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Kim Austin

No Longer with Cisco

Until recently, I was the senior manager for digital and social marketing for Cisco Collaboration Marketing. I've spent 18 years at Cisco and have been surrounded by high-tech since it became "a thing." I learned BASIC programming on a PET computer with an external cassette tape drive. I remember when the land where my office is now was an orange grove. (And that doesn't make me all that old...)

Articles

March 6, 2017

COLLABORATION

Prioritize Teamwork to Deliver Results

2 min read

Few people would disagree that teamwork delivers results. But for decades, recognition systems in business have focused on individual achievement. This encourages the belief that if you want to get ahead, you have to make all the magic on your own – or at least make sure you’re the person to get the credit for it.

February 27, 2017

COLLABORATION

Guest Post: Starting a Business While Raising Two Sets of Twins

2 min read

"Our schedules are chaos, but we’re living our dream, raising a big family and owning our business. That’s where Cisco Spark comes into play." Cecilie Sindum, Orthodox Design.

February 11, 2017

COLLABORATION

Trusted Options for Avaya Customers

6 min read

Avaya’s recent announcements have put a lot of people into the decision process. Making a major business technology purchase isn’t something you can take lightly. To figure out who you trust with your unified communications and customer care, asking a lot of questions will get you the answers you need.

February 6, 2017

COLLABORATION

Attention Leaders: Today’s Teams Need New Tools

2 min read

Cisco designed Cisco Spark to address the things that get in the way. It’s designed to make these issues disappear. That’s a good thing. It means teams can focus on what they’re doing, not the tools they’re using to do it. Integrate Cisco Spark with your existing tools and the way people actually work. Use bots to help automate your work. Help bring teams together. It’s not about telling employees to adapt a whole new paradigm. It’s about giving them tools to simplify the way they interact and move work forward.

January 25, 2017

COLLABORATION

It’s Your Turn to Leave Your Mark (with Cisco Spark)

3 min read

In case you missed it, here’s an overview of “all the stuff about Cisco Spark” released on January 24th – from blog posts to videos and product information.

January 13, 2017

COLLABORATION

Switching UC & Contact Center Providers Can Be a Relief

3 min read

In Industry shake-up times like these, you may worry about your contact center solution – and the impact on your customers: Will my solution still have support? Will my maintenance costs rise? What about new capabilities and innovation? If you're responsible for your company's customer care or unified communications (UC) solutions, these questions can keep you up at night. But there's good news. Many businesses have successfully changed contact-center and UC vendors.

July 29, 2016

COLLABORATION

#CiscoChat Recap: How Collaboration Can Help Digitize Your Business

3 min read

Collaboration is important. You need to collaborate. These are phrases often heard in the workplace, but the true value of collaboration can often get lost in translation. And how to go about properly implementing and executing is often not given the attention it deserves.

July 15, 2016

COLLABORATION

Collaboration at #CLUS Wrap Up: Simplicity, Innovation & Bots

5 min read

It’s Thursday and the sun has set in Las Vegas. That means it’s still hotter than blazes outside, but we’ve closed the books on Cisco Live 2016. It was a busy week of summer camp for geeks. How busy? CMO Karen Walker threw some mighty stats at the closing keynote crowd: The Cisco technical team […]

July 13, 2016

COLLABORATION

Collaboration at #CLUS, Day 2: Awe, IoT, and Harvard, Oh My

2 min read

Tuesday was predictably exhausting. While the keynotes and innovation talks didn't focus specifically on Collaboration, it was everywhere. Maybe it's my opinion, but when it comes down to the root of what we do -- it all comes back to collaboration. Very little of what we do is as individuals in isolation. Anywhere. On with the day's highlights...

July 11, 2016

COLLABORATION

Collaboration at CLUS, Day 1: Keynote, Innovation, Social Good

4 min read

And we’re off! With 28,000 people attending in via three locations in Las Vegas and nearly 100,000 tuned to the online broadcast, Chuck Robbins had the attention of a lot of people today. No need for a gradual start -- although Robbins did question the wisdom of morning keynotes (especially in Las Vegas).

July 7, 2016

COLLABORATION

Catching Up with Collaboration

5 min read

Everything we do is about continual evolution. We’ve fundamentally changed our delivery models, the pace of development, and the ability to provide you with greater benefits. But our focus hasn’t changed: Everything we do comes together under simplifying communication, making it more intelligent and intuitive so that you can focus on your business. So in case you’ve missed anything in the flurry of new things over the past couple months, here’s a recap,

July 6, 2016

COLLABORATION

Live #CiscoChat July 18: Digitize Your Business Through Collaboration

1 min read

If you want your own business to remain relevant, now is the time to drive digital transformation and collaboration. But what does that mean? And how do you do it? Join us from 12n to 1p PT on Monday, July 18 for a #CiscoChat on digital transformation with @ChristopherIsak. Cisco’s collaboration team, @CiscoCollab on Twitter, will moderate the conversation.

June 2, 2016

COLLABORATION

Cisco at Code Conference, Day 2: From Meeker to Mars

4 min read

Another day, another gathering focused on the evolution of technology at Code Conference. Big names, big ideas, and a lot to think about. Executives and activists. IBM, Google, Facebook, Gates Foundation, Twitter, Cisco, Musk…

June 1, 2016

COLLABORATION

Cisco at Code Conference, Day 1

2 min read

Cisco joined Vox Media as a premier sponsor of this year’s Code Conference. Not only is Cisco a premier sponsor of this year’s conference, but the Vox team is using Cisco Spark to power “Code Connect,” the conference messaging and collaboration platform.

