Meraki's big step into a larger world...

When I woke up this morning and saw the news...I can't say I was surprised.  A lot of folks that I work with were, and some understood what was going on, others just liked to jab at me because I'm not a Cisco fan.  But yes, today Cisco announced their intent to purchase Meraki for 1.26 BILLION dollars.  Yes, BILLION.  The good thing is, this is being done not to shut down competition, not to turn them into a clone of what Cisco was offering...but a chance to actually grow Cisco into a place where they were struggling to get into properly.

Meraki built up the notion of Cloud-Based Networking.  There really wasn't much of anything related to it until they came onto the scene and stood out like Andre the Giant in a subway station.  Gartner recognized them, channel partners worked with & promoted them, and clients saw their work drop and productivity increase.  Their year over year growth was stunning...and I still think they're going to explode out of the windows of their office, much like this. :)

SO it makes sense that Cisco wants them, and not only that, but wants them to REMAIN being Meraki.  Finding that amazing new talent, building a sales culture that makes sure everyone wins, innovating products daily...so much so that to stifle them would be a waste of Cisco's investment.   Heck, the people I know at Meraki are friends...not just co-workers or a partner...friends who I'd take a bullet for.  We've grown together...inspiring each other and making real magic.

Do I see this as the end of that magic?  No.  Harry Potter just graduated from Hogwarts to the Real World...watch out.  That's a mean Expelliarmus charm. ;)

So for those of you who are worried or concerned, stop.   It's good.  Working a deal with us for their product?  Keep on...though I would suggest buying the longest term contract possible (1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years are available)...because we're here to still work with them and help them deliver the best experience possible.

I never thought I'd say this, but Thank You Cisco.  Thank you for investing in the future of our business.

SQUIRREL!

Meraki Systems Manager Rides Again!

Three years ago, I had co-workers who didn't understand who Meraki was, and why I thought their product was so amazing.  A year ago at this time, most were starting to get it...and now, they come up in conversation even on the lips of senior salespeople who started in this business while I was graduating high school.  Top of Gartner's innovators in the LAN/WAN quadrant, these guys have always known their stuff...not to mention they have some of the best people working in the business.  (My territory's area manager, Erin Hipp, is a great person and runs an awesome team.  Hi Erin! :) )

Why do I mention their free Systems Manager Asset and Mobile Device Management tool?  Because today they released some major upgrades to that already great tool.  Now they have full support for Android devices, along with a great content manager called Backpack (available for iOS in Q4) that will securely deliver files and maintain updates.  The Backpack piece is a killer deal.  Through it you can deliver specific files to all devices under your management in a bundle or singularly.

People pay for this stuff?  Really?

Jump over here...to see what this is all about.

I've said this a lot in the past year...if you use Systems Manager, and if you do the webinar for the free product you'll be sold.  If that doesn't do it for ya...you can do a free 14 day demo of the products to just see how they work for you.

Tell us what you think!

 

Magic Quadrant changeups

Good morning everyone!  "Virtual Mike" here with some interesting news about Gartner's new magic quadrant for Wired & Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure.  (That's a mouthful for Wired & Wireless networking.)  While some folks don't subscribe to Gartner's rankings & listings, they almost always have a point to make.  Because of Consumerization of IT, CIOs and IT Directors are looking for and needing solutions and not just equipment.  The quadrant shows just how many visionary players are out there, and how they're pushing forward.  The Leaders will always be the leaders, but with companies like Meraki & Aerohive leading the pack on the technical side of things, those are the companies you should be paying attention too.

I've been talking about Meraki for years now, and I"m going to toot my horn and say I was right about them.  These guys are looking to a future where wireless anywhere is easy, managing your internal devices is easier and free, and the software that manages your network should be as easy to use as possible, so you're not wasting time trying to figure things out!

The Aerohive products look similar to Meraki's, and I'm looking to see what more in-depth that they can do.  Maybe one of you all can investigate them for us and report back?  What do you say, my fellow Dragontech Lords? :)

If you want to free trial Meraki's products (any of them) click here and talk to them.  They don't sell direct, so they won't hassle you...they'll know you know me here at Dragontech and have me bother you. ;)