Competition today is fierce, and to be successful, an SMB needs to move quickly. In many cases, the organization is weighed down by its computing infrastructure and view it as a business inhibitor rather than an enabler. However, better options are available.
Cisco Simple IT unites disparate technology elements, simplifying the deployment and management of collaboration, networking, data center, and security solutions. Let’s take a closer look at what businesses demand from their technology infrastructure and how Cisco’s small business IT solutions meet those requirements.
Collaboration = Cisco WebEx
Nowadays, a business must respond to new opportunities, such as working with another partner, and new threats, a mean tweet from a disgruntled customer, in a nanosecond. However, employees are often scattered about: working in the office, customer sites, local coffee shops, and home. The information they need is usually stored in a variety of systems, so real-time collaboration becomes challenging.
Organizations require tools that link them quickly and easily so they can share information, brainstorm, and problem solve. Cisco’s Webex is a state-of-the-art collaboration solution. Employees access the system with whatever device is convenient: their smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. The product’s collaboration services usually begin with team messaging and quickly move to sharing important documents. A whiteboard enables them to exchange ideas and find solutions. The tool’s value continues after the meeting: Interactions are recorded, so ideas can be reviewed as needed.
Networking = Cisco Meraki
To collaborate, employees need a network connection as part of their small business IT solution set. Previously, allocating bandwidth was manpower intensive. The IT team entered a complex series of commands that took time to implement.
Nowadays, SMBs demand instant access. Cisco’s Meraki system is cloud-based, so customers do not have to install or manage controller hardware or software. To speed up deployment, the solution supports zero-touch provisioning. Rather than having tech support tinker with various knobs and settings, you enter a few commands and are up and running.
Management is simple. The tech staff quickly isolates and fixes device, application, content, and user identities issues via the systems’ built-in remote troubleshooting tools. With Cisco Meraki’s feature-rich, easy-to-use dashboard, customers reduce operating costs and rapidly implement IT initiatives to achieve their organization’s mission.
Process = HyperFlex Multicloud Platform
Cisco also has an integrated hardware, storage, and network solution to support your business applications. The HyperFlex Multicloud Platform easily adapts to your company’s needs and powers any application anywhere. Its hyperconverged design simplifies deployment because all of the needed elements are bundled. The system offers industry-leading performance and support for multiple hypervisors.
Business requirements change quickly. Traditionally scaling has been a problem because the technology team spent a lot of time configuring systems. The HyperFlex Multicloud Platform scales quickly and independently. You add whatever is needed (processing power, storage, or network capacity) rather than being forced to complete a full system upgrade.
The system’s flash storage delivers the high performance needed for today’s demanding applications. For maximum efficiency, the storage system supports industry-leading data deduplication and compression techniques.
HyperFlex fabric network and computing technology delivers a next-generation computing infrastructure platform. With it, an SMB has a perfect small business IT solution.
Security = Cisco Umbrella
The rise of the Internet and cloud-enabled SMBs to compete with Fortune 500 companies. But once you open up your computer system to customers and partners you also have more bad guys trying to break in. Companies face well-crafted phishing attacks, which target specific employees, like the CFO, rather than a bulk blast to everyone in the firm; advanced malware the world hasn’t seen before; and ransomware, which holds company computer resources hostage until a fee is paid.
Most SMBs fail to protect themselves. More than half (53%) of mid-size businesses have experienced a security breach, one costing the business $500,000 or more, according to Cisco’s Cybersecurity report.
To avoid such problems, organizations need a suite of security tools. Rather than having to manage them individually, Cisco delivers them in an Umbrella, an integrated, cloud solution that provides a strong line of defense against Internet threats and blocks requests from malicious software before a connection is established. The solution protects users on and off the network, anywhere they go, even when they are not using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
What Next?
SMBs need to move quickly, quicker than ever before. That means that you need small business IT solutions that are as simple to use as electricity: you plug them in, use them as much when needed, and do not notice them. Cisco’s Simple IT solutions fit those requirements.
Finally, SMBs need a partner to help them deploy these solutions. At IP Consulting, we work closely with small businesses to find the right solutions for their needs and their budget. We learn about your business goals and objectives, and we propose collaboration solutions designed to achieve your goals in company communication. We stay with you through deployment to adoption, ensuring your systems meet your needs. As a trusted Cisco partner, we’re experts in their reliable, cost-effective solutions. Contact us today to find out more about solutions for your business.
