Programs Geared Toward Small and Growing Businesses of 20 to 100 Employees
- UUNET's Website
- Silicon Valley SBDC's Website
- SBA Courses's Website
- More Information about the Cisco Small and Medium Business
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- May 19, 1999 -- Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced partnerships with UUNET, an MCI WorldCom company, the San Francisco office of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center (SBDC). These new alliances further Cisco's commitment to the small and medium business market and are designed to educate business owners about how they can streamline business efficiencies, grow their businesses and increase customer intimacy.
"For small businesses to become active participants in the Internet economy, they must integrate technology and the Internet into the management of their operations," said Darlene McKinnon, Deputy Director, San Francisco SBA. "In this way, the business owner is freed to focus on increasing profits, maintaining customer relationships and growing their business. We are pleased to work together with Cisco and UUNET to enable growing businesses to realize their full potential through technology and the Internet."
"Our collaborative programs with UUNET, the SBA and local SBDCs are focused on providing small businesses with the opportunity to "get connected" and experience how the Internet transforms the way they do business," said Eugene Lee, vice president of marketing for Cisco's Small/Medium line of business. "The most direct approach to informing small business owners is by providing resources at a grass roots local level, such as educational seminars and courses."
The small and growing business market in the US and Canada represents more than one million businesses with growth forecasted at over 12,000 new businesses per year. Many of these companies have begun to adopt Internet technologies to grow their businesses, but few have yet realized the full potential of the Internet.
Getting Small Businesses Connected
The San Francisco Office of the Small Businesses Administration, Cisco Systems, and UUNET have developed a unique program to connect small businesses to the Internet and given them a risk-free opportunity to harness the power of the Internet.Through the Small Business Administration, small businesses can qualify to receive a free Web site (10MB) and a dial-up account (150 hours per month), for the period of six months, hosted by UUNET and sponsored by Cisco Systems. This offer, valued at $54.95 per month, will be open to the first 250 small businesses that complete five required courses offered by the San Francisco District Office of the Small Business Administration. The required courses include E-Commerce: Doing business on the Internet; Harnessing the Internet; Developing Your Web Page; and You Have a Web Page, Now What?
The Networked Small Office of the 21st Century
Cisco Systems is also actively collaborating with the Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center to offer an informative seminar series designed to educate and guide small business owners through the strategic implementation of networking technology and the Internet. Called The Networked Small Office of the 21st Century, the first seminars will be held in June from 4-7 p.m. on:- June 8 - Radisson Inn Sunnyvale, 1085 East El Camino Real, Sunnyvale
- June 15 - Sheraton Palo Alto, 625 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
"We are pleased to work with Cisco Systems in educating small business owners on the capabilities of the Internet," said Elza Minor, director of the Silicon Valley SBDC. "Our goal is to help small businesses determine the most cost-effective means of using networking technology and the Internet to streamline business processes and increase business opportunity."
Cisco will expand this program to include other west coast SBDCs this summer, to develop similar educational programs and seminars in local business communities.
About U.S. SBA/SBDC
The U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) administers the Small BusinessDevelopment Center (SBDC) Program to provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. SBDCs offer one-stop assistance to small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations. The program is a cooperative effort of the private sector, the educational community and federal, state and local governments. It enhances economic development by providing small businesses with management and technical assistance.About UUNET
UUNET, an MCI WorldCom company, is a global leader in Internet communications solutions offering a comprehensive range of Internet services to business customers worldwide. MCI WorldCom is a global leader in communications services with 1998 revenues of more than $30 billion and established operations in over 65 countries encompassing the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. MCI WorldCom is a premier provider of facilities-based and fully integrated local, long distance, international and Internet services. MCI WorldCom's global networks, including its state-of-the-art pan-European network and transoceanic cable systems, provide end-to-end high-capacity connectivity to more than 40,000 buildings worldwide. MCI WorldCom is traded on NASDAQ under WCOM.Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet.The Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration under Cooperative Agreement SB-2M-00157-01. The support given by the U.S. Small Business Administration through such funding does not constitute an expressed or implied endorsement of any of the co-sponsor(s') or participants' opinions, products, or services.
Copyright (C) 1999 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco, Cisco IOS, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the US and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership between Cisco and any of its resellers. (9904R)
