Packaging Success for Smaller Businesses

September 19, 2005

By Charles Waltner, News@Cisco

Cisco Systems is making communications for smaller businesses a group effort. Most recently, Cisco has combined key technologies, services, support and financing programs into comprehensive packages for small and medium-sized organizations. The new packages will help these companies more easily and cost-effectively tap into the power of Internet protocol (IP) communications for reducing costs and boosting revenues.

Cisco, for example, has partnered with Microsoft to integrate its customer relationship management (CRM) software with Cisco's IP Communications networks. Such a prefab pairing has been welcomed news for companies such as Greenstone Farm Credit Services, a provider of agricultural loans, insurance and financial services for 17,000 customers in Michigan and northeast Wisconsin.

From a series of acquisitions Greenstone had inherited a convoluted network of disparate phone and data systems, making it difficult for the organization to coordinate branch activities and to work as a cohesive business. But by turning to Cisco and its packaged IP Communications offerings, it was able to cost-effectively address its business challenges.

Greenstone's package included the Cisco Call Manager IP communications platform, 400 Cisco IP phones and the Cisco CRM Communications Connector, a new middleware application that dynamically integrates Microsoft's CRM product with Cisco's call routing software and IP phones. The combination makes it possible for Greenstone to capture and present a wide-range of information on customer interactions, such as "screen pops" that identify customers and create new records as each call arrives. The system automatically tracks every customer call and logs it into the Microsoft CRM application. A robust, secure Cisco infrastructure, including Cisco Catalyst switches, supports Greenstone's applications and day-to-day business requirements.

"Our entire business is based on relationships," says Dominic Roberts, director of information services for Greenstone. "The fact that Cisco offered a solution that automatically interfaces with Microsoft CRM made the choice an easy one."

Cisco's new portfolio of products and packages are helping even the smallest of businesses, such as Peoples Federal Credit Union in Nitro, W. Va. The 26-employee nonprofit financial cooperative needed a low-cost communications system for its unique "bank on wheels" mobile branch that reaches the region's underserved population.

Working with Cisco partner Advanced Technical Solutions, Scott Depot, W.Va., Peoples Federal was not only able to build an affordable communications system for the mobile branch but also meet the stringent security requirements placed on financial institutions. The heart of the system is the Cisco 2800 Integrated Services Router. Besides managing data flows, the router also hosts the Cisco CallManager Express and Cisco Unity Express, which support all the voice, video and data needs of the branch, in addition to key security services. Now, Peoples Federal mobile branch can offer the same types of services as any other bank without taxing its limited budget. Thanks to the Cisco Business Communications package (combined with a satellite link), the mobile unit offers all the services of a typical branch including teller-based account management, an ATM kiosk, as well as full phone support for customer calls. The Cisco system is even able to monitor the mobile branch from its headquarters via a live video feed.

Most importantly, the Cisco Business Communications system has helped Peoples Federal pioneer a way to bring financial services to the most in need. "It's not just about the mobile branch. It's about doing whatever it takes to make things work so we can deliver something that is truly benefiting the community," says Jeff Snider, Peoples Federal vice president of information technology and marketing.

Though the Cisco communications packages are greater than the sum of their parts, Cisco has also rolled out a host of impressive parts to help smaller business. The recently introduced Cisco Catalyst Express 500 switch, for example, has changed Jorge Martinez' expectations of what a networking switch can do. Martinez, the information technology manager for Ivid Communications, a 35-employee San Diego, Calif., developer of interactive multimedia training software, says he was amazed at how easy the Catalyst Express was to set-up and manage. "I was skeptical at first," Martinez says. I didn't expect the tool to be so easy. It's a real tool I can use."

Cisco switches and routers have traditionally only offered a command-line interface, requiring an understanding of cryptic vocabulary and syntax for device configuration and management. Martinez was particularly impressed by the Catalyst Express's Smartports technology, which, in conjunction with the GUI interface, can automatically identify the type of device connected to a particular port and provide network operators with configuration recommendations.

The Catalyst Express's built-in security is also helping Martinez rest easier. "I've never seen security like this included in a switch before" he says. "There's so many worms, viruses and other threats out there now, any help with security is a big deal."

While Cisco recently developed a number of new products and packages for smaller and medium-sized businesses, the foundation of Cisco's offerings starts with a rock-solid reputation as the world leader in IP networking and voice-over-IP (VoIP) communications.

Organizations such as LeTourneau University have benefited from Cisco IP Communications technologies for years. LeTourneau, with 600 employees and nearly 4,000 students in Texas, started its transition to a Cisco IP-based phone system in 1999 just as VoIP was taking hold. The university was an "early adopter" to VoIP and its fiber optic connections because lightening storms frequently damaged the university's copper telephone wires buried in the area's iron-rich soil.

After extensive vendor interviews, Cisco was the only one that demonstrated commitment to the new technology. "All the other vendors would show us their VoIP systems but then try to get us to buy their analog PBXs," says Ken Johnson, manager of network services for LeTourneau. "Cisco was the only one who stood behind its product."

While prompted by circumstances to adopt an IP-based PBX, the university has never regretted its decision. LeTourneau continues to expand the system to other branch locations, while reaping an array of cost savings from easier management, reduced long-distance charges, a consolidated infrastructure, and free features such as conferencing, directory look up, and advanced voice mail.

"We could have gotten these features with a new analog PBX, but the vendors would have charged an arm and a leg to upgrade the software," Johnson says. "Without additional expenses, the Cisco IP phones have become collaboration tools for us."

Beyond its industry-leading technology track record, Cisco is also boosting its aid to smaller businesses with specialized programs for its channel partners.

For example, Digitel Corp, Atlanta, a provider of PBX office phone systems to smaller businesses for 22 years, has been working with Cisco for the last year as it builds up its IP-based offerings, while it transitions away from traditional analog-based PBXs. Luis Simonet, vice president of professional services at the company, says Digitel has total confidence in Cisco's technology, but it needs as many tools and support resources as possible to deploy and manage customer systems efficiently, all with the goal of lowering the overall cost of these products for its small business clients.

"They say bigger companies watch their dollars but smaller companies watch their pennies," Simonet says.

While Digitel had concerns initially about Cisco's lack of support tools for his company's small business customers, he was pleased when Cisco asked for his input on how it could help him better service his customers. Over the last year, Simonet says Cisco has come out with an assortment of new configuration applications, extremely responsive technical support, and well-designed financing options for smaller businesses.

"Good tools and support make a big difference to a vendor like me," Simonet says. "The Cisco name opens the door with customers, but at the end of the day we still need to find everyway possible to reduce the costs of installing and managing their communications networks. Cisco's actions over the last year show me that they understand this very important fact."

Charles Waltner is a freelance journalist in Oakland, Calif.