Contact Information: Media Relations: Christopher Barker Cisco Systems, Inc. 206 679-8151 chrbarke@cisco.com Industry Analyst Relations: Laura Irwin Cisco Systems, Inc. 408 853-8876 lirwin@cisco.com Investor Relations: Marilyn Mora Cisco Systems, Inc. 408 527-7452 marilmor@cisco.com Tammy Warren Magic Johnson Enterprises 310-247-2033 tammyw@magicjent.com
Nothing but Network: Cisco Performs Small Business Makeover on Magic Johnson Enterprises and Home Office
Cisco Small Business Solutions Help NBA Legend and Businessman Stay Connected With His Team off the Court
| Source: Cisco Systems, Inc.
SAN JOSE, CA and BEVERLY HILLS, CA--(Marketwire - November 17, 2008) - Today Cisco (NASDAQ : CSCO ) announced that it has completed an installation of Cisco® Small
Business solutions at Magic Johnson Enterprises, the No. 1 brand in America
dedicated to serving ethnically diverse, urban communities. The Small
Business solutions, deployed by Straight Up Technologies, will enable
employees to collaborate, stay connected to increase productivity, work
from anywhere, and serve customers better via a consolidated, highly secure
network. Additionally, Cisco Small Business solutions will save the company
money as increased efficiencies pave the way for more interaction with
colleagues and partners.
"Businesses nowadays don't take days off. Much like in basketball, if you
have an off day, the whole team suffers. The Cisco network allows me to
minimize my 'off' days," said Earvin "Magic" Johnson, chairman and chief
executive officer of Magic Johnson Enterprises. "Cisco removes the barriers
to communication, making my business more responsive and productive."
Cisco Unified Communications is allowing Magic Johnson Enterprises
employees and customers to connect more easily, and Cisco WebEx™ Connect
is helping to enable employees and business partners to collaborate by
sharing documents and ideas in real time with online meetings.
Additionally, Cisco desktop-based video conferencing technologies give
meetings a more human touch when employees are not able to attend in
person.
Enhance Productivity by Connecting Employees and Serving Customers Better
With the Cisco deployment, Magic Johnson Enterprises was able to
consolidate its network for voice, data and wireless, enabling cost,
productivity and electricity savings. Through the use of Cisco's Unified
CallConnector and the company's existing customer relationship management
(CRM) solutions, employees can log all phone calls as they happen and
utilize data mining. Now when they receive a call, employees can pull up
the records immediately and have all the information they need at their
fingertips to better serve that customer.
The new consolidated network also doubled data capacity, which was critical
to the organization. Magic Johnson Enterprises had reached its maximum
network usage, which made uploading promotional videos to Web sites
painfully slow. The Cisco network now gives Magic Johnson Enterprises
employees the ability to scale promotions and easily upload video as
needed.
"Outdated technology can hold back a business from achieving optimum
productivity and performance. Cisco understands the pressures that face
small businesses and works with small-business owners to help them utilize
technology to improve operations and remain competitive in a challenging
economy," said Mark Monday, vice president, Cisco Small Business Technology
Group. "By providing small businesses with technologies that increase
efficiency and decrease costs, Cisco is helping small and medium-sized
businesses simplify the technology process and allow them to focus more on
their customer and partner relationships rather than worrying about network
connectivity."
Highly Secure Operations Allow Work from Anywhere
In addition to the technology used in the Magic Johnson Enterprises
headquarters, Internet Protocol (IP) video conferencing and a wireless
network were also deployed in Johnson's home office, allowing him to cut
back on travel time, focus more on his work and, ultimately, spend more
time with his family.
Employees are now able to access voicemail, e-mail and other network
resources at the office and on the go. The highly secure Cisco network
allows Johnson to stay personally involved and collaborate with his
employees and business partners even when he is not physically present.
Cisco and Magic Johnson Enterprises plan to continue work together to
further transform the company's small business operations.
For more information about Cisco small-business solutions please visit:
http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/solutions/small_business/index.html
About Magic Johnson Enterprises
Magic Johnson Enterprises, formed in 1987, serves as a catalyst for
community and economic empowerment by making available high-quality
entertainment, products and services that answer the demands of ethnically
diverse urban communities. Through investment, partnership and
consultation, Magic Johnson Enterprises has a portfolio of companies that
strategically work together to reinforce the organization's focus on
serving emerging, multicultural communities. Learn more at
www.magicjohnsonenterprises.com.
About Cisco Systems
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