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December 31, 2007
2008 Technology Predictions...or Resolutions...or Whatever...
There is an interesting column in the Wall Street Journal today about Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" 25-years later. The columnist, Jason Fry, remembered seeing the movie as a young teenager and compared it to seeing the new "final cut" version now, even commenting on what technology was envisioned in the movie in 1982...for the year 2019, when the movie was set. Last year, when Pew Internet Project put out their predictions for the internet in 2020, I also harkened back to the Blade Runner in a blog post.
Twenty-five years is a long time in technology years, so who knows what is going to happen in the year 2032, but I'm going to attempt some technology predictions (or resolutions...or hopes) for next year.
1. Cell phones and credit cards will finally merge. Sure, the technology is already here for this, but why are we still carrying around a sheet of plastic to make purchases? As Chevy Chase as Fletch as Gordon Liddy once said, "it's all ball bearings nowadays."
2. The U.S. will institute a national broadband policy. After listening to Michael Krasny interview John Kao on his book "Innovation Nation," it looks like the time is finally here to get a national broadband plan together. Or, as Will Farrell as Ricky Bobby once said, "if you ain't first, yer last."
3. The U.S. President elected in November of 2008 will announce her* (or his) "innovation agenda" which will include a national broadband plan (#2), a plan for making education and healthcare more efficient and effective by utilizing technology, and a permanent doubling of the national R&D budget to stimulate innovation and encourage the study of math and science.
4. Just as TV now is pausable, rewindable and recordable on a DVR, this feature will become standard on car radios as well...(this technology exists, but I wish I could rewind the radio in my car when listening to an interview if I didn't hear something right...sometimes frustrating.) Or, even record your favorite radio shows and listen to them on the commute home. Why isn't this standard?
5. Much more TelePresence. And, it won't just be for business anymore.
6. Apple will produce something cool...and everyone will want it...and they'll let it interoperate with third-party applications and programs and services. And, Fake Steve Jobs site will still be one of my sources of news.
7. Facebook, Google, Yahoo, MySpace and/or LinkedIn will do something to rile privacy advocates.
8. As healthcare is talked more and more about in US Presidential campaign, people are going to get really, really serious about Health IT.
9. And some resolutions: I'm going to attempt to play more than three rounds of golf this year; I'm going to read more and watch less TV...with a hat-tip to the writers on strike!! Sure, producers and studios are necessary to create good content, but the writers are just as important. Just ask the Broadway stagehands.
10. (Your predictions here)
Happy New Year.
*Yes, I personally think Senator Clinton is going to win...and I think she'll make a good president...we shall see.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 11:40 AM Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)
December 27, 2007
Home For the Holidays...Virtually with Cisco TelePresence
Having already been to North Carolina three times this year to show off our new son, Jack...and, now that he is an active, crawling, exploring, fidgety, creeping, one-man wrecking crew 10 month old...we thought it prudent to skip the cross-country flight this holiday season. Jack did, however, want to see his Earnhardt Grandpma, Grandpa, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc...all of whom (most of whom) are still in North Carolina. Last year, this would have been a quandary...this year, however, we all got together via TelePresence. Jack, my wife and I were in San Jose...our Earnhardt parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins were in Raleigh, NC...a mere 2800 miles away.
Cisco set up a program called "Home for the Holidays" to have Cisco families use our Telepresence systems to "see" loved ones that they ordinarily would have missed this holiday season...as you can see from the pictures, all the Earnhardts were/are very appreciative on both ends of the system. These "virtual" visits (which are high-definition and life-size) will come to be fairly common in the years to come as more and more systems are set up (possibly in retail for rentals) and then in three or more years in the home. And, we're told, at some point, they will be holographic visits and you'll feel that much more Obi-Wan Kenobi.
We certainly enjoyed our visit with our family that we missed this non-travel holiday season and we're pretty sure they enjoyed "seeing" their grandson, nephew and cousin (and my wife...and me).
Thank you, Cisco for letting us have a holiday visit*...and thank you, again, Cisco RTP team for facilitating our visit.
