Technology continues to change not only the tools we use, but the language we use to describe it. Wikipedia describes consumerization as:
…an increasingly accepted term used to describe the growing tendency for new information technology to emerge first in the consumer market and then spread into business and government organizations.
Consumerization absolutely affects technology, but confining the definition to information technology too narrowly defines it. The etymology pins the emergence of the term itself as early as 2001, which is a long time in dog years and at least a half century in technology. But the concept goes back far before Y2K. I could delve into Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, but I’ll stick to less distant history.
Before we get to IT, consider the impact of consumerization on time and choice.
Consumerization & Time In some ways, our experiences with consumer technology have changed the very speed at which we live our lives. We don’t make time for things the way we used to. We want them now.
It’s the popcorn. OK, it’s the microwave oven. Food is both a human necessity and great motivator. The microwave changed our concept of time and convenience. We haven’t abandoned traditional cooking, but how often do you compare the conventional-oven directions to those for the microwave and think, “I want this to take 45 minutes, 3 minutes just isn’t long enough to wait”?
Popcorn showcases the evolution of our concept of time. Once upon a time, popcorn preparation was at least a 12.4-minute process, start to finish, including the ceremonial melting of butter and cleanup. Plus it required mastering the technique of keeping the pan in constant movement, carefully timing removal to optimize the number of kernels popped.
The mid-1970s arrival specialized popcorn appliances and Jiffy Pop brought popcorn faster and required less clean-up time, while largely eliminating the need for technique. Satisfaction came more quickly and with reduced effort.
And then came the microwave oven and magical little flat packages that fluffed up with aromatic salty goodness in three minutes. Clean up consisted of wiping the buttery stuff off your hands and tossing the bag in the trash. Instant gratification. Near zero effort. Our concept of time? Changed forever.
In a few months, thousands of athletes will face the biggest tests of their careers at the Olympics. But, before all that, they need to qualify. It’s the final hurdle before all the years of dedication and hard work are put to the test. It’s also crunch time for us at Cisco, as we go through the final preparations for the Olympics. And there’s a fair amount of pressure on us to get it right too. The IT systems for London 2012 will process 30% more information than any other games in history and Cisco networking is at the heart of it. We’ve supported BT and Atos on a Games Network that connects all competition and event-critical sites.
The numbers
30% more information than any other games doesn’t really give you an idea of the scale, but hopefully a few quick numbers will. Our borderless network infrastructure will run at 94 sites. We’ve set up 1,800 wireless access points and installed 16,500 IP telephones. That’s not to mention the 65,000 active connections and 80,000 data ports. And it all needs to be tested. We need to make sure that, come the Games, we perform to the best of our ability because the network infrastructure is behind everything from big screens at the live sites to information for organisers, competitors and fans. Critically, it’s also behind the results process. It makes sure the venue results system feeds into central information systems and the Internet.
Working together
You can see why the IOC mandates two full technical rehearsals. Information is at the heart of the Games.
Last week during Interop Las Vegas, I was able to witness and participate in all sorts of conversations about virtualization, and its effect on the way we deploy, deliver and consume applications and services.
Virtualization itself is not a new topic, but given the way our environment has been shaping lately, it is becoming more and more relevant. In this new world we all carry multiple devices, we are always on the move, and the definition whether the app we are using is running from the cloud or from our devices is increasingly irrelevant.
Users do not care about the technology, or the role of virtualization or cloud, as long as they have access to the applications and data they need, whenever they need it. We sometimes think the users should care, but in reality, it is IT that should care, and not the users. And that is a big distinction.
This of course is not a surprise, but I perceived a sense of impatience and even annoyance from some of the users that I was able to question about this matter. I got a really clear message that whatever is the future of the desktop--or the workspace as more and more people refer to it, should be delivered to them soon.
As for the important characteristics of this workspace, from the users’ perspective:
Access to it has to be transparent. They must have an ‘on-demand’ connectivity environment that allows them to have secure access to the data and/or applications they need to complete the tasks at hand, without worrying about authenticating every time, on the device of their choice. Solutions such as Cisco AnyConnect and the Cisco Identity Services Engine provide these capabilities, and clearly there is pent up demand for such a solution deployed broadly across the enterprise.
