Cisco subsidiary, Linksys, is launching a new total communications brand in an attempt to grab a slice of the small business market.

Regional manager, Graeme Reardon, said the Linksys One offering was based on the concept of providing small business users with an all-in-one infrastructure package.

"Traditionally, SMBs have had multiple service providers for data, telephony, or applications," he said. "Linksys One is about providing an integrated and hosted total communications service for voice, data networking, applications, Internet access and video in the future."

The networking hardware vendor is producing three new products specifically for the new offering. These included a new integrated 16-port service router (SRV3000), which would act as the platform for the solution, Reardon said.

It would also release an IP-based Colour Manager phone (PHM12000) for SMBs, as well as a PSTN gateway appliance (VGA2000) for customers working with a PSTN environment. All three would be available in Australia early next year.

The company has also signed IP Systems as its first Linksys One hosted service provider locally and will undertake trials of the package during coming months. General release was slated for June next year.

Reardon said the vendor was now on the hunt for additional VARs. The offering was particularly suited to those who had previously provided sole voice or data integration but were looking to make the transition into convergence, he said. Those interested would be able to register via the new Linksys One website.

Resellers would be required to undergo certification training and an exam in order to sell the Linksys One package. Training, whch would be available in January, would be mostly Web-based, Reardon said.

"Our solution is plug and play," he said. "We would expect a partner could set up and install for 20 users in under an hour."