in English and French, which provide
community-based support 24 hours a day to partners and customers.
Partner Profitability: Cisco continues to invest in partner programs and flexible financing offers to help small business partners create opportunities to increase their profits, compete more effectively and build profitable, sustainable small business practices.
- The Small Business Partner Development Funds program provides quarterly
payments to qualifying partners based on their purchases of Cisco Small Business
products. Also, Cisco CapitalSM provides extended payment terms and a range of
flexible financial offerings including zero-percent financing in the U.S. and Europe to qualifying partners and small businesses.
Product Pricing and Availability
- Cisco 100 Series Switches list prices range from $57
to $413 USD, depending on the model. The switches are currently available
worldwide except in China, where they will be available in the June 2010
timeframe. - Cisco RV 120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall is listed at
$189 USD and is currently available in the U.S. Canada and European Union. - Cisco SRP 526W and SRP 527W Services Ready Platforms
are listed at $300 USD. The devices are currently available in the U.S., Canada,
European Union, Australia and New Zealand. - All products are available to small businesses via Cisco
Partners and Resellers.
Supporting Quotes
- Rick Moran, vice president, Small Business Solutions Marketing,
Cisco:"Cisco is focused on building reliable, affordable technologies that small
businesses can easily use to connect their business to the world, help secure
their business, and communicate more effectively. By categorizing the Cisco
Small Business portfolio into connect, secure and communicate, we’re helping
small businesses select the right technologies to meet their core business needs
and even accelerate as the economy recovers." - Andrew Sage, vice president, Worldwide Small Business Sales, Cisco:
"Listening and responding to our partners’ feedback is critical to helping
us develop the technologies, support, services and profitability programs they
need to be successful. Our most recent Small Business Partner Pulse survey
indicates that our investments are helping them build successful small business
practices and, most importantly, increasing their profitability with
Cisco."
