Solutions Aim to Increase Revenue for Network Services, Streamline Go-to-Market E-Business Strategies in Customer Relationship Management Issues
ORLANDO, FLMay 24, 2000IBM and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced comprehensive e-business solutions aimed to increase network services revenue. The IBM - Cisco e-business solutions are designed for service providers to address the needs of the growing Small-to-Medium-Size Enterprise (SME) market by selling high-speed Internet access, by developing an e-business bond with their customers, and by providing opportunities to sell additional network services.
The first e-business solutions to result from the IBM - Cisco relationship are focused on providing effective applications that address the $8 billion Customer Relationship Management market. The first solution, IBM's e-business Start Now Program Web Self-Service Solution, is an e-business solution based on IBM's Websphere Application Server. It is designed to deliver advanced, interactive web sites to small and mid-sized businesses. The second solution, Cintech NetVIA, is an e-contact center application designed to help businesses integrate voice, e-mail and web interactions with their end customers. The Cintech NetVIA solution includes a Cisco Voice-Over-IP (VOIP) Gateway.
The Web Self-Service and Cintech Netvia solutions are the first in a series of solutions that IBM and Cisco will bring to market in the coming months under the IBM Service Provider Solution Series for e-business initiative. A family of solutions designed to help service providers get to market quickly with differentiated services, the IBM Service Provider Solution Series leverages the power of IBM's established technology infrastructure with the leading service partners across various industry sectors.
The IBM-Cisco relationship combines IBM?s strength in server technology and e-business middleware with Cisco's strength in networking technology to provide customizable, flexible and scalable Internet solutions. The solutions are geared to helping service providers enable their small and mid-sized business customers for enhanced e-business applications.
"Small and Medium Enterprises are constantly looking for ways to move into e-business at Internet speed," said Jose E. Garcia, Vice President, e-business Service Providers and Emerging Opportunities, IBM Web Servers. "By working with Cisco and our service provider customers, SMEs will be able to utilize a singular and comprehensive solution for fast, flexible and cost-effective go-to-market e-business solutions."
The IBM/Cisco solutions are also designed to reduce the complexity of e-business solutions for small and mid-sized businesses by allowing service providers the opportunity to deliver Internet connectivity, servers and middleware, and networking hardware either directly, or with the support of IBM and Cisco business partners.
Implementation services for the IBM/Cisco e-business solutions can be performed by a service provider, IBM Global Services, an IBM business partner or a Cisco business partner. The solutions consist of the following components:
- IBM servers, including Netfinity, RS/6000, and AS/400
- IBM e-business middleware
- Selected IBM Business Partner applications
- Cisco networking hardware
"Service providers are seeking effective and efficient ways to help small and medium-sized businesses launch into e-business," said Larry Lang, vice president of Cisco's Service Provider Line of Business. "These Cisco-IBM solutions combine great strengths in e-business and networking to create a tremendous opportunity for service providers."
