Executive Thought Leadership

Purpose Built

Developing products with small and medium-sized businesses in mind.

Today, leading technology vendors are increasingly developing products designed specifically with small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in mind.

Organizations of all sizes can now take advantage of networked business solutions in order to improve communications, streamline operations, and better address business challenges and opportunities. For SMBs, however, these solutions need to be both cost-effective and simple to use.

In general, SMBs are more budget-conscious than their enterprise counterparts. As a result, products integrating multiple functions into an easy-to-use solution are economically appealing to smaller businesses.

Intelligent Systems

Investing in one system that can handle many tasks, such as managing voice and data communications, wireless mobility, and integrated network security, allow SMBs to lower capital expenditures. Moreover, consolidation eases operational expenses due to fewer network devices to install, configure, maintain, and update. Smaller companies are also less likely to have a dedicated IT staff to stay up to date with complex products or to train others. Additionally, SMB business leaders are usually most passionate about the core focus of their business, and don't have the time or interest to learn about the inner workings of networked systems. That's why ease of installation, use, and management are absolutely essential for SMBs.

Unlike many large organizations that often prefer the ability to substantially customize network solutions themselves, Cisco believes SMBs benefit from a solution in which much of the complexity is absorbed by the intelligence built into the system. The goal is to make it as quick and easy as possible to get from installation to operation so SMBs can focus on their core business objectives.

Channels to Success

The vast majority of Cisco products reach end customers through our worldwide ecosystem of channel partners, such as service providers and value-added resellers. These partners don't simply resell our products―we have a reciprocal relationship with them.

We receive input based on their direct experience with our products and feedback from SMB customers, which continuously improves our solutions and how we deliver them. Through mechanisms such as the Cisco Channel Advisory Board, our partners and resellers have the opportunity to interface directly with our business units during development and report back on their actual experiences with customers.

Building Business Value

While SMBs benefit from solutions that are simple to install, use, and maintain, they also benefit from solutions tailored specifically for their industry, from retail to real estate. That's where a value-added reseller that understands a specific industry and its unique business needs can help an SMB maximize the business value of its technology investments.

In one case, leading Cisco reseller Calence, working with Cisco Technology Developer Partner IPcelerate, helped the owner of a busy Subway franchise with dozens of locations and more than 300 employees to become a believer in the business value of networked technology. Arizona-based Les White, a self-described echnophobe,started out with five stores, but as his business grew, he found it difficult to keep operations efficient using paper and pen.

Based on White's biggest business challenges, Calence and IPcelerate collaborated to deliver a powerful solution that was simple to deploy. White's employees now use touch-screen phones using Internet Protocol (IP) technology at each location, which has significantly improved how he manages his business.

For example, when an employee calls in sick, White used to need someone to manually call through a list to find a replacement. Now the system auto-dials employees, offering each one the shift until it secures a new worker. Employees use the IP phones for time management, process compliance, and more. White even records a "Daily Lesson" to which each employee listens at the beginning of each shift―in the past, he shared this unique daily motivational message with just a handful of managers, who would then do their best to pass it along at their locations.

The IP phones—something so simple everyone can use—are now the hubs of White's business, providing true business value.

Continuous Improvement

SMBs have little time to spend experimenting with technology, but much to gain by adopting intelligent, integrated communications solutions. For Cisco, succeeding at meeting the needs of this market involves working with our channel partners to ensure we're addressing customer requirements.

Our SMB-focused products speak for themselves, but we are mindful to remain in constant "listen" mode as we continue to evolve and refine our offerings.