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Every IT manager is tasked with gaining efficiencies across the data center and IT infrastructure while providing the business agility to react to changing demands, ultimately moving the data center from a cost center to a competitive weapon. IT organizations are looking for virtualization technologies to increase utilization levels, improve staff efficiency while reducing space, power, and cooling needs.

While virtualization technology has improved IT efficiency and made server consolidation possible, it has also created many challenges. Traditional virtualized infrastructures can be complex, difficult, and time consuming to scale. Network ownership may be split between network and server administrators. Security may take a back seat to application mobility. And the massive number of virtual machines these environments spawn can tax server, network, and storage administrator resources. Continue reading “Gartner Report Highlights Benefits of Server Virtualization”



Authors

Tim Stack

Product Marketing Manager

Data Center and Virtualization

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This is our fifth preview of what Cisco will be showcasing at the 102nd National Retail Federation Convention and Expo on January 14 and 15, 2013 in New York City.

We’ll be demonstrating Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences, a solution that enables you to use the power of Wi-Fi and location analytics to transform your business by keeping up with today’s ever-connected mobile consumer. Come learn how you can leverage Wi-Fi to more effectively engage your customers, provide the right content at the right time, and increase revenue.

Please watch this video about the Connected Mobile Experiences demonstration and then mark your calendar to join us at Cisco Booth #252 at NRF 2013. I look forward to seeing you there!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbM6ejVhw1E



Authors

Hoa Tran

MARKETING SPECIALIST

Enterprise Segment Marketing - Retail Industry

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The numbers coming out month after month show that we seem to be tracking a slow but steady recovery. As I’ve said before, I’m cautiously optimistic about the manufacturing sector – especially in the USA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPLsjvunQ5U

On Thursday (3rd January, 2013), ADP1 said construction added 39,000 positions in December, second only to trade and transportation utilities, which grew 53,000. Medium- and larger-sized businesses led the way with 102,000 and 87,000 new jobs respectively

Overall, Employers added 1.84 million jobs in 20112, the most in five years. In the first 11 months of 2012, employers added 1.67 million. Job gains would have to top 170,000 in December to push 2012 ahead of the previous year. Some economists do expect gains at that level or higher.

Robot_factory_smallEven in Asia things are looking up. In the New Year we learned about China’s services growth3, as China’s official purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for the non-manufacturing sector rose to 56.1 in December from 55.6 in November, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Other PMIs on the manufacturing sector suggest China’s growth is starting to pick up based on late 2012 data. Not the heady double-digit growth of earlier years, but increases none-the-less. Construction was also up, though all of this growth is partly owing to government investment. The Friday (4th January 2013) HSBC PMI report shows slower growth as it mainly focuses on the private sector. The HSBC report4 showed a softening from 52.1 to 51.7. As you know above 50 is still good. India’s looking good too re PMI for last month! Continue reading “Happy New Year to the Manufacturing Industry from Cisco, 2013”



Authors

Peter Granger

Senior Sales Transformation Manager

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The New Year 2013 has well and truly arrived – Happy New Year to all – and it’s time for me to continue on the Cisco journey of data center and cloud transformation.  Last month I introduced the Cisco Domain TenSM  framework, the approach we in Cisco Services take to help customers enhance and transform their data centers. As a summary introduction, our latest video which shows how the Cisco Domain Ten framework helps guide you on such a data center transformation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xKe320ksIM

I then discussed the first few domains individually: (1) Domain One – Facilities and Infrastructure, (2) Domain Two – Virtualization and Abstraction, and (3) Domain Three – Automation and Orchestration.  Now let’s examine Domain 4 – the User Portal, which I’ve highlighted in the diagram below:

Cisco Domain Ten framework - Highlighting Domain 4, the User Portal
Cisco Domain Ten framework – Highlighting Domain 4, the User Portal

Continue reading “Cisco Domain Ten: Domain 4: The User Portal”



Authors

Stephen Speirs

SP Product Management

Cisco Customer Experience (CX)

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While employee work flexibility and increased job satisfaction are strong reasons to consider teleworking solutions, the latest report from the Telework Research Network shows that there are even more compelling reasons to support teleworking at your business.