Pictures of our holiday visit today:
Earnhardts in RTP TelePresence
Jack demonstrating some of his musical talents
Appreciative NC Earnhardts
"And, last but not least, Jackie Claus"
(With SPECIAL, SPECIAL thanks to Cisco friends in RTP, Sandy Roberts and Starr Franklin, for escorting the NC Earnhardts into the TelePresence unit in RTP.)
Posted by John Earnhardt at 12:17 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
December 20, 2007
Charlie Giancarlo Departure
You have likely already seen the news that our Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice President Charlie Giancarlo is leaving Cisco to pursue new professional opportunities. Charlie is a great guy and a great leader and his presence at Cisco will definitely be missed.
Our Chairman and CEO, John Chambers, offered these kind words about Charlie: "“Charlie has been a close colleague and a good friend during the 14 years he has been at Cisco, and he has made many significant contributions to the company during that time. He has built a seasoned management team that has the strength and skills to execute against our technology vision in order to capture growth opportunities and market share. Cisco is very proud to have had Charlie as one of its leaders, and he will always be considered part of Cisco's extended family.”
Charlie is an innovator and has led many of Cisco's technology and market developments, not the least of which was forming our M&A and business development function - one that is recognized throughout the business world as a model. In the Web 2.0 area, he has also always been willing to lead by example, by blogging, and vlogging...something that many of his leadership team that he leaves will hopefully continue.
Charlie has announced that he is joining Silver Lake Partners as a Managing Partner effective January 1, 2008. He is leaving Cisco at a time when he is confident that Cisco’s business and technology strategies are strong and when the company is ideally positioned for growth in a number of important areas.
Good luck in your new venture, Charlie...we wish you the best of luck and you will be missed.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 02:17 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
December 17, 2007
Congratulations to Wake Forest: NCAA Champs in Soccer
I congratulated Italy when they won the World Cup. I congratulated Wake Forest when (we) they won the ACC in football last year...first time in 30 years. And, now, the little-school-that-could, Wake Forest University (my alma mater) has defeated the Big 10 juggernaut Ohio State for the NCAA National Championship in soccer. Total enrollment of undergrads at The Ohio State University: 46,690. Total enrollment of undergrads at Wake Forest University: 4000. Sure, Ohio State can only put 11 players on the field at a time and not 10 to our 1, but still...
There is no real point to this blog, other than to perhaps gloat a bit...okay, a lot. But, a larger point here (if there is one) is that strength in numbers is only an advantange when you can put the full force of those numbers behind an effort. Wake Forest could never win against Ohio State, say, in a water balloon fight. We'd get pummelled. Ten Ohio State students barraging each Wake Forest student with water balloons at once would not be a fun thing to watch. You put our best 11 soccer players on a field against their best 11 players and we have a shot...and, in fact, we won. Which should be a lesson for us all.
How can I bring this back to Cisco, you ask? Cisco is THE networking company. We have over 63,000 employees worldwide. We invented routing and switching...the technology that manages the flow of information from point A to point B...be it voice, video and/or data. We are slowly, but surely, taking daily steps towards our goal of becoming the most important technology company in the world. We, however, can never gloat...or rest. There are hundreds of great competitors out there who are waiting, lurking and watching for us to make a misstep so that they can step in with their technology and take our business away. This is why we always must remain vigilant and LISTEN to customers constantly. We may be the biggest networking company with the best technology, but we can never lose that "healthy paranoia" that Andy Grove taught us so well.
(Photo by Sara D. Davis/Associated Press via New York Times)
Posted by John Earnhardt at 10:12 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
December 13, 2007
C-Scape Wrap-Up
Our industry analyst conference, C-Scape, wrapped up yesterday and the vast majority of the comments I heard about the conference were very positive. As a company, we are always listening to customers, analysts, media, shareholders, employees, etc. and the feedback we get from conference attendees will surely be used to make next year's conference better and more useful for attendees. Ellen Daley of Forrester and Jon Collins of Freeform Dynamics offer their feedback via video on our blog.
Dan Scheinman (Cisco Media Solutions Group) gives his overview of social networking and where Cisco is going in this space and Bob McIntyre (SP CTO) highlights of some of the new business models that service providers are looking at. I was also able to capture some video from John Chambers' Telepresence session with the CIO of P&G; Group Controller Future Media at BBC; and the Director, MIT Center for Digital Business.
