ATLANTA, June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Business announced today that it is teaming with Bloomberg Television®, Cisco and 13 of the nation's top cable companies to offer a series of free, video webcasts for small business owners and managers.

The Solutions for Small Business (SFSB) webcasts are designed to offer small business owners direct access to leading experts who provide advice on topics critical to helping companies thrive in a challenging economy. The first set of webcasts in 2009 focused on marketing and accessing capital. This year's series will address productivity and data security.

Hosted by Bloomberg Television anchor Monica Bertran, the upcoming "Boost Productivity with Powerful Web-based Tools" is scheduled for June 9 at 2:00 pm ET, and will feature two speakers: Jim Blasingame, host of The Small Business Advocate® syndicated radio show and author of two books, Small Business is like a Bunch of Bananas and Three Minutes to Success; and Steve Hilton, lead analyst, Analysys Mason's Enterprise research program. Speakers for the second webcast of the year, "Protect Customer Data with Effective Cybersecurity Measures," scheduled on October 6 2:00 pm ET, will be announced this summer.

The interactive video webcasts, enabled by Cisco's WebEx and TelePresence® collaboration solutions, will give participants the opportunity to present questions to Bertran and her guests in a live discussion. The webcasts are complimentary, and those interested in participating can register at www.solutionsforsmallbusiness.com. The website also offers a case study on how a small promotional company uses Web tools to manage its business, and SFSB Report Series and podcasts, all of which delve more deeply into the webcast topics, as well as archived copies of the first set of SFSB webcasts.

"Small businesses face unique strategic and operational challenges, and the current economic climate only makes those challenges more daunting," said Phil Meeks, senior vice president of Cox Business. "These free webcasts and resources demonstrate Cox's commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and the success of our customers."

Cox Business provides voice, data and video services for nearly 250,000 small and regional businesses, including healthcare providers, K-12 and higher education, financial institutions and federal, state and local government organizations. According to Vertical Systems Group, Cox Business is the fourth largest provider of business Ethernet services in the U.S. based on customer ports. Cox is currently the seventh largest voice service provider in the U.S. and supports more than 730,000 business phone lines. For more information about Cox Business, Click Here or call 1-800-396-1609.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and wireless services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves more than 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising.

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for five years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

SOURCE Cox Communications