Nothing but Network: Cisco Performs Small Business Makeover on Magic Johnson Enterprises and Home Office

SAN JOSE, CA and BEVERLY HILLS, CA--(Marketwire - November 17, 2008) - Today Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced that it has completed an installation of Cisco® Small Business solutions at Magic Johnson Enterprises, the No. 1 brand in America dedicated to serving ethnically diverse, urban communities. The Small Business solutions, deployed by Straight Up Technologies, will enable employees to collaborate, stay connected to increase productivity, work from anywhere, and serve customers better via a consolidated, highly secure network. Additionally, Cisco Small Business solutions will save the company money as increased efficiencies pave the way for more interaction with colleagues and partners.

"Businesses nowadays don't take days off. Much like in basketball, if you have an off day, the whole team suffers. The Cisco network allows me to minimize my 'off' days," said Earvin "Magic" Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer of Magic Johnson Enterprises. "Cisco removes the barriers to communication, making my business more responsive and productive."

Cisco Unified Communications is allowing Magic Johnson Enterprises employees and customers to connect more easily, and Cisco WebEx™ Connect is helping to enable employees and business partners to collaborate by sharing documents and ideas in real time with online meetings. Additionally, Cisco desktop-based video conferencing technologies give meetings a more human touch when employees are not able to attend in person.

Enhance Productivity by Connecting Employees and Serving Customers Better

With the Cisco deployment, Magic Johnson Enterprises was able to consolidate its network for voice, data and wireless, enabling cost, productivity and electricity savings. Through the use of Cisco's Unified CallConnector and the company's existing customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, employees can log all phone calls as they happen and utilize data mining. Now when they receive a call, employees can pull up the records immediately and have all the information they need at their fingertips to better serve that customer.

The new consolidated network also doubled data capacity, which was critical to the organization. Magic Johnson Enterprises had reached its maximum network usage, which made uploading promotional videos to Web sites painfully slow. The Cisco network now gives Magic Johnson Enterprises employees the ability to scale promotions and easily upload video as needed.

"Outdated technology can hold back a business from achieving optimum productivity and performance. Cisco understands the pressures that face small businesses and works with small-business owners to help them utilize technology to improve operations and remain competitive in a challenging economy," said Mark Monday, vice president, Cisco Small Business Technology Group. "By providing small businesses with technologies that increase efficiency and decrease costs, Cisco is helping small and medium-sized businesses simplify the technology process and allow them to focus more on their customer and partner relationships rather than worrying about network connectivity."

Highly Secure Operations Allow Work from Anywhere

In addition to the technology used in the Magic Johnson Enterprises headquarters, Internet Protocol (IP) video conferencing and a wireless network were also deployed in Johnson's home office, allowing him to cut back on travel time, focus more on his work and, ultimately, spend more time with his family.

Employees are now able to access voicemail, e-mail and other network resources at the office and on the go. The highly secure Cisco network allows Johnson to stay personally involved and collaborate with his employees and business partners even when he is not physically present.

Cisco and Magic Johnson Enterprises plan to continue work together to further transform the company's small business operations.

For more information about Cisco small-business solutions please visit: http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/solutions/small_business/index.html

About Magic Johnson Enterprises

Magic Johnson Enterprises, formed in 1987, serves as a catalyst for community and economic empowerment by making available high-quality entertainment, products and services that answer the demands of ethnically diverse urban communities. Through investment, partnership and consultation, Magic Johnson Enterprises has a portfolio of companies that strategically work together to reinforce the organization's focus on serving emerging, multicultural communities. Learn more at www.magicjohnsonenterprises.com.

About Cisco Systems

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Contact Information: Media Relations: Christopher Barker Cisco Systems, Inc. 206 679-8151 chrbarke@cisco.com Industry Analyst Relations: Laura Irwin Cisco Systems, Inc. 408 853-8876 lirwin@cisco.com Investor Relations: Marilyn Mora Cisco Systems, Inc. 408 527-7452 marilmor@cisco.com Tammy Warren Magic Johnson Enterprises 310-247-2033 tammyw@magicjent.com