When it comes to cybersecurity, small and medium businesses (SMBs) often get left behind. Some SMB owners believe their company is too small to be worth a hacker’s time. For others, the idea of incorporating security technology is so daunting that they opt for the most basic security, thinking it will be enough. Well, you’ll be happy to know that current cybersecurity technology is incredibly accessible to businesses of all sizes! Recently on the Small Business Big Solutions podcast, we were joined by Mike Storm, cybersecurity engineer at Cisco and host of the Unhackable podcast. He was ..read more

Co-authored by Huan Yang Customers in China and around the world are increasingly looking for simpler, and cost-effective ways to buy technology. Along with the rapid development of the internet, purchasing online has become a standard practice essential to modern life. However, not without risk. Buyers need to be aware of the potential of receiving inferior and counterfeit products. To tackle the counterfeiting issue, the Alibaba group set up the Alibaba Anti Counterfeiting Alliance  (AACA) in 2017 which combines Alibaba’s capabilities with the knowledge, enforcement expertise and resour ..read more

Cisco is probably best known as the company that creates the technology & innovations that power the Internet and connects people & devices together across the globe. Cisco’s platforms enable the largest networks in the world — from the biggest enterprises, governments, & organizations… but did you know that Cisco also caters to smaller organizations with simpler needs? We understand that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work with technology and especially with our customers. Cisco offers solutions that cater to our small and medium business customers, and they can be easily b ..read more

With any big purchase, cost is always a primary concern. That especially goes for something as important as your business’s technology solutions. So, how do you decide which Cisco products you need — and more importantly — with several pricing models available, how much should you spend? Good news! We have some answers. Think of the factors you consider when buying a house. Is the foundation sturdy and reliable? What about the interior setup? Are the rooms connected in a way that makes day-to-day chores easy? Is it made of quality materials that will provide a safe and secure home? When purch ..read more

At Cisco we’ve been relentlessly focusing on how to simplify IT – making it easier to manage, deploy, secure, and easier to buy. This effort to simplify doesn’t just cover large enterprise networks – we’re happy to do the same for small business as well. We’ve purposely engineered the Cisco Business portfolio of network switches and wireless access points to give you a secure and rock-solid network foundation but with affordable value pricing and without monthly subscription costs. With that I’m thrilled to announce a new model of access point and mesh extender that brings Wi-Fi 6 performance ..read more

As technology innovates at a breakneck speed, trying to keep up can feel a bit like being on a roller coaster—as soon as you reach that lull where you feel like your small business capabilities are relevant, up-to-date, and competitive, you’re lurched into yet another stratosphere of evolving tech. With more and more businesses moving to an online or hybrid workforce, the benefits of cloud-based technology solutions are clearer than ever. In order to stay competitive, small businesses like yours need to be able to adapt quickly and reflexively to technological changes. You no doubt feel this n ..read more

A conversation with Craig Cieplinski, Senior Director of global SMB sales at Cisco How are you seeing SMBs around the world address the need to run more sustainable businesses? Craig Cieplinski: Every organization has a responsibility to operate in more sustainable ways, including small and medium businesses. One of the most profound IT advances that enables SMBs to reduce their footprint is the adoption of cloud technologies. SMBs are taking advantage of SaaS [Software-as-a-Service] apps and cloud IT infrastructure platforms at a fraction of the cost and complexity we saw less than a decade a ..read more

Small businesses often succeed by getting a lot done with relatively few resources. Through a combination of ingenuity, agility and pure hustle, they overcome complex challenges in ways that make it look simple to their customers. The pandemic demonstrated this in spades. But even as business returns to “normal”, the world is no less complex. In fact, the pandemic likely accelerated a shift to a more complex world — one that operates at ceaseless high speed, with employees and contractors working from multiple locations. “The world has changed in terms of how and where work is being conducted ..read more

As the saying goes, the only constant in our lives is change. The last two years have certainly proven that true. We’ve seen a dramatic change in the global workforce, which has accelerated adoption of cloud-based collaboration solutions. As small business owners embrace cloud solutions, what benefits can they deliver? And can the shift to the cloud truly help small businesses thrive in this world of hybrid work? What is cloud-based collaboration and calling? To put it simply, cloud-based collaboration solutions enable employees to work together on documents and other data types. This informat ..read more

We talk quite a bit about preparing for crises – both professionally and personally. We set aside rainy-day funds, develop disaster recovery plans, get insurance. But even the best laid plans can sometimes go awry. *Looks back pointedly at the past two years.* While we don’t have control over what life brings us, we can control how we react when adversity rears its head. As small businesses, the ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances can mean the difference between sinking or swimming when disaster strikes. And few things can help differentiate small businesses’ resiliency and abil ..read more