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At WWDC this week, Apple announced that their new Macbook and Macbook Air are 802.11ac enabled. As we predicted in our red-hot Client Adoption blog earlier this year, the list of 802.11ac clients, like the new Macbooks and Samsung Galaxy S4, will continue to grow and expand throughout 2013. These devices come with the promise of Gigabit wireless, at faster speeds and better performance. How will your enterprise networks meet those expectations? The Cisco Aironet 3600 with 802.11ac module is your ticket for enterprise-class 802.11ac wireless.

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Cisco Aironet 3600 AP with 802.11ac module

The 802.11ac module will make these new clients fly at new higher speeds–3 to 4 times faster than 802.11n. So if you are connecting your new Apple device to an Enterprise Network supporting Cisco’s 3600 AP with the 802.11ac module, you will be able to get some of the highest bandwidth rates ever seen out of your Wi-Fi network which will open the opportunity for better quality video streams, better online collaboration and the support of more high-bandwidth demanding applications.  Check out the Aironet 3600 here:  http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps13128/index.html

Can’t get enough of 802.11ac? Neither can we. Continue reading “WWDC Wireless Takeaway: 802.11ac on Apple Devices Coming Your Way Soon”



Authors

Bill Rubino

Product Marketing Manager

Enterprise Networking and Cloud Marketing

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Join us tomorrow, as Cisco sponsors the launch of Changing Tack, the final report of the Regeneration Roadmap, via global webcast from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. PDT (11 a.m. EDT/4 p.m. London)

The Regeneration Roadmap is a collaborative, joint initiative by GlobeScan and SustainAbility designed to advance sustainable development.  What is “sustainable development?” It is defined by a United Nations commission as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In business, this equates to people and production practices that are good for society and the environment, as well as the bottom line. 

The aim of the Regeneration Roadmap is  to provide a roadmap for achieving sustainable development within the next generation, focusing in particular on ways the private sector can improve sustainability strategy, increase credibility and deliver results at greater speed and scale.

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The Changing Tack report released today holds that choices made on sustainable development now will shape success or failure in future. It also demands that business leaders commit to doing more to guarantee that present and future societies and ecosystems thrive.

Continue reading “Cisco Sponsors Regeneration Roadmap Webcast: How Can Business Provide Leadership for Sustainable Development”



Authors

Jennifer Barr

Social Media Manager, Online Brand

Cisco Talent Acquisition

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ONE Enterprise Networks Architecture GameChangerIf you have ever been to a large resort, you may find yourself amazed at the number of restaurants, clubs and shops that are on the property. On the other hand you may find yourself constantly wandering around the property to find a particular place you had in mind or having to stop at every directory kiosk on the way to make sure you weren’t lost. What if there was a better way?

With the Cisco ONE Enterprise Networks Architecture the control layer can abstract information from the network infrastructure. But what does this mean from the perspective of delivering a better end-user experience or even helping in driving business? Let’s look at an example of how the network infrastructure is helping drive change in the hospitality industry.  Continue reading “Enterprise Networks: What’s the Attraction with Abstraction?”



Authors

Brian Robertson

Product Marketing Manager

CMO EMM Mobility Solutions

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The Small Cell Industry has gathered in London again – last week for the Small Cells World Summit, and this week for the Wireless Broadband Alliance Wi-Fi Global Congress.  The explosive growth of these two events over the past few years is a testament to the vital role that both licensed and unlicensed small cells are playing in Next Generation Mobile networks.

Cisco has been deploying carrier-grade Wi-Fi networks for many years, and we are in fact in our 4th generation of outdoor product.  We define carrier-grade as a controlled Wi-Fi network that is secure, robust, and scalable.  But increasingly we’ve heard a new requirement from our customers: make it invisible. Continue reading “BT and the Invisible AP”



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I love shopping. I love traveling. I hate going to the hospital. I sometimes like going to the bank (only if it involves the depositing a large check). On the surface, it may seem that there’s no common thread about each of these experiences, however, there actually is a lot in common!

Each of these industries (retail, transportation, healthcare, banking) is becoming more passionate about truly delivering good customer experience and building customer loyalty. Why? Research has established that satisfied customers spend more money “now” and, in the longer term, become more loyal. For example, according to a J.D. Power survey, a delighted traveler is likely to spend 45% more money at the airport than someone who is disappointed with their experience.

Okay, sold! Let’s start delivering “good” experience and start counting the money…right? Not exactly. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.

First of all, what exactly is “good” experience? The answers will vary greatly depending on the industry vertical and brands within a vertical. Hence, one of the major challenges is actually defining “good” experience.

While there are certainly unique attributes to “good” experience in different industries, there is a common theme emerging: the synchronization of physical and digital experience. For example, research by Cisco’s Internet Business Solutions Group, revealed 93% of products sold in the United States are still bought in brick-and-mortar locations. In addition, over 50% of all consumers access (or would like to access) to digital content while shopping in a store, either through digital touch-screens or their own smartphones/tablets. This research reveals that more and more consumers are relying on real-time digital content to make purchasing decisions. In essence, consumers are becoming “informed buyers” during the shopping experience.

Unfortunately, with respect to customer experience, in many companies today the physical and digital worlds still sit across a great divide. Often, these two functions are housed in different organizations and are loosely coupled with respect to operations and culture. While we’ve made significant progress, digital experience is often an after-thought that peacefully co-exists with physical experience.

