Retailers are entering a new era of consumer shopping behavior fueled by the digital world in which we live. The explosion of digital content has major implications for retailers across all of the channels through which they offer products and services.
In fact, a new study just released by the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) reveals that web-based digital content is now the most powerful influence on buying decisions for shoppers across all retail channels. The study surveyed 5,000 shoppers across five countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, and China.
The study’s results highlight the need for retailers to “catch and keep” today’s consumers, who now effortlessly “mash-up” digital and physical shopping. At this week’s National Retail Federation (NRF) Convention & Expo, Cisco will explain how retailers can take advantage of this evolution in consumer shopping behavior.
A phrase I’ve recently been hearing repeated is that “product features will come and go, but risk mitigation is continuous.” With that in mind, our Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is doing its part by seeking ways to improve how we transparently communicate information about Cisco product vulnerabilities to our Customers and Partners. Starting in January of 2013 we will be launching a new deliverable called the Cisco Security Notice.
The purpose of the Cisco Security Notice is to make it easier for Customers and Partners to access information about low to medium severity vulnerabilities in Cisco products. A Cisco Security Notice will be the primary disclosure document for all security defects that PSIRT scores with a Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score from 4.0 to 6.9 and will be posted to the PSIRT publication listing page. Each vulnerability disclosed through a Cisco Security Notice will be assigned a Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVE) Identifier to aid in identification. Check out the sites for CVE, CVSS, and this CVSS scoring calculator if these terms are relatively new to you or you simply need a refresher. Continue reading “New PSIRT Deliverable Aids Transparency in Vulnerability Disclosure”
The Expo for NRF 2013 – Retail’s Big Show – starts Monday 1/14 and runs through Tuesday 1/15 in New York City at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Last month in my blog Journey to “Self-Healing” Enterprise Networks, we discussed reasons why IT process automation solutions for network domain has not fulfilled its promise. Today we will first reason of the two – “Need for out-of-the-box workflow templates for rapid development of network operation process automation for quick-wins”.
In today’s high performance distributed environment, network is vital to maintaining an efficient business. Efficient, scalable and stable network environment requires time and resources from the organization. Information Technology (IT) environments encompass multiple advanced network technologies that include security and wireless for borderless networks, video systems for unified communications, and storage and virtualization management for flexible deployments.
The new Oracle Java arbitrary code execution vulnerability has not only hit many news wires and social media outlets, but many victims as well, and it has been incorporated into several exploit kits. This critical vulnerability, as documented in IntelliShield alert 27845, could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on a targeted system with the privileges of the user. If the user has administrator privileges, the attacker could completely “own” the system. A fix is currently not available.
Update: Oracle released a software update (JDK7 update 11) that fixes this vulnerability. The update is available on their website. If you disabled Java in the Java Control Panel, you will need to manually re-enable it after installing the patch by using the check box in the Security tab of the Java Control Panel. Oracle’s security advisory and JDK7 update 11 release notes includes more information about the patch.
The exploit is now found in several exploit kits!
There are many reports that the vulnerability is being “exploited in the wild”. Not only is the exploit publicly available, but it has been incorporated into exploit kits such as Blackhole, Cool, and Nuclear Pack. Exploit kits make it easy for criminals to spread malicious software using exploits that take advantage of well-known and new vulnerabilities. New exploit kits are loaded with some of the most dangerous zero-day exploits (including this one) and other features, which allow criminals to increase their profits.
Guest Blog by Sarah Evans, Social Media Correspondent
Sarah Evans (@prsarahevans) is the chief evangelist at Tracky and owner of Sevans Strategy, a public relations and new media consultancy. She’s the author of new book, [RE]FRAME: Little Inspirations For A Larger Purpose (published by SlimBooks). It’s her personal mission to engage and employ the use of emerging technologies in all communication that connects her with a rapidly growing base of more than 120,000 people. A “for good” advocate, Sarah worked with a local crisis center to raise more than $161K in three weeks via social media and is a team member of the Guinness Book World Record holding #beatcancer. Sarah can be seen in Vanity Fair’s Americas Tweethearts, Forbes’ 14 Power Women to Follow on Twitter and Entrepreneur’s Top 10 Hot Startups of 2010.
For the past few days I’ve had the privilege of serving as entertainment services provider Cox Communications social correspondent at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and working very closely with the Cisco team promoting the personal TV experience. TV is everywhere at CES. And it’s right on par. Nielsen says that Americans are actually watching more TV than ever – about 34 hours per week, in fact.
Cox and Cisco have been working very closely this week with joint announcements on the personalized television experience. Working with Cisco, Cox evolved their video services platform to deliver more personalized video experiences, offering their customers more of what they enjoy. While Cox customers have been able to watch 90 channels of live, linear TV on an iPad for more than a year now, this new app – powered by Cisco’s Videoscape Unity software and technology – expands the service to iPhones and iPods, adding significant improvements in navigation. Learn more about the announcement here.
It’s hard to miss the focus on hardware at CES, specifically on size and sharpness. However, I think the real story about TV at CES is what’s happening on the backend. And what’s the big innovation? The personalization, synchronization and socialization of video, with personal on the forefront.
