“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.”

 – Winston Churchill

It is nearly impossible – even foolish – to look ahead without looking back. Glimpses into the past can give us inspiration for new innovations and even teach us what not to do. Behind every great technological innovation is a solid legacy product or solution that inspired it or played an integral part in its development. Behind the printing press was paper and block printing. Behind the telephone was the telegraph. And behind the Internet of Everything (IoE)? Ethernet.

Today – May 22 – marks the 40^th anniversary of Ethernet. In 1973, technologist and 3Com founder Robert Metcalfe designed the Ethernet to allow computer devices to communicate with each other using radio-like signals over an antenna cable. Long used for reliable and efficient access to information, its implications on the networking world reach far past the local area network (LAN).

Over the course of 40 years, our quest for connecting the unconnected continues. Our connections have become increasingly complex since Metcalfe was tasked with connecting several Xerox computers to a single printer, and we need to understand the possibilities in both the number and value of our modern-day connections.

In a previous blog post, How the Internet of Everything Will Change the World…for the Better, I referenced Metcalfe’s law: the power of the network is greater than the sum of its parts. True. But the parts need to be recognized and optimized in order to maximize this power. The Internet of Everything is a large-scale metaphor for Metcalfe’s law. The combined connections of people, processes, data, and things don’t just amount to a list of things that are connected. The actionable insights that exist with the power of networked connectivity exponentially create the Internet of Everything.

Ethernet has helped further the progress that these connections – and the insights gleaned from them – will have on the Internet of Everything. So, today we celebrate not only the introduction of Ethernet, but also the technologies it made possible.

###

Learn more about Cisco’s Ethernet solutions.

Tags: Cisco, connections, ethernet, Internet of Everything, internet of things, IoE, IoT, LAN, network

Cisco Partner Summit is all about executive networking, channel strategy discussions, technology updates, and business development. But it’s also an opportunity for partners to have some fun and maybe win some cool prizes while they’re at it.

This year, we’re bringing back our Favorite Quote Contest. We also have a new contest that uses the popular Vine video app, and calls for you to be as creative as possible in the span of just a few seconds. Keep reading to find out how to participate in this year’s contests and the exciting prizes we have lined up for the winners.  Read More »

Tags: Cisco, ciscops13, contest, partner, partner summit, twitter, Video Contest, vine

The immigration bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last night represents a major step forward on high-skilled worker reform.  Our nation has a strong culture of immigration, and we need to do more to encourage, the best, the brightest, and the most ambitious minds from around the world to live and work in this nation, driving innovation and creating jobs.

The legislation will accomplish these goals by significantly reducing  the green card backlog and by providing a workable solution on H1B visas.

Great thanks to Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah and Senator Chuck  Schumer of New York for their perseverance in reaching this agreement. Cisco will continue to work with members of the Senate and House to ensure that the final legislation works for the high tech industry and our employees.”

This is my third blog in a multi-part series.  In my first blog, I introduced insights from Cisco’s Collaboration Work Practice Study and how people value collaboration in the work environment.  In my second blog, I discussed the importance of building trust-based relationships and networks to make collaboration work for you.  In today’s blog, I share how you can turn these human interactions into business results. 

*****

Engage.  We use the word engage every day. It’s rich with meaning and covers a wide spectrum of relationships. We are engaged with our families, colleagues, and customers; engaged with an idea, a process, or an initiative.  And when engaged, people are passionate and committed.

At its core, collaboration is people interacting with people. In the global Cisco Collaboration Work Practice Study, employees told us that successful collaboration depends on encouraging natural human interaction, enabling participation and engagement, and fostering a collaborative culture.

“You really need to focus on the people aspect first. Get individuals to feel engaged and continue to be engaged. I think too many times we rely on the technology.” – Study Participant

In my previous blog, I discussed the importance of not losing sight of the “human element.”  Taking the time to build relationships leads to trust, which is fundamental for collaboration. To turn human interactions between collaborators into concrete results, companies must Read More »

Tags: Cisco Collaboration Work Practice Study, Cisco TelePresence, collaboration, culture, cwps, daniel pink, instant messaging, technology

By Jason Kohn, Contributing Columnist

There’s plenty to love about Jamaica: the weather, the food, the music, the gorgeous beaches and mountains. But there’s one area where, according to one study at least, Jamaica is lagging behind: information technology.

This shouldn’t necessarily surprise. While some Latin American countries, especially Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, are seeing significant economic and IT growth, investment in the Caribbean is growing much more slowly.

Read More »

Tags: broadband, caribbean, economic development, entrepreneurs, ICT, Jamaica, start ups