Cisco says it has completed an installation of its Small Business solutions at Magic Johnson Enterprises to enable employees there to collaborate, stay connected to increase productivity, work from anywhere, and serve customers better via a consolidated, highly secure network. Additionally, the solutions will save the company money, while the 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 (News - Alert) 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."

 

With a presence in 85 cities and 21 states, the Magic Johnson brand touches many communities, particularly those that are ethnically diverse and works across a wide spectrum of projects. As reported in this recent news article, Magic Johnson voiced support for the @15 social change platform to give teenagers a voice.

 

Cisco provides small businesses with technologies that increase efficiency and decrease costs, thus helping small and medium-sized businesses simplify the technology process and allowing them to focus more on their customer and partner relationships rather than worrying about network connectivity.

 

Cisco Unified Communications (News - Alert) 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.

 

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"Outdated technology can hold back a business from achieving optimum productivity and performance.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.

 

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. 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.