Cisco Launches Products to Help Small and Medium Businesses in Asia-Pacific Accelerate Their Digitization

News Summary

Networking and security products include Cisco Catalyst 1200 and 1300 Series switches and Cisco Meraki MX.

The products streamline network setup and security management for SMBs, accelerate digital adoption and reduce complexity for tightly resourced operations teams.

Cisco is investing significantly in the SMB segment, particularly in Asia-Pacific, and has launched a new Cisco Partner Journey for SMB partners to better serve customers in the region.

Melbourne, Dec. 6, 2023 – Today Cisco, a worldwide networking and cybersecurity technology leader, announced that it is launching networking and security products for small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Asia-Pacific. Unveiled at Cisco Live Melbourne, Cisco Catalyst 1200 and 1300 Series switches and Cisco Meraki MX help simplify and expedite network and security setup and were designed to meet the specific needs and budget of the SMB segment.

“In the rapidly evolving business landscape, SMB customers are seeking digital transformation more than ever before. SMBs are investing in business applications to compete. They are also investing in the infrastructure and security to make those applications work,” said Andrew Sage, Vice President, Global Distribution and SMB Sales at Cisco. “Cisco is focused not only on developing cutting edge solutions to ensure those applications are secure, resilient, and accessible from anywhere, but also on enabling our partners to help deliver outcomes for our SMB customers, unlocking a new era of growth.”

Simplifying Network Management for SMBs

The new Catalyst 1200 and 1300 Series switches simplify network setup for SMBs and can be deployed on-premise, or as cloud-based, managed solutions, accelerating adoption of technology and capitalizing on the opportunities of digitization.

Switches are key building blocks for any network and enable communication between connected devices – including computers, wireless access points, printers and servers on the same network – within a building or campus. The new Catalyst switches can be easily managed with the Cisco Business Dashboard, a centralized network management tool, that simplifies the complex task of managing a business network by automating the deployment, monitoring and lifecycle management of networking devices. Additionally, the Catalyst 1200 and 1300 Series switches can be set up and managed by the Cisco Business mobile app, which adds further simplicity.

Cisco also launched the Meraki MX, an all-in-one security and SD-WAN solution that addresses pressing cybersecurity needs of SMBs. The Meraki MX provides several capabilities including application-based firewall, content filtering, threat protection, VPN, cellular failover, web application and VoIP health and more. It is fully cloud-managed with zero-touch installation and remote management.

Meraki MX comes with ThousandEyes Enterprise Agents, providing operations teams with in-depth visibility and insights into SaaS performance and underlying network health and empowering them to address issues affecting both users and sites. This native integration gives access to enhanced monitoring for distributed, lean IT sites without the need for additional hardware. It is a key differentiator as increasing connectivity, driven by SaaS applications, third-party services and network growth, introduces complexity and heightens the risk of disruptions.

Flexible consumption models

In addition, Cisco introduced the MSP Express for SMB, a catalogue of scalable Managed Services that partners can build and offer to SMBs across the region. The MSP Express leverages core Cisco products for the SMB segment including Meraki, DUO, Umbrella and Webex. It provides SMBs with flexibility and choice in how they consume technology based on their capital allocation priorities.

“The SMB segment is a significant area of investment and focus for Cisco, especially in Asia-Pacific. This includes working with our partner community and enabling them to better serve SMBs customers with a new bespoke Cisco Partner Journey for SMB partners,” said Michiko Kamata, Managing Director SMB and Distributions Sales, Cisco APJC. “This initiative consolidates content, resources and tools across Cisco to enable our partners to help deliver the best outcomes for the SMB customers across the region.”

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