Cisco Delivers on Its Small Business Commitment

New Small Business Solutions, Service and Support Help Cisco Partners Better Serve Small Businesses

| Source: Cisco Cisco

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - June 4, 2009) - CISCO PARTNER SUMMIT -- Delivering on its commitment to provide small businesses and the partners that serve them with innovative networking and collaboration solutions, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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:

    • Pan, tilt and zoom capabilities and software to manage up to 16 cameras from one location.
    • Alerts when motion is detected and integration with alarms, door sensors and security systems.
    • Exceptional image quality, even in low-light environments such as warehouses.
    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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 the 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.

    • 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:

    • Increased rebates for Select certified partners participating in the global Partner Development Funds profitability program -- up to $15,000 until July 25, 2009.
    • The new Small Business Performance Accelerator, a global profitability program open to registered partners selling to small business.
    • 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 Capital(SM) 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.

Product Availability

  • Cisco ESW 500 Series Switches are currently available in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia.
  • Cisco SPA8800 IP Telephony Gateway is currently available in Australia and New Zealand. The gateway will be available in the U.S., Canada and Europe in late-June 2009.
  • Cisco SBCS Release 1.5 and the Cisco PVC300 IP Camera are currently available globally.
  • All products are available to small businesses via Cisco Partners and Resellers.

Supporting Quotes

  • Fred Tan, owner, Skye Dental:
    "Building a brand new dental office, we wanted to have a completely high-tech office to differentiate ourselves from other local dental practices, so we stream media to make our patients more comfortable using the Cisco NSS3000. With Gigabit Ethernet interface, we are able to stream heavy media to all patient stations at the same time. We also installed the Cisco PVC300 IP Camera to let us keep an eye on the office at all times, especially when we have to leave the front lobby for short periods to tend to patients, and all the video is easily stored to the NSS3000."

  • Ian Pennell, senior vice president, small business technology group, Cisco:
    "Cisco recognizes that small businesses have a tremendous impact on communities around the world and on our global economy. With our broad product portfolios, service and support, we're delivering on our commitment to give small businesses technology that can solve business problems and help them gain a competitive advantage to succeed in these challenging times."

  • Andrew Sage, vice president, worldwide small business sales, Cisco:
    "We are delivering the Cisco Small Business Advantage for our partners with products, profitability and the confidence to boldly pursue this exciting opportunity together."

  • Rick Moran, vice president, small business solutions marketing, Cisco:
    "In order for small businesses to successfully move forward, it's necessary that they have access to the right kinds of services, support and communities of experts and peers they need when they need it. We're delivering this in various ways through our web site with 'click-to-chat' and 'buy now' features and through our Web 2.0 support community so small businesses get the service and support they need when they need it and how they need it."

Supporting Resources

Videos

Technorati Tags: Cisco Small Business, small business technology, Cisco Small Business Technology Group, small business networking, switches, Cisco Smart Business Communications System, IP telephony, camera, surveillance, monitoring, video, ESW 500, SPA8800, PVC300, UC 500

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Contact Information: Cisco Press Contact: Katie Taylor Cisco (408) 525-8289 katitayl@cisco.com Industry Analyst Contact: Laura Irwin Cisco (408) 853-8876 lirwin@cisco.com Investor Relations Contact: Matt Tractenberg Cisco (408) 525-3170 matthew2@cisco.com

Cisco ESW 500 Switches Cisco SPA8800 IP Telephony Gateway Cisco PVC300 IP Camera Ian Pennell, SVP, Small Business Technology Group, Cisco

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