Expanding Meraki Simplicity into Communications

Meraki has always focused on simplifying powerful technology so our users can focus on their own mission. Originally, cloud managed wireless allowed users to deploy large, sophisticated wireless networks and reach more people. The results speak for themselves. From our humble beginnings with our first wireless access point back in 2006, our global customer base has grown to over 120,000 worldwide.

Meraki users have guided our expansion from wireless to networking to infrastructure including security, routing, switching and mobile device management. Simplifying infrastructure has been incredibly compelling, allowing them to focus on educational initiatives, shopper experience, hotel guest services and operational efficiencies around the globe.

Once again, Meraki users have spoken passionately. They need enterprise communications to be simpler. We’re extremely excited about entering this market with our first cloud-managed voice platform. This completes our transition from Cloud-Managed Wireless through Cloud-Managed Networking to Cloud-Managed IT.

Meraki Formula

Why has Meraki’s model been so much simpler than anything else available? A cloud-based dashboard that provides IT managers with a “single-pane-of-glass” to manage Meraki devices across the enterprise. But the Meraki dashboard isn’t just an overlay. The true magic of the Meraki formula comes from a seamless blending of hardware, software and cloud technologies. We design Meraki devices from the ground up to work seamlessly with our cloud, providing users with a single simple dashboard to manage their entire site.

All of this technology is really just a means to an end, and that’s where simplicity comes in. Instead of sending someone to a branch office to configure a network or change a security setting, an IT manager can simply log in to the Meraki dashboard and make the changes remotely. Need to troubleshoot a network remotely? No problem. Need to set up a new branch office? Easy. Trouble with remote security posture? Piece of cake.

Introducing Cloud-Managed Communications

A rapidly growing number of IT teams depend on the Meraki Dashboard to manage their infrastructure. More and more of them have been asking if we could do the same thing to simplify their voice networks. Meraki users can be incredibly persuasive.

The result is the new phone, the Meraki MC. As you’d expect, it’s designed to deliver the same simplicity and ease-of-management Meraki customers have come to expect. Here are four things you need to know about the Meraki phone:

• Single-Pane-of-Glass: It’s managed from the same “single-pane-of-glass” dashboard as the rest of the Meraki portfolio, including wireless, security, switching and mobile device management.
• Three Elements: The platform is built on a SIP-based architecture and the solution is comprised of the endpoint, cloud license and SIP service from designated service providers.
• Availability: It’s available immediately in the United States, with other countries coming on board over time. (We’re in the process of partnering with service providers around the world to deliver the SIP capabilities that underpin the solution. Once that happens we’ll announce local availability.)
• Integration: The Cisco Meraki team is working on integrating with Cisco Collaboration solutions like Cisco Spark to enable a complete mobile collaboration solution. Cisco Meraki is also working on integration with other leading IT tools and platforms.

Focus on Users

In this industry, it’s easy to focus on the newest technology, or aggressive competitors, analysts or the media. We believe that a maniacal focus on users is our true north. What do we hear?

• Simplicity – less is better: Functionality no one can turn-on might as well not exist. Every IT dollar spent on complexity that can’t be leveraged is wasted.
• Do more with less: IT groups have fewer resources and need to do more with less. Specifically, they need fewer systems that do more, less hardware on-site, and just enough complexity to get the job done.
• Technology for the future: Technology teams are investing in cloud systems, modern collaboration and high performing connectivity to make their infrastructure simple. This simplicity frees them to focus on the digitization of their businesses, schools and organizations.

We think Meraki’s MC is by far the easiest to manage voice system on the market. We believe by providing users a voice system managed on the same platform as networking and security we’ve changed the game.

Expanding the Stack

This phone release is so special because these devices are managed exactly the same way and in the same Dashboard as the rest of the Meraki IT stack. This converges networking, security, enterprise mobility management and now voice onto one IT platform.

With that in mind, we’re also adding new wireless access points and Ethernet switches to our product lines. Our two new indoor access points will be the highest-end, highest density APs we’ve ever built. They provide higher capacity, connect more devices and support more voice and video streams than ever before…So much, they won’t be able to reach their full potential on a single gigabit link, so we’re also releasing a new Multigigabit Ethernet switch and two new 10Gbps fiber switches.

Managing more with fewer systems will free IT groups to focus on what really matters to them instead of another cumbersome management platform. We know this is what users around the world have been asking for. I can’t wait to see what they do with it.

Meraki Communications: https://meraki.cisco.com/products/communications 

Meraki Switches: https://www.meraki.com/products/switches

Meraki Wireless Products: https://www.meraki.com/products/wireless