Cisco unveils NOW to tap the SMB segment

Mumbai, May 3 (UNI) Cisco Systems, the global leader in networking for the Internet, today announced aggressive plans to address the needs of the burgeoning Small and Medium Business (SMB) segment in India.

The Company unveiled ''Network On Wheels (NOW)'', a mobile showcase of customized Cisco networking solutions including advanced technologies such as Security, Wireless and Unified IP Communications aimed at helping Indian SMBs leverage the power of networking technology for business growth, said a Company press release here.

NOW, the first major marketing program of its kind by a networking vendor in the country, will see Cisco augment an eight-month-long, 50-city road show that will take its latest networking solutions to the SMB customers.

As per an Access Markets International (AMI) Partners study, there are an estimated 7.6 million SMBs in India. These SMBs are set to spend a whopping USD 7.7 billion to beef up their info-tech infrastructure and solutions, up 26 per cent over last year.

A third of these anticipates a 20 per cent increase in their annual revenues, and will therefore boost their IT spending, according to the latest study. Networking forms the backbone of all IT&Telecom investments and is a key component of the overall expenditure.

While technology is being viewed as a driver for increasing efficiencies and global competitiveness, its role as a strategic business tool is still undervalued. The Cisco NOW program aims to address this awareness gap by showcasing a complete range of customized Cisco networking solutions for SMBs across technologies such as routing, switching, security, wireless, voice and video. It is amongst the largest marketing initiatives in India by Cisco and is a key pillar of its SMB strategy.

Under the program, Cisco has created a customized van with a live network environment on board. The ''Network on Wheels'' van is a 25-foot mobile showcase equipped with the latest Cisco networking solutions. The mobile van will visit strategic industrial locations across key tier I, II and III cities and host live demonstrations for more than 100 customers per city in the country.

The Cisco NOW van will demonstrate for SMBs exciting interactive technology solutions designed to enhance their competitive advantage, maximize productivity and ROI, enhance customer care and loyalty, increase user satisfaction and reduce operation costs - ultimately driving business growth.

Some cities that the NOW van will cover include Chandigarh, Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Hubli, Guwahati, Raipur, Rajkot and Surat among others.

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