CenturyLink Gives SMBs, Partners New Wi-Fi Bundle

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CenturyLink is rolling out a new Wi-Fi offering for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs).

Businesses of up to 250 employees can access the bundle, which includes wireless technology from Cisco Meraki, analytics and real-time monitoring.

Meraki provides the Wi-Fi offering with its cloud-based dashboard, access points and licensing. CenturyLink says the overall bundle will give users better visibility, simplified administration and quicker deployment.

“This solution provides an economical option for businesses with limited IT resources to harness the power of their Wi-Fi networks to more effectively engage with their customers and employees,” said Vernon Irvin, senior vice president, CenturyLink. “We remain committed to empowering small and medium-size businesses by helping them securely connect to the power of the digital world.”

Todd Nightingale, Cisco Meraki’s senior vice president and general manager, says his unit aims to make technology less difficult to deploy and manage for businesses.

“And nowhere is IT simplicity more important than with smaller businesses,” Todd Nightingale said. “By teaming with CenturyLink, we’re removing complexity for small businesses and allowing them to focus on running their business.”

CenturyLink’s John DeLozier

Partners in CenturyLink’s Alliance program can sell the solution. John DeLozier, CenturyLink’s vice president of channel alliances, says the partners are deepening their portfolio and meeting their customers’ needs.

“A reliable and secure Wi-Fi network is critical for nearly every business today, and with CenturyLink Business Wi-Fi, small to medium-size businesses can benefit from an enterprise-grade Wi-Fi solution that is also economical,” DeLozier said. “Additionally, they can use analytics gathered from their Wi-Fi network to deliver increased value to their customers. Our Channel Alliance partners can now offer their small to medium-size customers a simplified Wi-Fi solution that is easy to deploy and manage so they focus on growing their business.”

It’s the second new SMB offering from CenturyLink in two months. The company recently rolled out Business VoIP that partners will be able to sell later this year.

Meantime, CenturyLink’s mammoth acquisition of Level 3 is inching closer every day.