Q&A: Peter Alexander Discusses Cisco's "Growing with Technology" Solutions

April 21, 2003

By Charles Waltner, News@Cisco

It's the eternal predicament all companies face: buy now or wait for technology to evolve. While larger companies can risk bets on promising new networking equipment, few small and mid-sized businesses can afford to invest in technology that doesn't provide lasting dividends. With this challenge in mind, Cisco Systems recently launched its Growing with Technology Solutions. Growing with Technology Solutions (GTSs) are comprehensive networking equipment and support packages to help small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) confidently invest in the best of new networking technologies. Think of them as low-complexity, SMB-sizedturnkey solutions for advanced networking. News@Cisco recently spoke with Peter Alexander, Cisco's vice president of the worldwide commercial market segment, about Growing with Technology Solutions and how they help small and mid-sized businesses.

What is the purpose of Growing with Technology Solutions?

Peter Alexander: Cisco created the GTSs to provide SMBs comprehensive and scalable networking packages that lets them meet their current technology requirements while providing a framework for the new applications and technologies they will need in the future. Cisco's GTS offerings make it much easier and more cost-effective for SMBs to build secure, reliable and flexible networks that take advantage of today's most advanced technologies. Most importantly, Cisco designed these networking solutions to scale easily and cost-effectively as a company grows. GTSs protect SMBs' investments in their networks.

What is the biggest benefit of GTSs for SMBs?

Peter Alexander: Our goal is to help SMBs adopt new networking technologies in a way that is affordable for them and can grow with them. The idea is that they won't have to rip out whatever they install now, but rather they can just add to what they have as their networking needs evolve. With these solutions, they don't lose the investment in their original purchase. The GTS program comes with a Roadmap tool, which assists SMBs in evaluating their network and their needs. And each GTS is tailored for various sized companies. There are GTSs specifically for companies with under 100 employees, 100 to 500 employees, and 500 to 1,000 employees.

Given the current economic climate and the pinch on capital spending, why should SMBs invest in new networking technologies?

Peter Alexander: The right networking solution makes an SMB more agile and competitive, which is particularly important in a challenging economy. The GTSs were designed with this and budget constraints in mind. The design of the GTSs is modular, so a company can start using these technologies with very low relative investment. As they grow, they can add to their networks only what they need. And because of the carefully thought out networking blueprints included with the GTSs, SMBs won't have to rip out equipment or redesign their network each time they expand.

This way, SMBs can start benefiting from these technologies today with more efficient communications, better collaboration, and lower communications costs. The GTSs provide a ready-made networking option for helping SMBs improved business resiliency, increase employee productivity, increase revenues, and enhance growth potential.

What types of networking do the GTSs support?

Peter Alexander: The four GTS technologies are core networking infrastructure (routing and switching), security, IP communications, and mobility. We specifically selected these technologies for their potential to benefit SMBs. Obviously, routing and switching make up the backbone to any efficient network, and with our Core Networking Infrastructure GTS, SMBs can benefit from Cisco's most sophisticated LAN and WAN capabilities, providing easier network manageability, better performance, higher reliability, and greater throughput. Security, certainly, has become a concern for all companies. The Security GTS offers SMBs a way to create a secure network without breaking the bank. The IP Communications GTS lets SMBs transition from their proprietary PBX phone systems, helping them save money by running all communications on the same network. Companies with IP communications can also benefit by being able to combine voice and data applications. Finally, the Mobility GTS addresses the interest of all companies to take advantage of the latest advances in wireless and mobile worker communications. Such networking is especially appealing to SMBs with smaller, flexible workforces who must cover a lot of ground and work on the road. The mobility GTS can even help companies set up mobile networking connections for their business vehicles.

Networking is complicated, and especially challenging for smaller companies which can't afford large technology support staffs. How does Cisco help SMBs address this issue?

Peter Alexander: Cisco has developed the GTSs with minimum complexity and with a full array of support products and information resources for our channel partners. With such support, the value-added resellers who typically serve SMBs are well educated on the best ways to deploy these technologies and how to support them in the future. We're helping our resellers and customers by creating such support items as customized blueprints and implementation guides designed for SMBs of varying sizes, helping save time and resources otherwise spent designing networks from scratch. Cisco also provides tailored support services from Cisco technical assistance centers, as well as financial service options.

Charles Waltner is a freelance writer based in Oakland, CA.