The rapid evolution of mobile technology has changed many things, from how we work to how we communicate with our families and friends. From how we play to how we learn.
It started with the simple convenience that came from the portability of mobile phones and has escalated to smartphones and tablets that weigh less than two pounds, yet give us access to nearly anyone or any piece of information we might need, nearly anywhere. We customize them inside and out, from the cases we put on them to the information we put in them. We organize our applications, contacts, photos, videos, music, calendars, e-mail, and information exactly to fit how we find things best. It’s a device, yet it’s all very personal.
As these devices work their way toward ubiquity in our consumer lives, they’ve become prevalent in the workplace as well. It’s not just that people have their own phones and tablets, but they want to bring their own devices into their work lives. Read More »
When we were kids, my little brother and I collaborated only when absolutely necessary and only when there was mutual benefit in the end result. Eating broccoli, for instance. We grew up in a “we serve it, you eat it” house. Little brother, being a renegade in many ways from the start, preferred the broccoli stems to the flowers. I preferred the flowers. A simple collaboration and we both accomplished the task necessary to be excused from the table. When it came to eating liver, however, there was no such deal to strike. And, as little brother discovered, climbing a tree to avoid eating liver was not a solution. And cold liver? Worse.
Come to think of it, that’s not too different from business organizations. Read More »
Like many people, I’ve raised my expectations of the products I use and the companies with which I do business, both personally and professionally. As my choices of vendors have expanded, so have the criteria by which I measure them.
At one point, the smallest price tag won the battle. I didn’t always get the best result, but I saved some money. I can get a whole lot more store-brand ice cream for my dollar, but it’s never as good as Ben & Jerry’sNew York Super Fudge Chunk. Never.
Product quality, convenience, brand reputation, price, previous experience, are all in the mix. Increasingly, customer service is taking a greater role. I want to work with companies that want to work with me.
Collaboration technology gives you more avenues to interact with and serve your customers. Make it easy to be your customers. The efforts are worth it. In a new white paper, titled “Turning Customer Service into Customer Collaboration,” ZK Research says “the time is now for companies to use collaboration tools to evolve customer service.” Read More »
Las Vegas actively cultivates its reputation as the edgiest of American cities…so it’s rather fitting that Cisco would go there to announce its Cisco® UC Gateway Services API, a Web-based application programming interface hell-bent on opening up the edge of the enterprise voice network to enable more voice services on the most widely used edge router in the industry, the Cisco Integrated Services Router Generation 2 (ISR G2) router. And that is not just any voice network edge – it is the entire network voice edge, since the Cisco UC Services Gateway API is supported with Cisco TDM Gateways and Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE) for TDM and SIP trunking respectively. Therefore, no matter where you or your customers are in your migration to SIP, you can leverage the API and related applications.
The net-net: scammers looking to launch the next TDOS attack should be very, very scared. And developers looking to make apps to thwart these criminals should be very, very happy.
You can learn more about the API by reading our press release and watching this hot-off-the-show-floor video
Still want more? You should go hit the tables tonight because clearly this is your lucky day, and by that I mean yes indeed I have more for you. I just so happened to sit down with the one and only John Vickroy, the product manager responsible for the Cisco® UC Gateway Services API, for the behind-the scenes story. Here’s what he had to say: Read More »
When you engage each and every employee, you can transform them from “knowledge workers” into empowered employees.And that is a powerful value for business.
Most enterprise executives are facing a workplace that is no longer a physical place, but a blend of virtual and physical environments; where employees are bringing their preferences to work and BYOD is the new norm; where collaboration has to happen beyond walled garden; and any-to-any connectivity is a requirement, not a “nice to have.”
