Cisco Blog > Government
February 21, 2013 at 8:49 am PST
Lynn University is a 50-year old private, coeducational institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. So how was this fairly small and quiet school selected to host the final 2012 presidential debate? It’s booming with technological innovation.
The school has long held the belief that student collaboration and sharing of knowledge is vital to the learning process, but realized with time, they need to increase student support through technology. To move to a 1-to-1 program entailed giving each student an iPad and overhauling its network environment. In late 2011, as this transformation was underway, Lynn discovered that they would also soon be the youngest school to ever host a presidential debate.
This meant the school had less than a year to undergo a complete technical refresh, so Lynn turned to Cisco for help. University CIO Chris Boniforti summed up his decision to select Cisco by saying “All of our diverse technical requirements, for both the debate and the university, could be done under one umbrella, with one vendor, and that was Cisco.”
This umbrella of technology included Cisco wireless solutions, Cisco Unified Computing System and Cisco security, voice and IP communications. Cisco joined forces with longtime partner Modcomp to deliver a solution the university could use well beyond the presidential debate. The result: A successful implementation that resulted in a “technically smooth” debate.
It’s important to note this project didn’t shut down once the debate was over. Today, the school is committed to providing a mobile platform for its entire faculty and students by the time the newest crop of freshmen arrive in fall later this year. The addition of the new business school will include lecture capture and resources-sharing tools, including video. Now embedded in the teaching environment, this benefit would not have been possible without Lynn’s new Cisco network.
I’m personally impressed with the university’s commitment to technology. They are a great example for other small schools looking for cost-effective innovation. What do you think? Is your school ready for this kind of transformation?
Tags: Chris Boniforti, Cisco Security, Cisco UCS, Cisco Unified Computing System, IP communications, lecture capture, Lynn University, Modcomp, presidential debate, Voice
February 14, 2013 at 4:00 am PST
As we quickly approach Telework Week 2013 in March, I’ve been hearing a lot of discussion around the benefits of telework and the level of growth we have seen over the last few years in the demand for mobility.
Mobility is sometimes easier said than done, though, especially when you are a city government looking at bandwidth increases and potential infrastructure upgrades all while providing employees with a seamless virtual experience and avoiding any downtime in the process. This is exactly what the City of Jacksonville, NC did, and they are setting an example for other cities in similar situations.
The City of Jacksonville home to more than 70,000 residents and currently has more than 500 end users in its operations center that is supported by the city’s Information Technology Services (ITS) department. As the employees became more dependent on the ITS department, the department decided it needed to refresh its current infrastructure. Read More »
Tags: govtech, mobility, mobility exchange, telework, UCS, vxi
![Boutelle Press Photo[1]](http://blogs.cisco.com/wp-content/uploads/Boutelle-Press-Photo1-300x450.jpg)
Guest post from Steve Boutelle, VP, Business Development, Global Government Solutions, Cisco.
Cybersecurity and innovative IT solutions play a central role in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2013 fiscal year, highlighting the military’s increasing reliance on IT. In order to address new and evolving threats today and into the future, the DOD is challenged to develop a strategy to acquire next-generation host-based cyber-security tools and capabilities that go beyond current anti-malware and signature-based threat detection.
Government information systems today are more sophisticated and globally integrated than ever before, and attacks are growing in frequency and complexity. The challenge of data protection is constantly increasing in scope. While government organizations have always needed to secure confidential information, changes in information technology models have introduced new stakeholders, new threats and new regulations. As a result, government organizations need to think beyond the traditional models of securing the perimeter and locking down specific segments of IT infrastructure. For example, the risks of unauthorized access to data in the cloud can be mitigated through the use of next generation technologies.
This year’s AFCEA CYBERSPACE Symposium is themed, “Cyber -- The New Center of Gravity.” The event serves as a key opportunity for interaction between industry and government to explore this new domain that has become the center stage of national defense.
At the event, I will be moderating a panel, “Securing the Cloud,” featuring Bret Hartman, CTO, Security Office, Cisco and leaders from Lockheed Martin, ThreatMetrix and Terremark. The panel session will explore current and future technologies for addressing government concerns about new threats targeting the cloud.
By ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of critical information that flows through today’s cloud-based infrastructures, new and emerging technologies enable government organizations to reduce risk, demonstrate compliance, enhance agility and pursue strategic goals with greater confidence. This panel will be an opportunity for attendees to learn more about a wide variety of current and future technologies that address cloud security challenges.
More information about AFCEA Cyberspace Symposium and the panel is available here: http://www.afceacyberspace.com/
Tags: AFCEA Cyberspace Symposium, cloud security, cyber security, dod, Lockheed Martin Chief Technology Office, malware, Terremark, ThreatMetrix
January 31, 2013 at 9:43 am PST
As my colleagues just wrapped up participating in the 2-day World Congress Telehealth Executive Summit and are preparing for the 6th Annual Community for Connected Health Summit at HIMSS13, I’ve been thinking even more about telehealth technology and how far it has come since my first exposure to it almost almost thirteen years ago.
The technology has made amazing strides, and with healthcare costs on the rise, it’s no surprise government agencies and other organizations are looking to the technology to curb health costs while increasing the efficiency and quality of care.
Telehealth technologies, such as Cisco’s HealthPresence (and version 2.5, just announced this month), can increase access to specialized care and allow medical specialists to conduct virtual consultations. By leveraging technologies and solutions like Unified Workspace and cloud, telehealth has real potential to transform the delivery of healthcare.
Realizing the power of connected healthcare, House Representative Mike Thompson introduced a telehealth bill in late December. If passed, Telehealth Promotion Act of 2012 could extend telehealth benefits to more than 75 million Americans by removing two existing barriers--licensure and reimbursements.
…and the support for telehealth keeps going.
The Federal Communications Commission recently announced that it will allocate $400 million a year to expand existing telehealth pilot program. The funds will help increase connectivity between urban medical centers and rural clinics to better coordinate care and lower costs among other benefits.
With more organizations realizing the potential of telehealth technologies, it’s clear we may soon see it take center stage. Where do you see telehealth having the greatest impact on government and the public sector?
Tags: govtech, healthcare reform, himss, medical, telemedicine
January 25, 2013 at 1:08 pm PST
The Global Certification Team is proud to announce that the Cisco Catalyst 3560 and 3750 have earned USGv6 and Ready Logo certifications! Specifically, the Catalyst 3560C, 3560X, 3560E, 3560V2 and the Catalyst 3750X, 3750E, 3750V2 were certified on IOS 15.0(2)SE or later. The details of the individual certifications can be found below:
The Cisco Catalyst 3560 v2 Series are next-generation, energy-efficient, Layer 3 Fast Ethernet switches. These new switches support Cisco EnergyWise technology, which helps companies manage power consumption of the network infrastructure and network-attached devices, thereby reducing their energy costs and their carbon footprint. More information can be found at Cisco.com
The Cisco Catalyst 3750 v2 Series consumes less power than its predecessors and is an ideal access layer for enterprise, retail, and branch environments. It helps increase productivity and protects your network investment by providing a unified network for data, voice, and video. More information can be found at Cisco.com
Get up to the minute updates on Cisco product certifications from the official GCT twitter, @CiscoCertTeam!
Tags: 3560, catalyst, Catalyst 3750-X, IPv6, logo, ready, USGv6
