Cisco boost for Asia’s SMBs and midmarket businesses

• Cisco ST>RT provides access to a suite of simple, secure and smart enterprise-class technologies
• SMBs and midmarket businesses are the key to ensuring that digitisation spreads faster

CISCO recently launched Cisco START, stylised as ST>RT, a new initiative for Asia’s midmarket and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to take advantage of the vast opportunities created by the region’s booming digitisation.

The importance of the SMBs and midmarket businesses is clear: they account for almost 50% of Asia’s GDP and 70% of the total workforce. They are also a huge source of competition and innovation, have a much wider geographic footprint than large enterprises, and provide better income distribution.

With Asia poised to be the global digital leader, SMBs and midmarket businesses are the key to ensuring that digitisation spreads faster across the region. Yet many face a number of common challenges in seizing the opportunities provided by digitisation, none more so than the access to, and financing of the latest technologies.

Cisco ST>RT aims to tackle this. It provides SMBs and midmarket businesses with access to a suite of simple, secure and smart enterprise-class technologies, specifically tailored to their business size and priced to match. More specifically, it offers:

• The right-sized, right-priced solutions wherever they are on their digital journey
• Enhanced operations, services and processes to reduce overheads and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
• Improved workforce productivity and innovation to meet the increased demands of today and the evolving opportunities of tomorrow

Cisco Asia-Pacific & Japan commercial, marketing and communications vice president Bastiaan Toeset: “The launch of Cisco ST>RT is a sign of our continued commitment to SMBs and midmarket businesses in the Asia Pacific region. These companies play a vital role in driving the region’s digital future and Cisco is determined to ensure they have access to simple, secure and smart technologies designed to help streamline their business and stay ahead in the digital age.”

The upside for SMBs and midmarket businesses is clear: At an operational level, digitisation allows them to operate faster and more efficiently, respond to changing markets, and provide better customer experiences at a fraction of the cost. With a massive multi-billion dollar market opportunity, the incentive and importance of ensuring that the sector is properly equipped becomes obvious.

“We understand the increasingly complex environment and challenges SMBs and midmarket businesses face with new technologies,” said Cisco Asia-Pacific & Japan architecture vice-president Dave West (pic, above), “so we’ve made this so easy to get up and running for our customers. Want a wireless network? Easy, 10 minutes: Setting up a Switch? Easy, seven steps; installing security across the network? Nine clicks. That’s the beauty of our technology – it takes the hard work out of IT.”

As well as benefits for SMBs and midmarket businesses, Cisco is streamlining the processes and incentives for its partner and distributor network.

“We are making it easier to do business with Cisco,” said Cisco Asia-Pacific, Japan & Greater China distribution managing director Pramodh Menon. “We are simplifying how our partners and distributors buy and sell Cisco technologies, develop new business and improve profitability, gain greater market insight and capitalize on our marketing materials and initiatives. Many of our partners and distributors are SMBs themselves, so for them it's a win-win.”

Digitisation offers numerous opportunities for growth, innovation and profitability. Cisco ST>RT is looking to ensure that Asia’s businesses seize the benefits today and capitalise on the opportunities of tomorrow.
 
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