Cisco Plays for Bigger SMB Share with Channel Rebates, New Products

On the product side, the vendor introduced new products formulated for SMBs, namely, the SA 500 Series, a network security device priced starting at $550; a series of five Internet telephony phones and handsets called the SPA 500 Series, priced from $135 to $430; and, an upgrade to its Smart Business Communications System, release 1.6, that supports the new phones and offers vertical applications for the healthcare, automotive and insurance industries.

“We built the new products with partner delivery in mind,” Sage said. “They’re a little more sophisticated than an out-of-the-box product—they require configuration and support so they provide a lot of value. They’re a good play for our partners to make money on services.”

Sage said that Cisco’s plans for the SMB segment include “investigating cloud computing opportunities for small businesses. It’s not a market that has solidified yet. We’ll look at enabling and delivering cloud applications of all types to SMBs.”