But, that’s not going to work any more. Consumers are expecting more, and they vote with their wallets. So, start truly synchronizing your digital and physical experiences…or else!

There are indeed a number of challenges in making smart stores, what do you think is most difficult in actually accomplishing this?



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It’s difficult to put a price tag on the value of implementing a strategic “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) policy. Employees are eager to use their own mobile devices in the workplace and corporations are quickly adopting strategies and practices to keep up. Recently, Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) revealed key financial findings to help companies across the globe determine the current and potential value of BYOD. Industry influencers and media are listening and here’s why you should too.

The adage that money talks holds true. Reporters from top technology and business outlets such as Forbes, CIO Magazine, CITEworld and eWeek are most interested in the financial gains companies can expect with comprehensive BYOD policies. In addition, they are interested in the increasing importance of implementing a BYOD strategy for laptops. Many reporters discussed the fact that the BYOD trend will only continue to grow. Businesses and technology leaders must continue to pay attention to the employee-led movement. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from the coverage:



Authors

Brett Belding

Senior Manager

Cisco IT Mobility Services

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Exordium

Cisco’s One Platform Kit (onePK) is a fantastic toolkit for building custom applications that interact with your Cisco routers and switches. Using onePK, you can build automation directly into the network and extend all sorts of functionality using Cisco devices. The first in a three-part blog series, this article will introduce onePK to the reader, explain what it is, how it can be useful, and will show how to configure onePK on a router. The second and third installments will walk the reader through a simple security-relevant application using the C API. Important to note is that we’ll be covering the 0.6.0 version of onePK features and service sets. At the time of this writing, the toolkit is still in Controlled Availability and as such, is still in active development, and the API could change before it is released into General Availability. However, even in the face of API evolutionism, this article will provide you with a solid jumping-off point for your plunge into the wondrous world of onePK.

OK, Just What is onePK?

OnePK is a Cisco IOS Software feature and a set of programming libraries enabling an application programmer to build powerful applications that tightly integrate and interact with Cisco devices. onePK is available to you via a well-documented and unified API, currently offered in C and Java with Python in active development. It is currently in pre-release and is available only on request. Details on how to obtain onePK are provided below. Continue reading “Cisco’s onePK Part 1: Introduction”



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In a previous post, we discussed the importance of the rising tide of real-time, sensor-generated data—aka Data in Motion—that will gather momentum as the Internet of Everything emerges. Unlocking the potential of Data in Motion cannot be achieved by analyzing stored data or by examining historical data. Rather, it requires tools and interactions that capture value here and now, in real time.

The intelligent network plays a key role here. It can add contextual information such as location, identity and presence while the data is moving. Value can be extracted and acted upon through policy changes, security enforcement and packet processing, as events occur to create advantage here and now, or even to predict the future. By harnessing the value of Data in Motion through the intelligent network, organizations can make better decisions, deliver enhanced experiences to their customers, partners and employees, and build a competitive advantage over the long term.

For example, to maintain and improve patient care in a Connect_This_bicycles_236cost-effective way, healthcare providers can use Machine-to-Machine (M2M) technology to remotely monitor the progress of patients in their homes. Remote monitoring is more efficient and cost effective than having patients repeatedly visit healthcare facilities. As real-time healthcare applications continue to develop, Data in Motion will help patients take more proactive control of their own health, using instant biofeedback to help them modify personal behaviors.

To be clear, Data at Rest is not without value. Indeed, combining it with Data in Motion can produce optimal business outcomes. Data at Rest provides the context for creating the actionable insights from Data in Motion, helping organizations analyze and understand the past while they take contextual action on events in real time.For instance, by tracking a consumer’s real-time location and historical online interaction, a retailer could develop valuable contextual information while enabling store touchpoints with mobile access. With an up-to-the minute view of customers, the retailer could send customized promotions in real time.

And then there’s the opportunity for service providers. For most of them, Data in Motion represents a largely untapped opportunity, despite the wealth of data flowing through their networks. Think of the potential. Their networks and users are constantly generating huge amounts of real-time and near real-time data, packed with details like location, content and subscriber information—much of which can be analyzed and correlated in real-time to create usage and traffic patterns, network congestion analytics, media behavior, dwell times analytics and more. A service provider, for example, could extract detailed data such as a user’s device type, data quota, recent Internet activity and current connection speed. Armed with this real-time intelligence, the provider could offer highly targeted mobile advertising or sponsored data—and charge a premium for it.

Harnessing the potential of Data in Motion creates business opportunities but also new IT challenges. In a next post, we will look at some of these challenges and how to best address them.



Authors

Jim Grubb

Chief Technology Evangelist

Cisco Customer Experience Center

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In our September We’re Listening blog, Brian Jeffries, vice president of operations, talked with you about steps taken to ease your challenges with Cisco software licensing. I asked Brian to update you about our progress around licensing and software management. Brian leads a Cisco-wide initiative focused on simplifying our customers’ software licensing experience.

We continue to actively listen to you–our customers and partners–and we are still hearing that you want a better Cisco software experience. The good news is, we have made some major progress with our software initiative that we launched a year ago. In addition to launching new software licensing products, we have made many improvements to how you manage software today.

Read the full article: The We’re Listening Blog Series: Making Licensing Easier through Automation and Increased Visibility.



Authors

Curt Hill

Senior Vice President

Customer Assurance