Comcast has added the Cisco (News - Alert) WebEx platform for conferencing and collaboration to the Upware marketplace, a suite of cloud-based business solutions that can be purchased and accessed through Comcast’s (News - Alert) integrated Web portal.

Aimed at small and medium businesses (SMBs), the hosted WebEx Meeting Center offers cross-boundary collaboration between customers, vendors, partners and colleagues via online meetings and the ability to share content, information and expertise. It also has native mobile support for iOS, Android (News - Alert) and Blackberry, according to Cisco.

“WebEx is an industry leader and a great example of the Upware philosophy to work with only the top providers in each technology category,” said Kevin O’Toole, senior vice president and general manager at new business solutions at Comcast Business. “We’re delighted to have Cisco WebEx join Upware. With WebEx Meeting Center, Upware puts a premier collaboration tool in the hands of SMBs and allows them to benefit from the same technology that large corporations do.”

According to a recent IDC (News - Alert) study, U.S. SMB public IT cloud service revenue grew 17.3 percent to $11.5 billion in 2012. Upware, which was launched in February 2013, is tailored to this market, and is built to complement Comcast’s business Internet plans. For one, it simplifies application management with the convenience of a single sign-on. Also, business owners can quickly add or remove employees from the system as their business needs change. And, users have one number to call for support, management and troubleshooting for everything associated with the Comcast Business Internet service, including the Upware marketplace and the software applications themselves.

“Cisco is very pleased to grow our strong relationship with Comcast, which is focused on providing businesses and consumers with technologies and rich experiences that change the way the world lives, works, plays and learns,” said Marthin De Beer (News - Alert), senior vice president and general manager of Cisco’s video and collaboration group. “Comcast’s new Upware marketplace gives SMBs a fast, convenient way to purchase WebEx Meeting Center and quickly benefit from its powerful collaboration and communications capabilities. By working together, Comcast Business and Cisco can help break down barriers for SMBs who want to work closely with their key stakeholders and remote employees so that they can work faster, smarter and be more efficient.”