Cisco, a worldwide networking and cybersecurity technology leader, announced that it is launching networking and security products for small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Asia-Pacific. Unveiled at Cisco Live Melbourne, Cisco Catalyst™ 1200 and 1300 Series switches and Cisco Meraki MX help simplify and expedite network and security setup and were designed to meet the specific needs and budget of the SMB segment.

“Now more than ever, small businesses are facing a pace of change unlike ever before,” said Hana Raja, Managing Director, Cisco Malaysia. “They must address an increasingly savvy customer base who expect seamless digital experiences and secure their enterprise in an expanded threat landscape. We believe that there is an opportunity to provide them with a simpler network and security management platform experience to help them accelerate their digital journeys without the worry of complexity so that they can focus on what matters most, growing their business.”

Simplifying Network Management for SMBs
SMBs form the backbone of Malaysia’s economy, making up a significant proportion of all businesses in the country and contributing 38% to the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP). The launch of innovations like the new Catalyst 1200 and 1300 Series aims to streamline network setup for SMBs, providing them with the secure connectivity needed to accelerate their digitization journeys. These switches can be deployed on-premises, or as cloud-based, managed solutions. This not only facilitates SMBs to adopt the technology but also capitalize on the opportunities presented by digitization. 

Switches are key building blocks for any network and enable communication between connected devices – including computers, wireless access points, printers, and servers on the same network – within a building or campus. The new Catalyst switches can be easily managed with the Cisco Business Dashboard, a centralized network management tool, that simplifies the complex task of managing a business network by automating the deployment, monitoring and lifecycle management of networking devices. Additionally, the Catalyst 1200 and 1300 Series switches can be set up and managed by the Cisco Business mobile app, which adds further simplicity. 

Cisco also launched the Meraki MX, an all-in-one security and SD-WAN solution that addresses the pressing cybersecurity needs of SMBs. The Meraki MX provides several capabilities including an application-based firewall, content filtering, threat protection, VPN, cellular failover, web application VoIP health and more. It is fully cloud-managed with zero-touch installation and remote management.

Meraki MX comes with ThousandEyes Enterprise Agents, providing operations teams with in-depth visibility and insights into SaaS performance and underlying network health and empowering them to address issues affecting both users and sites. This native integration gives access to enhanced monitoring for distributed, lean IT sites without the need for additional hardware. It is a key differentiator as increasing connectivity, driven by SaaS applications, third-party services and network growth, introduces complexity and heightens the risk of disruptions.

Flexible Consumption Models
In addition, Cisco introduced the MSP Express for SMB, a catalogue of scalable Managed Services that partners can build and offer to SMBs across the region. The MSP Express leverages core Cisco products for the SMB segment including Meraki, DUO, Umbrella and Webex. It provides SMBs with flexibility and choice in how they consume technology based on their capital allocation priorities.

“The SMB segment is a significant area of investment and focus for Cisco, especially in Asia-Pacific. This includes working with our partner community and enabling them to better serve SMBs customers with a new bespoke Cisco Partner Journey for SMB partners,” said Michiko Kamata, Managing Director SMB and Distributions Sales, Cisco APJC. “This initiative consolidates content, resources and tools across Cisco to enable our partners to help deliver the best outcomes for the SMB customers across the region.”