Networking specialist Cisco Systems announced a slew of products and
services for its small business technology portfolio, including a class of
Cisco small business switches, IP phones and video monitoring software. Cisco
is also making its support available across the entire small business
technology portfolio and enhancing its small business product warranties, as
well as simplifying its Partner Development Funds profitability program and
offering a personalized workspace for partners called My Cisco.
Cisco 300 Series managed switches are energy-efficient managed switches the
company said save up to 74 percent on power; feature globalization support for
languages, a lifetime warranty and replacement options; and support for IPv6.
The switches' list prices start at $217, depending on the model, with most
models currently available.
The company also released three IP phones, supported with the Cisco Unified
Communications 500 Series and hosted IP telephony systems, and a new desktop
administration tool, as well as HD voice (wide-band audio) across the Cisco
Small Business IP Phone portfolio. The SPA
525G2 IP phone is a wireless IP phone with Mobile Link, a feature that pairs
with a mobile phone to allow the transfer of calls back and forth, plus the
import of contacts wirelessly. The Bluetooth-enabled IP phone also includes a USB
port to charge a mobile phone.
The SPA300 Series list prices range from $83
to $125, depending on the model, while the SPA525G2
IP Phone lists at $430. The Office Manage desktop administration tool,
customized by the Cisco partner, helps enable a small business office
administrator or IT person to handle routine operational tasks for the Cisco
Smart Business Communications System. Office Manager is a no-cost download and
is available only in English, the company noted.
Cisco Advanced Video Monitoring System (AVMS) software offers monitoring and
control with advanced 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. The VC 220 Dome IP video camera offers
enhanced ability in bright-light and low-light situations, while the VC 240
Bullet IP camera offers weatherproof casing. The monitoring system software
lists starting at $1,000, while the Dome camera and the Bullet camera list at
$794 and $921, respectively.
"Our reseller customers—who support a wide range of IT solutions needs
among small and medium businesses nationwide—always benefit when an industry
leader like Cisco introduces a new portfolio of solutions designed for the
small business market,” said Angela Beltz-Norrie, vice president of the Cisco
Solutions Group for Tech Data. “By adding these products to their own solutions
offerings, Cisco resellers will be able to provide even greater value to their
SMB customers, especially in the areas of networking, collaboration and
security."
Cisco is also streamlining Partner Development Fund (PDF) to four tracks
instead of eight to help simplify the program for partners and implement
automatic re-enrollment for eligible partners enrolled at the end of the company’s
fiscal year 2010. Also, Cisco will implement a single enrollment process so
that partners can enroll in either VIP or
PDF, but not both. My Cisco provides access to the Cisco business applications
and information that partners use most frequently, and the company has created
an integrated, personalized Web page that can be customized with modules a
partner selects from a new catalog to create its own My Cisco workspace.
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