Cisco, Pacific Internet offer managed SMB bundle

Networking giant Cisco has partnered an ISP, teaming up with Pacific Internet to offer a managed, integrated, connectivity and security bundle aimed at SMBs.

Sarah Watt, corporate communications manager at Pacific Internet in Australia, said the development was the first time Cisco had partnered with an ISP to do such bundles.

"It’s a big development for Cisco, [which] has been aiming for the Australian SMB market," she said.

Watt claimed the bundle was Australia's first integrated connectivity and security "solution" for SMBs, which were seeking more efficient, affordable ways to manage their IT security.

Pacific Internet had done six months of R&D with Cisco around suitable bundles, Watt said.

Dennis Muscat, managing director at Pacific Internet, said in a statement that the offering was being marketed as giving SMBs an ability to increase productivity and security.

"PacNet SecureSite solution is based on the Cisco integrated services router, and was
designed to remove prohibitive setup costs which have prevented the takeup of high-quality networks in the past," he said.

Muscat said entry level, monthly pricing started at $220 a site, including access, Cisco hardware, support and monitoring.

"Strategically, this level of service is where Pacific Internet has been aiming for the past few years," he said.

Pacific Internet had some 20,000 SMB customers. The ISP believed managed services would help make SMBs more efficient, Muscat said.

Ross Fowler, managing director of Cisco Australia and New Zealand, claimed in the statement that the service level being offered had only previously been available to enterprises.

Pacific Internet would offer Cisco 800 and 1800 series integrated services routers as customer premise devices for security services, including inspection firewalling and an inline intrusion protection system with dynamic signature updates, the company said.

"PacNet SecureSite will constantly monitor and manage customer’s networks," it said. "In a network outage or security breach, round-the-clock monitoring means clients can be notified via email and SMS."