Small and Medium Businesses Benefit from Enhanced Cisco Unified Communications System

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced significant
enhancements to the Cisco(R) Unified Communications suite of voice,
data and video products specifically intended for small and
medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Providing a more personal way of
interacting, these additions cost-effectively increase productivity by
making it easier and quicker to communicate.

The Cisco Unified Communications system allows employees to
exchange information, whether by email, voice, video, IM or fax, via a
wide choice of fixed and mobile communication devices. For time and
resource challenged SMBs, the new system enhancements provide a richer
and more integrated communications experience that is easy to manage,
maintain and configure. They are designed to increase efficiency,
enable improved response times to customers and help to minimise costs
as part of a long-term IT development plan. Furthermore, the solutions
can be easily added to, ensuring they can grow as companies expand.

A major new enhancement is the Cisco Unified CallConnector, which
works in conjunction with Cisco Unified CallManager Express and common
business applications such as Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer.
This allows employees to dial contacts directly from applications by
clicking on a number, therefore removing the need to manually enter
numbers in their phone, streamlining business processes and, over
time, increasing productivity. The system also displays the contact
details of incoming calls allowing users to answer or re-direct them.
Furthermore, the new Quick Messaging tool enables short message
communications with fellow employees.

New 'presence' capabilities allow employees to show their
availability, location and alternative contact details to their
colleagues on-line. For example, if an employee is out of the office,
they can change their presence status to 'offline' and say where they
are, allowing colleagues to contact them quickly and simply. This not
only increases communications efficiency and helps users reach the
right resource the first time, but also creates a more flexible and
personal communication flow that users can control.

Cisco is also introducing the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7931G, a
full-featured IP phone providing functions that are commonly needed in
the SMB environment. With 24 lighted line keys and 4 interactive soft
keys, the phone guides the user through call features and functions in
a simple and effective way. The phone reduces the time required for
training and ensures that any user can direct calls around the office
simply and easily without specialist knowledge.

Complementing this solution is the Express Attendant Console,
developed by Arc Systems, and now available as part of the Cisco
Unified Communications system. Arc Express is a software-based
operator console that provides a cost-effective and simple way of
increasing customer service levels to inbound callers. The tool allows
receptionists to search for employees by first or last name,
department, extension or other user defined fields, with a view to
having callers get through to the right person the first time round.

Edzard Overbeek, Vice President, Commercial, European Markets,
Cisco Systems, said: "With these additions to our Unified
Communications system, we continue to provide more smart, simple and
secure communications to SMBs, allowing them to increase operational
efficiency, minimise costs and speed up responses to their customers.
SMBs are increasingly taking a smart, planned approach to technology
investment, in order to ensure efficient communications with instant
access to information. This leads to quicker decision making, better
customer service and ultimately an increased competitive edge."

These new additions are all delivered by SMB-focused distribution
partners who work with Cisco to define solutions that best suit their
customers' needs. Responding to ongoing feedback, Cisco has introduced
a range of effective tools - Solution Expert, Quote Builder and Quick
Configuration tool - that guide these distribution partners through
the implementation process and offer flexible, customised solutions.
Furthermore, they reduce the time taken to get a solution installed,
with a view to allowing SMBs to start benefiting from their investment
quickly and simply.

For more information on the Cisco Unified Communications system
visit: www.cisco.com/go/unified.

About Cisco Systems

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