March 9, 2016

COLLABORATION

Enterprise Connect, Day 3 Wrap-Up

3 min read

Another busy day of Enterprise Connecting comes to a close in scenic Orlando. With Cisco’s announcements and Rowan’s keynote yesterday, my Wednesday was a bit quieter than Tuesday. (Not quiet, mind you — just quieter…) Collaboration Platforms with Jonathan Rosenberg My first session this morning was at what felt like a very early 9 a.m. […]

March 8, 2016

COLLABORATION

Enterprise Connect, Day 2 Wrap-Up

3 min read

Apparently Monday was just a warm-up. Tuesday started with several announcements before sunrise and just kept going past sundown with the Cisco Reception. The energy level throughout the day? A strong buzzing. And there was a lot to buzz about, starting with the morning press release kicking off the day with announcements tied to Cisco […]

March 7, 2016

COLLABORATION

Enterprise Connect, Day 1 Wrap-Up

3 min read

Enterprise Connect definitely got underway today in Orlando. The sessions grew more crowded throughout the day and the halls got busier. I heard a lot of talk about cloud, hybrid, UCaaS, and WebRTC just in passing conversations. (And I finally stopped looking for small dogs – the jingle of the badge lanyards somehow sounds like […]

December 9, 2015

COLLABORATION

Cisco Collaboration Summit: Notes from Day 2

2 min read

It was a busy day in San Francisco. OK, it’s probably always a busy day in San Francisco. BCV0XCUdUYAAVGOOut the second day of Cisco Collaboration Summit was definitely a busy one. Consultants and analysts toured centers of innovation, partners dug deeper into the announcements from Tuesday, and customers grilled executives.

December 8, 2015

COLLABORATION

Cisco Collaboration Summit: Notes from Day 1

3 min read

It’s always nice to have your CEO stop by your event’s opening keynote. So it’s safe to say that Cisco’s Rowan Trollope had a pretty good day after CEO Chuck Robbins joined him on stage for the Cisco Collaboration Summit keynote.

December 14, 2015

COLLABORATION

When Free Conferencing Services Aren’t Really Free

3 min read

So, does "free conferencing" make financial sense for a small business? Using the same math as above… it’s really hard to argue that it's really all that free. Even if you decide that each person on that call makes only $6 an hour, that single botched call paid for a month of a WebEx Meetings plan.

November 5, 2015

COLLABORATION

Cisco Champions: Why They Rock

3 min read

As part of my job at Cisco, I get to spend time with Champions. Specifically, Cisco Champions. I learn a lot from them. The technical level of conversations and threads in Spark sometimes threatens to melt my brain cells, but I get great perspective on where their interests are and how they use Cisco technology to do what they do.

June 11, 2015

COLLABORATION

Collaboration Notes from Cisco Live: Wednesday Wrap-Up

6 min read

You know it’s a star-studded day when the morning starts with Rebecca Jacoby, the afternoon features Rowan Trollope and Jonathan Rosenberg, and the night ends with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry wearing this year’s freshly minted Cisco Live hat. Yes, Wednesday was a busy day. If you somehow missed it, the word of the week […]

June 9, 2015

COLLABORATION

Collaboration Notes from Cisco Live: Tuesday Wrap-Up

3 min read

Today was another busy day in a city by a bay. With the Cisco Live gears fully engaged, there were more sessions, more classes, and more of everything going on. Our product teams did presentations and trainings throughout the day. And the Collaboration booth was hopping, even without the lure of tradeshow-trick-or-treat swag. We had […]

June 8, 2015

COLLABORATION

Collaboration Notes from Cisco Live: Monday Wrap-Up

3 min read

If you're looking for the collaboration perspective of goings on throughout the show, I'm here to provide it with nightly wrap-ups of the day's activities. Read on for: Opening Keynote with John Chambers, Captain of the New Guard, Collaboration in the World of Solutions, What's Up for Tuesday?, and #MEOW. (Yes, as in what cats say.)

June 4, 2015

COLLABORATION

11 Reasons to Visit Collaboration in the CLUS World of Solutions

1 min read

Check out what Cisco Collaboration has to offer at Cisco Live this year. Our team has more good guidance! I'm pleased to present 11 fantastic reasons to visit the Collaboration neighborhood in the World of Solutions.

May 27, 2015

COLLABORATION

13 Reasons to Check Out Collaboration at Cisco Live

1 min read

After a purely unofficial, nonscientific process filtered by my somewhat skewed sense of humor, here are 13 compelling reasons to check out all that Cisco Collaboration has to offer from June 7th to 11th in San Diego.

January 28, 2015

COLLABORATION

4 Ways Video Conferencing Makes a Difference

3 min read

Video conferencing can provide business benefits no matter the industry. Retailers and financial institutions employ video to interact with customers. Medical professionals consult across distance. Manufacturers address production issues more quickly. Where the need for interaction exists, so does the potential for video conferencing to add value.

October 16, 2014

COLLABORATION

Nominations Open: Be a Champion for Collaboration

1 min read

Who are the Cisco Champions? Perhaps you should be one. Now is the time to nominate yourself or a colleague for consideration for 2015! Let’s start with the biggest questions: Are you passionate about collaboration technology? Do you love expanding and sharing your knowledge?