As business leaders we are faced with making this work, and we find ourselves asking: How do we engage customers to provide them with greater value? How can we engage our employees so that they can get better, faster? Read More »
Having read Groundswell recently, I cannot agree more with a concept explained in the book about how companies should enter the social media world and how they should approach the implementation of some tools. The concept is an acronym called POST (People, Objectives, Strategy and Technology) and even though the authors apply it to the social tools, I think it also applies perfectly to the more broad collaboration solutions. Let’s see why:
People: it is the fundamental pillar where the success of a collaboration solution rests upon. Improving the communication between our users by changing the way they can interact to each other means changing how people talk and relate to other people. And this is difficult. I remember an event organized by Steelcase where they invited the directors of building infrastructure and facilities for the biggest companies in my country. I was invited to do a talk there about trends in the collaboration industry and when I asked which one (People, Technology or Process) was the hardest to change, the answer was overwhelming clear: People. Start with how your users will benefit from the solution you plan to implement. Find out their communication habits. Profile them into different user types so you can tackle specific needs. And most important, think about the user experience they will feel when using the new technology. The degree of satisfaction from that user experience will be the degree of success of your project
Objectives: Why do you want to change how your users behave? What are the benefits you want to obtain from deploying that collaboration solution? And by benefits I’m not just referring to being up to date with technology or replacing your old pbx for the sake of it. You do need to find your own drivers. You need to picture how improving the way people talk to others will help your business. And you need to make it clear to all users. From the previous point, there is going to be an effort from them in learning the new solution, so they better be presented with the benefits they will achieve or else they’ll be reluctant to change. Think of objectives also as those things your company does for running the business that could be enhanced if done differently. This is about changing processes too. An last but not least: think how you will measure the degree of achievement of your objectives
Strategy: In a nutshell, how are you going to deploy the solution? Are you going to have a pilot first and then a slow deployment group by group? Or are you going full-speed and allowing everyone from day one to enjoy the new system? This is where you define the priorities based on what users are more suitable to start working the new way and help achieving the objectives planned. A big part of the strategy of deploying a new collaboration solution is how the old world will coexist with the new one (since there will be a period where the two are alive at the same time) and how the new system will start shaping out from the old one.
Technology: finally. And yes, it is the last step. This is where you decide which solution, product or vendor is more suitable for meeting your objectives, enabling your people to better communicate and be deployed optimally.
What I found sometimes is that we start the house from the roof instead of the basement. We tend to immediately chose a product or solution hoping that it will shape the other components and ultimately change our people’s behaviors. And that’s one of the most common reasons why deployments fail or stall after some time. Order matters. Start from the top and go down.
As a follow up to a recent post, “Lessons about cloud from Enterprise Connect,” which discusses the merits of moving to cloud-based collaboration solutions, I wanted to dig a little deeper into which collaboration applications should be a priority for your move from premise-based to cloud-based solutions.
While we at Cisco certainly realize that cloud-based collaboration solutions are not a “one size fits all” deployment, we’ve outlined our suggested priorities as you work to migrate your collaboration technology to the cloud.
In order to maximize the return on your collaboration investment I’d first suggest going with a robust instant messaging (IM) and presence solution in order to collaborate more effectively with colleagues, partners, and customers. Cisco’s answer is Cisco Jabber a unified communications platform that in addition to IM and presence includes voice, video, desktop sharing and conferencing. With Jabber available from a wealth of mobile and fixed endpoints (from iPhone to Android, to the iPad and to both Windows and Mac) having this application migrated to your organization’s cloud allows you to work from any workspace, on any device, giving you the opportunity to communicate from truly anywhere.
Next, I’d suggest incorporating a web / video conferencing solution in order to stay engaged with colleagues, customers and partners from afar in the current mobile workplace ecosystem, which is not showing signs of slowing down. Cisco WebEx® Conferencing increases productivity and accelerates results with the ability to meet anytime, anywhere, in a compelling and cost-effective package.
Guest post from Hans Hwang, Vice President of Collaboration within Cisco Advanced Services.
At last month’s Enterprise Connect (EC), there was a lot of discussion around the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement, and how IT departments are enabling this “new collaboration experience.” As OJ Winge, SVP and GM of Cisco’s Collaboration Endpoints Technology Group, outlined in his EC keynote, collaboration is becoming more “mobile, social, visual and virtual.” This is especially true as employees look to smartphones and tablets to enable them to collaborate more efficiently and effectively, and get their jobs done whenever and wherever they are. This increasing desire for untethered collaboration, without compromising on the collaboration experience, means IT departments must take a side.
The Proactive Enabler or the Passive Supporter
Whether IT embraces or ignores this trend, there are serious concerns for companies: impact on network, security, governance and liability questions. IT has a choice: they can either choose to embrace the opportunities BYOD policies bring, and become known as strong enablers and leaders to employee productivity and flexible work styles. Or, IT can limit users’ device choices and act as a passive supporter for a company’s workforce.
