Cisco Launches Second Small Business Makeover Contest

Winner receives a $50,000 technology upgrade

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 4 June, 2009 – Cisco today announced its second Small Business Makeover contest, in conjunction with the TV3’s ASB Business Show.

The contest is open to any New Zealand business with less than 50 employees and to enter, companies simply need to submit 60 words describing how winning the technology makeover would enhance their business and help it to grow.  

Each entry will be carefully evaluated by a panel led by Cisco New Zealand who will select the business that shows the most potential to improve their day-to-day operations and collaboration through the use of network and unified communication technologies.  The winner will receive a comprehensive technology evaluation from Cisco followed by a full deployment of new technology worth $50,000.

“Our country is rife with small businesses ready to make the leap from local successes to international players,” says Geoff Lawrie, managing director, Cisco New Zealand. “The makeover programme is about helping one local businesses find the right technology that will enable them to work more collaboratively, efficiently and profitably.”

Procreate, a design company based on Auckland’s North Shore, won the first Cisco Small Business Makeover contest in October 2008 from more than 100 entries. They had huge potential to make the most of a new technology suite as Procreate interacts with customers and suppliers around the world on a daily basis to design and build specialty products.

As a result of its technology makeover that was implemented by Datacraft, Procreate now uses a host of Cisco technologies to communicate from home, work or on the road with partners and customers.  Their offices are videoconference enabled for richer communication experiences, and a variety of software solutions mean that complicated design and planning documents can be shared and edited more easily with clients across the Harbour or across the globe.

“The Cisco makeover has changed our business,” says Graham Brewster, director, Procreate. “We thought the technology we had was adequate, but knew we could be a bigger, better business with a little expert advice and some improved systems.  Cisco and Datacraft have delivered more than we could have expected.”

Entries can be submitted at http://www.3news.co.nz/Competitions/CISCO_2009/tabid/1152/Default.aspx and will close off on 15 July 2009.

For more information on Cisco for Small Businesses, please visit the Cisco Web site.

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Media Relations Contacts:
Kevin Ptak
Porter Novelli for Cisco Systems, Inc,
+64 9 632 0559
kevin@porternovelli.co.nz

Suzanne Hansen
Cisco Systems, Inc.
+64 9 355 1951
shansen@cisco.com

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