To keep the buzz around TV going I moderated a #CoxCiscoTV Twitter chat to talk more about the idea of #PersonalTV with Cox Communications and Cisco executives. Our Twitter lineup was made up of:
Len Barlik, EVP of Product Development, Cox Communications (@Cox_PR)
Martin De Beer, SVP of Video and Collaboration Group, Cisco, (@MartinDeBeer)
Nick Thexton, CTO, Service Provider Video Technology Group, Cisco, (@CiscoSPVideo)
Today’s students are connected. This past holiday break, I was reminded just how much Gen Y (18-30 year olds) requires anytime access to the tools in their life.
I came to the realization that board games and cards may become a thing of the past. If you don’t have a smartphone and/or tablet, you’re considered old school. I do have one of the two so I’m only half old school. Smartphones and technology have come a long way. I still have a bunch of physical maps in my car from when I first moved to California. I honestly don’t remember the last time I touched that stack of maps with built in navigation and point to point map applications in my phone that’ll take me where I need to go without having to plan the physical route myself beforehand. Continue reading “New Year’s Resolution: Digital Diet”
If you’re going to NRF, you might be interested in how to build customer relationships, maintain brand loyalty and boost sales. If your answer is a resounding YES, don’t miss our mobility events.
Cisco Mobility CTO Bob Friday’s Big Ideas speaking session Tuesday Jan 15 will teach you how to use your wireless network to more effectively engage and entice today’s mobile, tech-savvy shoppers. Your takeaway: How your wireless network can help you enhance the in-store shopping experience.
We’re putting on two hot, mobility-centric demos at Booth #252:
Cisco BYOD Smart Solution
More and more employees, suppliers, and customers want to bring their own devices onto your wireless network. This demo teaches you how you can support trouble-free access for all users, on any Wi-Fi-enabled device. Takeaways: How to improve employee productivity and customer service with a more secure BYOD environment.
Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences
Learn how shoppers are behaving in your store and use that information to engage and retain them. See for yourself how Cisco and our partners can help you deliver personalized, highly targeted mobile services including location analytics, powered by Cisco ThinkSmart. Takeaways: How to optimize the customer experience to enhance store profits.
Some of you may know that we recently acquired Meraki—don’t forget to check out their booth at Booth #1283 to learn more about the benefits of the cloud to edge and branch networks.
See you there!
For more information on all of Cisco’s activities at NRF 2013, please visit our event website at www.cisco.com/go/nrf.
For the latest reports from the show floor including news, photographs and videos, please follow us on the Cisco Retail Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linked In and blogs
For more than a decade, Cisco and the Cisco Foundation have supported the American Red Cross (ARC) and its efforts to help people displaced by natural disasters around the world.
This support has taken many forms — from matching employee giving campaigns to corporate donations to product donations, such as Cisco data and voice communications equipment and volunteers that enabled ARC’s Hurricane Katrina response in 2005. Many of our employees volunteer with ARC, and some have been trained to work at relief shelters through the organization’s Ready When the Time Comes program.
Three months ago, the Red Cross faced one of its largest and most geographically dispersed deployments ever when Hurricane Sandy marched through the Caribbean and up the East Coast, sweeping away homes, destroying entire neighborhoods, and uprooting thousands of families.
American Red Cross volunteers Jessica Elam and Gilbert Abney distribute hot meals in heavily devastated Staten Island, New York on November 6, 2012. Photo: Talia Frenkel/American Red Cross
Within hours of Sandy’s landfall in New Jersey, Cisco committed a corporate contribution of US$1 million to the American Red Cross to be used for direct aid to the affected areas.
In addition, the Cisco Foundation set up the Hurricane Sandy Relief Campaign and pledged to match up to $2 million in Cisco employee contributions to the campaign, matching $2 for each $1 contributed by employees.
As of January 2, the campaign has raised more than $464,000 for the ARC’s U.S. Disaster Relief and International Response Funds through employee contributions and Cisco Foundation matching — along with an additional $145,000 for 14 other disaster and hunger relief agencies.
Our strategic and ongoing partnership with the American Red Cross is part of Cisco’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts to meet critical human needs — such as access to food, potable water, shelter, and disaster relief, as well as long-term economic opportunities.
“The American Red Cross is at the forefront of the world’s most devastating disasters,” said Peter Tavernise, executive director of the Cisco Foundation. “Many of us are frustrated and want to help when we see the devastation on television. Our partnership with and support of the Red Cross gives our employees a way to contribute in a meaningful way to people who are affected by these catastrophes.”
Fatima Velasquez, a volunteer for the American Red Cross, provides snacks to Jennifer Rivera from a Red Cross mobile feeding unit in the Rockaways, New York, on January 2, 2013. Photo: American Red Cross/Virginia Hart
Three months after Hurricane Sandy, approximately 1,000 Red Cross workers are still on the ground. To date the Red Cross has distributed more than 6.7 million relief and clean-up items and provided more than 9.6 million meals and snacks. ARC is still serving thousands of meals each day in New York and working with partners to distribute thousands of additional food packages every day.