A passive approach might be to approve only one or two specific devices, and to restrict access and limit applications. A enabling approach might be to allow a choice of mobile devices and applications, to support collaboration on these devices and to reduce security risk with technology, policy, governance and training.
Cisco Recognizes Mobility is an Integrated, Critical Element of a Collaboration Strategy Mobility has quickly risen to the #2 technology priority for CIOs as opposed to three to four years ago when it was ranked number 12. (Gartner CIO Study)
To help IT plan and prepare for the impact to collaboration, Cisco Services has introduced a dedicated practice for Mobile Collaboration Services. This new Cisco practice is designed to help IT departments connect their organizations’ business imperatives to mobile collaboration business transformation opportunities. Experts from this practice can also help organizations prepare their network and communications infrastructure to deliver a compelling collaboration experience.
Like most business leaders, my most precious asset is time – and when I look at my schedule I’m spending about 80% of my time in meetings. Some studies suggest the average knowledge worker spends around half their time in meetings. When I measure my own personal productivity, by definition, there’s no more important place to look than these meetings.
We’ve all been in “meeting hell,” where we’re asking basic questions like, “Who called this meeting?” or “What’s the agenda?” or “What are we trying to accomplish here?”
If you’ve ever asked these or similar questions during meetings, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Increased collaboration means increased interaction with others, which means more meetings. And, with more work being done collaboratively and in virtual settings, often with people in different time zones or even different countries with whom you haven’t spent a lot of time face to face, imagine the opportunities to be more effective. That’s why it’s absolutely essential for your teams to systematically make the most of your time together.
It’s a great feeling when you conclude a highly productive meeting--wouldn’t it be great if you could dramatically increase the productivity of all your meetings? With this goal in mind, we developed what we call the Clarity of Purpose model for meeting management, which involves four straightforward steps meeting owners can take to ensure collaborative sessions of any kind are as productive as possible.
Have you ever sent an e-mail that’s been misinterpreted and it took a long time to sort out the miscues? I have. And I suspect that many of you reading this blog have too.
So, it wasn’t surprising to see that a recent study by the Economist Intelligent Unit found that 88% of business leaders feel that a significant misunderstanding will slow them down. And 75% believe that in-person collaboration is critical to their business success. Perhaps that’s because 54%consider gauging engagementand focus to be the most important part of communications. And you do that through a combination of visual and audio cues, such as facial expressions, gestures and body language, tone of voice.
In my own interactions I do believe this is critical, but in today’s world you can’t always be there in person. Read More »
In this post PC era, Cisco is taking another important step in advancing the collaborative workspace and making collaboration even more pervasive for customers around the world – regardless of device, application or operating system. Today we’re announcing that we are making presence and instant messaging (IM) capabilities and Cisco Jabber clients available to our Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) customers globally at no additional cost. Cisco believes that together presence, IM, voice and video call control provide the foundation for real-time communications.
For customers, with this development, Cisco is now providing a way to simply and cost effectively make presence and IM available to all users across a plethora of devices — including Windows, Mac, iPad, Cisco Cius, iPhone, Blackberry, and Android (later in 2012) — while also ensuring they’re deploying a unified communications client that is BYOD-ready. And let me emphasize, this isn’t just for those customers who happen to have a Cisco IP phone. It’s for every employee in an organization.
For partners, this helps simplify and accelerate the deployment of presence, IM and mobile collaboration as part of a holistic, best-in-class, collaboration solution. Hence, presence and IM can easily become ubiquitous in the enterprise!
We feel presence and IM are the starting points of collaboration, not the final destination.
I read an interesting post on No Jitter yesterday that poses the question, “The End of the Desk Phone?” The author suggests that the era of the desk phone is coming to a close. The gist is that tablets are essentially going to take over the known universe and send desk phones the way of the Studebaker.
Like a lot of people, the author is particularly fond of Apple iPads and positions them as the ideal phone eliminator. Once upon a time a lot of people said the same thing about microwave ovens vs. regular stoves. Didn’t happen. Sure, I can make popcorn with a lot less fuss and muss, but convenient though it may be, it’s not the tool for baking a chicken – or better yet, chocolate chip cookies. Read More »
