Cisco's 'Network On Wheels' drives into Kolkata

KOLKATA, INDIA: Cisco, the global leader in networking, today announced the roll out of the ‘Network On Wheels’ (NOW) Van program across the Eastern region in the country and shared plans to address the IT needs of the burgeoning small and medium business (SMB) segment in the region. The company’s NOW Van program comprises a mobile showcase of customized Cisco networking solutions including advanced technologies such as security, wireless, mobility and unified IP communications.

Under the NOW program, Cisco has created a customized van with a live network environment on board. The ‘Network on Wheels’ van is a 25 foot mobile showcase equipped with the latest Cisco networking solutions. The mobile van visits strategic industrial locations across key Tier I, II and III cities and hosts live demonstrations for more than 100 customers per city in the country. The Cisco NOW van demonstrates for SMBs exciting interactive technology solutions designed to ultimately drive business growth.

Commenting on the regional focus, Amit Malik, vice president - East, Cisco India & SAARC, said, “The Eastern region has been a key market for Cisco to demonstrate how technology can be an effective driver for increasing global competitiveness and operational efficiencies. SMBs in the region are waking up to the implications of technology as a strategic business tool and the NOW Van program aims to address this awareness gap by showcasing a complete range of customized Cisco networking solutions for SMBs across technologies such as routing, switching, security, wireless, voice and video. It is amongst the largest marketing initiatives in India by Cisco and is a key pillar of our SMB strategy.”

As per an AMI Partners study, there are an estimated 7.6 million SMBs in India. At the end of 2008, it is estimated that these SMBs would have spent US$605m on networking hardware alone. Around 40 percent of this amount would be spent on hubs and LAN switches alone. Indian SMBs are growing and adding more business partners nationally and internationally. With many of them also opening new branches, networking will play an important role in keeping employees connected. With initiatives such as NOW Van, Cisco aims to tap into the fast growing sectors in the region such as IT, education, manufacturing and share broking and financial institutions.

Business conditions have led to the rapid proliferation of regional clusters in the country. As part of Cisco’s plans for the SMB space, Cisco is developing customized technology solutions as well as financial support to enable businesses invest in the best technology available today. In addition, Cisco is also working extensively with partners to create domain specific solutions to help customers address their business challenges, in their respective sub-vertical, which will help them plan, design and operate business critical networks more efficiently.

Cisco’s solutions being showcased as part of the NOW Van include Unified Communications applications, which comprise powerful productivity tools and integrated voice, web and videoconferencing capabilities, help control costs, increase productivity and boost competitiveness.

The Cisco SMB Class Secure Network Foundation is a cost-effective networking solution that delivers the connectivity, simplicity, security and scalability required to optimize business operations. The Cisco Business Communication Solution, apart from converging voice and data technologies onto a single network, features simplified products, applications and management tools, a life cycle services approach, financing options and comprehensive, built-in security for the entire business. All of these solutions, as well as the supporting hardware, can be experienced in the van.