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| Cisco Delivers on Its Small Business Commitment | |
| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:34:00 AM | |
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New Small Business Solutions, Service and Support Help Cisco Partners Better Serve Small Businesses BOSTON – CISCO PARTNER SUMMIT – June 4, 2009 – Delivering on its commitment to provide small businesses and the partners that serve them with innovative networking and collaboration solutions, Cisco today announced new products, service and support to help small companies improve productivity and gain a competitive advantage, while minimizing time spent managing technology. Part of the new solutions announced today include additions to the Cisco Small Business Pro series, which is designed so that Cisco partners can build, install and manage systems that support a small business' evolving technology needs. KEY FACTS / HIGHLIGHTS: New Products Cisco has expanded the Cisco Small Business and Cisco Small Business Pro portfolios to total more than 100 purpose-built products. New Cisco Small Business Pro solutions include: * Cisco ESW 500 Series Switches, part of the Cisco Small Business Pro Series: high-performance managed ethernet switches that enhance small business productivity and responsiveness to customers by helping eliminate network downtime and prevent business disruptions. o ESW 500 Series switches integrate simply with other Cisco Small Business Pro solutions as well as the Cisco Smart Business Communications System to build a reliable business network. o ESW 500 Series switches come with an enhanced five-year warranty, which includes next business day hardware replacement where available, free software fixes, 90 days of complimentary tech support and one year of click-to-chat support. * Cisco SPA8800 IP Telephony Gateway, part of the Cisco Small Business Pro Series: a cost-effective solution that enables small businesses to connect their Open Source IP PBX to existing analog phones and fax machines. o The Gateway offers excellent voice quality in demanding and diverse network conditions so small businesses don't have to worry about a "bad connection" and can always maintain a professional appearance with customers. New addition to the Cisco Small Business Series includes: * Cisco PVC300 IP Camera: an easy-to-use IP video surveillance solution that helps small companies protect their employees and business property via live video that can be viewed from virtually anywhere, even on an Internet-enabled mobile phone. Features include: o Pan, tilt and zoom capabilities and software to manage up to 16 cameras from one location. o Alerts when motion is detected and integration with alarms, door sensors and security systems. o Exceptional image quality, even in low-light environments such as warehouses. o Easy integration with Cisco NSS2000 and NSS3000 Network Storage Systems to store and backup video. Cisco also announced enhancements to the Cisco Smart Business Communications System: * Cisco Smart Business Communications System (SBCS) Release 1.5: a complete collaboration and communications system to connect offices, employees and customers anywhere at any time. o Release 1.5 offers new, lower pricing based on Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series, and an even lower cost per user when coupled with Cisco ESW 500 Series Switches. o Release 1.5 includes new applications that boost productivity and improve customer service, including: + WebEx PhoneConnect enables small businesses to view meetings and join online conferences with the touch of a button on their Cisco IP phone, saving time and encouraging collaboration. + Cisco TimeCardView allows staff to clock in and out, track hours and download information to payroll applications from their IP phone. + Single Number Reach improves customer service and virtually eliminates missed calls by routing them to a desk phone, mobile device, soft phone or other phone that is most convenient device for the employee. + Third-party network monitoring and management applications enable partners to ensure that the network is running smoothly so the business owner can focus on their business. Improved Support for Small Business Customers and Cisco Partners * Cisco also unveiled a new Cisco Small Business Pro Service that provides small businesses with three years of affordable technical support and coverage for Cisco Small Business Pro solutions. o The Service offers software updates, next business-day hardware replacement as necessary, and extended access to the Cisco Small Business Support Center, which is now available globally. * Cisco also provides community-based support 24/7 via the online Cisco Small Business Support Community whose users have grown by more than five-fold since January 2009. The Community enables partners and customers to share their knowledge and expertise about technologies that solve business problems and help keep small businesses moving forward. * For channel partners serving the small business customer, Cisco has introduced several new offers to help increase profitability selling Cisco Small Business solutions, including: o Increased rebates for Select certified partners participating in the global Partner Development Funds profitability program – up to $15,000 until July 25, 2009. o The new Small Business Performance Accelerator, a global profitability program open to registered partners selling to small business. o Extended channel financing terms to 90 days as part of a six-month financing stimulus package for partners currently participating in the extended terms financing program. * Today Cisco also launched a new Spanish version of the U.S. Cisco Small Business Website to better serve the Spanish-speaking community of small businesses and the Cisco Partners who support them. Product Pricing and Financing * The Cisco ESW 500 Series Switches range in price from $659 to $3,299 USD, depending on the model, and come with a five-year limited hardware warranty and are supported by the Cisco Small Business Support Center. Pricing varies by region. * Cisco SBCS Release 1.5 allows partners to take advantage of new component pricing that reduces the overall system cost by over 25 percent, bringing the price as low as $453 USD per user even in the eight-user configuration. Prices vary by region, number of users and on business needs and specific configurations. * Cisco SPA8800 IP Telephony Gateway is listed at $600 USD, with regional variations. * Cisco PVC300 IP Camera is listed at $794 USD, with regional variations. * Cisco CapitalSM offers zero percent financing on voice solutions, including the SBCS Release 1.5, to qualifying businesses in the U.S. and Canada. EasyLease zero percent financing is also available for unified communications and network technologies in Europe. To purchase Cisco Products visit http://ciscoguard.com |