|
 Mark
Emmerson, manager-product marketing, EMBU Networking,
Cisco Systems and Abhik Biswas, manager-product marketing,
Network Management Services, Cisco Systems (India) in conversation
with Shipra Arora discuss the scope and strategies
for Cisco’s recently launched Small Network Management Solution
for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs)
Can you elaborate on CiscoWorks Small Network Management Solution
(CW SNMS)?
Emmerson:
CW SNMS is a comprehensive Web-based integrated network management
solution that provides a set of monitoring and configuration
tools for small to medium business networks. Key features
include, efficient real time network performance monitoring
and a full suite of detailed Cisco lifecycle management including
geographical device management capabilities, inventory and
configuration management, event management, software management,
syslog and change management. It has been developed by Cisco’s
Global Development Centre in Bangalore in association with
teams across the world.
Biswas: The target segment for CW SNMS will be organisations
with 500 network users, 20-22 network devices, and a topology
spread over a couple of branch offices. The product has been
priced at $6,995 to suit SMB pockets.
What is your marketing and channel strategy?
Emmerson: The A-PAC and European market holds tremendous
potential for the product and we will be gunning for it very
aggressively, though we are positioning it on a global platform.
Further, the SMB segment has been the fastest growing market
for Cisco especially in Asia Pacific and Europe. As CW SNMS
will be sold through Cisco resellers alone, we are initiating
various channel programs for them, which includes training
sessions in order to familiarise them with the solution and
its features.
Why is there a need for a specific network management product
for SMBs? How big is this market?
Biswas:
The SMB market has evolved in the last two years with their
network management requirements also changing. As more companies
are getting dependent on their network for applications, they
are becoming aware of the need for efficient network management
and optimum utilisation of network resources, thus throwing
open a huge market for Cisco to tap.
The network management products available in market are either
very complex or simple. While complex products turn out to
be too expensive for SMB’s limited resources, simple
ones lack adequate functionality to cater to their requirements.
Hence, a large part of market is not getting addressed, thus
propelling the need for a product with SMB specific features.
|
