Cisco Expands Portfolio of Products and Services for Small Businesses
New switches, IP phones, and video monitoring software are designed to help spur growth, improve security and performance, and control costs.
Cisco has announced a range of new products and enhanced services and support designed to help small businesses grow, improve security, and boost performance while controlling costs. Products include a new class of Cisco small business switches to create a more reliable and complete small business network, new IP phones to increase employee collaboration and productivity, and new video monitoring software with alerts to help keep businesses safe.
To help small businesses get more from their technology investment, Cisco is also making support available across the Cisco Small Business technology portfolio and enhancing its small business product warranties.
To help its channel partners build more profitable, sustainable small business practices, Cisco is simplifying its Partner Development Funds profitability program and offering a personalized workspace for partners called My Cisco, designed to help streamline business interactions with the company.
NEW PRODUCTS
Eight new products and technologies were introduced, including the Cisco 300 Series, a portfolio of managed switches that the company says saves up to 74 percent on power and offer enhanced quality of service and security features, globalization support for languages, a lifetime warranty, and advanced replacement options. The switches also support IPv6.
Three new IP phones and a desktop administration tool were also introduced. Phones include the Cisco SPA 300 Series that have features supported with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series and hosted IP telephony systems; and the Cisco SPA 525G2, a wireless IP phone with a feature called Mobile Link that pairs with a mobile phone to allow the smooth transfer of calls back and forth, plus the wireless import of contacts. The Bluetooth-enabled IP phone also includes a USB port to charge a mobile phone.
Office Manager is a desktop administration tool, customized by the Cisco partner, that helps enable a small business office administrator or IT person to handle routine operational tasks for the Cisco Smart Business Communications System.
Cisco’s new video software, called the Cisco Advanced Video Monitoring System (AVMS), offers monitoring and control with analytics for small business video surveillance deployments of up to 64 cameras. By adding licenses, the business can detect motion; receive alerts if items appear, disappear, or move; and integrate video cameras and point-of-sale equipment.
New cameras are the VC 220 Dome IP Video Camera and the VC 240 Bullet IP Video Camera, which has a weatherproof housing.
SERVICES AND SUPPORT
The subscription-based Cisco Small Business Support Service is now available across the Cisco Small Business portfolio. The service delivers three years of “peace-of-mind” support, including next-business-day advanced hardware replacement, software updates, access to the Cisco Small Business Support Center and Small Business Support Community, and online chat support.
The company has also simplified and enhanced the level of warranties for its Cisco Small business routing, switching and wireless access point.
PARTNER PROFITABILITY
Cisco is streamlining Partner Development Fund (PDF) to four tracks instead of eight and implementing automatic re-enrollment for eligible partners enrolled at the end of Cisco’s fiscal year 2010. The company will implement one enrollment process so that partners can enroll in either VIP or PDF, but not both.
Cisco has also created an integrated, personalized Web page that can be customized with modules a partner selects from a new catalog to create their own My Cisco workspace.
PRICING
- The Cisco 300 Series Managed Switches list prices start at $217, depending on the model.
- The Cisco SPA300 Series list prices range from $83 to $125 depending on the model.
- The Cisco SPA525G2 IP Phone lists at $430.
- Office Manager is a no-cost download and is available only in English.
- Cisco Advanced Video Monitoring System software lists starting at $1,000.
- Cisco VC220 Dome IP Video Camera lists at $794.
- Cisco VC240 Bullet IP Video Camera lists at $921.