Can you imagine a world where teleworking was the norm? In their U.S. report, the research organization identifies potential national savings of over $700 BILLION a year if those with compatible jobs and a desire to work from home did so just half the time. The Telework Research Network paints a pretty picture with these potential savings:

  • A typical business would save $11,000 per person per year
  • The telecommuters would save between $2,000 and $7,000 a year
  • The oil savings would equate to over 37% of our Persian Gulf imports
  • The greenhouse gas reduction would be the equivalent of taking the entire New York State workforce permanently off the road.

You don’t need to be a finance person to see that this is one bandwagon businesses need to jump onto!

Don’t know where to start? It’s easy, and Cisco’s here to help.

The Cisco OfficeExtend 600 solution helps businesses enable teleworkers by extending wireless and wired access to the corporate network to the workers home or remote office locations.  The OfficeExtend solution provides secure access to the corporate network to deliver the same comprehensive access to business services that workers would get in main business office. Additionally, a corporate wired or wireless Cisco IP phone can be added to improve collaboration for teleworkers.

In addition, the teleworker can also setup personal wireless or wired access for personal use in their home or remote office.  The data traffic from the personal access is segmented and does not have access to the corporate network. This give the worker the flexibility to have a single Access Point in the home for work related access as well as personal networking activities while knowing that their corporate data traffic is fully secured.

telework

For more information please check out Cisco OfficeExtend Solution and Cisco Teleworker Solutions



Authors

Bruce Tiff

Product Marketing Manager

Wireless Networking Business Unit (WNBU)

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If you’ve followed my posts over 2012 for Cisco Data Center,  you may have noticed that I took a slight departure back in September from data center topics to tell you about a “Giving Back” initiative I was part of in 2012 – the “Deloitte Ride Across Britain” (RAB).   I noted previously the role of Cisco WAAS as part of our “Network on Wheels”, one of the technologies we consult on in our Cisco Data Center Services customer engagements.   I did at the time promise an update on the actual ride itself, which if you read my earlier post, you may be interested in. So forgive me while I stray from the data center topic for today!

Continue reading “Scenery from Skyfall, cycling by the Loch Ness Monster and 60mph+ Winds”



Authors

Stephen Speirs

SP Product Management

Cisco Customer Experience (CX)

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The Internet of Everything is the idea that we can start connecting everything around us. Connections between people, things, and machines to produce intelligent data will lead the way we experience life. Therefore, cars and vehicles can be connected to provide a richer and more valuable driving experience. How will Cisco fall into this mix? Cisco’s intelligent network can provide the underlying platform to host innovation.

Cisco and NXP announced today an investment in Cohda Wireless to advance intelligent transport systems and  car-to-x communication. Cisco’s intelligent network will allow vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to pedestrian connections to provide a safer environment and optimize the driving experience. Your car is already filled with digital devices. Imagine what can happen if those devices; such as sensors, navigation, radio, or even lights become connected to the environment around you. Your navigation might one day lead you directly into an empty parking spot. Cisco has already begun this vision with Streetline through an app that shows real time parking in San Mateo and San Carlos.   When will this technology be implemented into all cars? Perhaps it will be 2017 or even 2014. No one knows for sure, but it is obvious that the technology of tomorrow is here.

Tune into the segment below as I explain more on how Cisco plans to revolutionize the way we drive.



Authors

Helder Antunes

Senior Director

Corporate Strategic Innovations Group

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I have been coaching youth sports for the past seven plus years now and one of my common mantras when speaking to the girls and boys each season is that “we will win as a team and lose as a team.”  In other words, I will never tolerate one player acting selfishly enough to think he or she is above everyone else on the team.  I strive to instill the objective that we will collectively pool our talents for the betterment of the team.  We use this approach because each boy and girl, believe it or not, brings with himself or herself a unique set of abilities and strengths with which the entire team will benefit.

So why should you care about my coaching philosophies?  🙂  Continue reading “Protecting Our Networks: It’s a Team Game Now!”



Authors

John Stuppi

Technical Leader

Cisco Security Research & Operations

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More than two months have passed since Superstorm Sandy devastated communities and lives in the eastern United States and the Caribbean.

But Jim Killoran, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Westchester, still shows up at 6 a.m. every day to lead dozens of volunteers who have come to the Rockaways in Queens, New York, to help families clean, repair, and rebuild their homes.

photo_habitat_1Jim Killoran of Habitat for Humanity of Westchester surveys damage in Breezy Point section of the Rockaways.

Continue reading “49 Days Later, Superstorm Sandy Relief Effort is Still Running on Cisco Technology”



Authors

Alexis Raymond

Senior Manager

Chief Sustainability Office