Bedfont Lakes near Heathrow on a cold December day. Not, I suspect, a favourite Black Tomato destination. Never mind; inside the Cisco building, a lively group has already gathered and the welcome is warm. Ruhi and Nicole are there from Cisco; Jide from the Cisco reseller. The client arrives shortly after, in the form of Claire, from Black Tomato. We're good to go.
The Cisco presentation is impressive and the technology ideas beguiling. Part of my role on this project is to ensure that Claire understands what impact the technology will have on Black Tomato.
Claire is excited. She can see real possibilities. Webex (with a new version called Webex Connect soon to be launched) grabs her attention. I agree, it could add a lot of richness to their interactions with their clients.
And there's more. Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) will feature in the solution Cisco is supplying. It's likely to save Black Tomato money, but more importantly will change they way they work. Precisely how will be thrashed out at the scoping meeting – we'll see a demo then and also get our hands on the detailed implementation plan.
Launch date for the technology is early January, and Black Tomato is rushed off its feet until Christmas – it's always a challenge for any business, and perhaps a small business in particular, to devote time to a major IT project like this.
But it'll be worth it. I am impressed with the Cisco idea - small business can be big business, and their technology is good for any business.
On the train back into town I chat to Claire, who is headed in the same direction. She is still excited. Good. I believe this will all work out just fine.
If you've got any questions about the technology being deployed by Black Tomato please send us an email and we'll get an expert from Cisco to respond.
