Cisco Systems unleashed a new attack on the small and medium business (SMB) market with new applications, phones and switches that are simpler to use and install, with more automatic configuration, and forgo some bells and whistles to accommodate the budget constraints of SMBs.

A new family of Cisco’s Catalyst switches, the Express 500 series, is tailored specifically for SMBs, with more automatic configuration than Cisco’s 3000, 4000 and 6000 series and a smaller price tag. Four new switches each hold 24 Fast Ethernet ports and can be combined to support up to 250 users.

“We priced these products to be bought,” said Rick Moran, vice president of marketing management for Cisco’s IP communications and wireless group.

Cisco is also introducing two new IP phones to fit the tighter budgets of small businesses. The 7941 and 7961g feature gray-scale screens in place of the smaller full-color touch-activated screens of the 7970.

For medium-sized businesses (in general those with between 250 and 1500 employees), Cisco is introducing a range of targeted products, including a new version of its Unity voicemail application that the company said costs 20% less and takes 20% less time to install.