You can also view the webcast archive of the "big tent" sessions here...including John Chambers keynote as well as from Rob Lloyd, Charlie Giancarlo, Rebecca Jacoby, Don Proctor, Tony Bates and more.
Download photos and get more info at our News@Cisco site.
Congratulations to the entire C-Scape team (lead by Skip McAskill) for a very successful event. Now, we have five minutes to exhale...
Posted by John Earnhardt at 11:32 AM Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)
December 12, 2007
VIDEO: David Weinberger at Cisco Public Services Summit
David Weinberger, U.S. technologist and writer, is a formidable speaker. The co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto captivated an audience at the Cisco Public Services Summit with his thoughts on the how the Internet is changing the way we manage information and build trust with institutions.
He also braved jetlag to spend a few minutes on camera talking to us about his views on IT in the public sector and how the Internet has changed the rules of engagement for politicians.
Posted by Cisco PR at 02:14 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
VIDEO: Preston Jay Waite Talks of IT in the U.S. Census
A national population census might not sound like riveting stuff—until you talk to Preston Jay Waite. The deputy director of the U.S. Census Bureau, he was part of the team that counted America in 2000 and will be overseeing the count again in 2010.
As he reels off some of the facts around the project, you start to realize that this is a really serious undertaking. It is the nation’s largest peacetime mobilization, with more than 500,000 temporary workers and a budget in excess of USD$11 billion. The aim of the exercise is to count everyone once, and in the right place. That is a task in itself, and as he points out, not everyone wants to be counted, which makes it all a lot more difficult.
This time, though, the Census is counting on technology to make a big difference, cutting costs and improving efficiency across the board. As a plenary speaker at this year’s Cisco Public Services Summit, he shared his thoughts and plans with us in this video.
Posted by Cisco PR at 01:46 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
VIDEO: Nomhle Canca—Transforming South Africa With IT
Developed nations naturally place great store on the impact of IT but it is probably in emerging markets where technology can have the greatest effect.
At this year’s Cisco Public Services Summit, Nomhle Canca, chief executive of the South African development body Blue IQ, talked about moves to introduce networked services into communities that cannot even afford PCs. We talked to her on camera talking about why IT is so important in Africa and what impact it could have on her country and the region in general.
Posted by Cisco PR at 01:34 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
VIDEO: Jon Collins of Freeform Dynamics at C-Scape
With a tip of the hat to Clint Eastwood, Jon Collins, Service Director at Freeform Dynamics, offers his assessment on the "the good, the bad and the ugly" at Cisco's Industry Analyst Conference: C-Scape. He feels our focus on execution is good, but that our idea that the network can solve all IT ills to be a bit much. He also likes our focus on globalization and sees the coming year as an exciting one for Cisco.
Jon also is a blogger and his site is Total Immersion.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 12:52 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
VIDEO: Ellen Daley of Forrester at C-Scape
Ellen Daley of Forrester Research offers her thoughts on Cisco's Industry Analyst Conference: C-Scape. She focuses on the transformation of business through collaboration, Web 2.0 and mobility. She offers what she thinks Cisco is doing well and what we could be doing better.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 12:28 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
VIDEO: Cisco SP CTO Bob McIntyre on SP Business Models
Yesterday, Bob McIntyre, CTO of Cisco's Service Provider Group was on a C-Scape panel entitled, "Next-Generation Video: The Means, the Method; the Madness." (Along with Dan Scheinman and Tony Bates.) In this short video, McIntyre gives us the highlights of some of the new business models that service providers are looking at, and some of the new ways that video services are being delivered to consumers.
Question for McIntyre:
1. During your session you spoke of the move from Triple Play and Quad Play to "any play" what does that mean?
2. You spoke of new business models for Service Providers, is this more than just new ways of bundling different service offerings? How do you see the notion of the "bundle" evolving?
3. From a solutions perspective, how does Cisco rate against the main competitors in the SP IGN space?
He ends the video talking about our customers and the "technology transition" that we're currently in: adding video anywhere to any device.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 10:53 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
December 11, 2007
VIDEO: Dan Scheinman, "Content Finds You"
At C-Scape today, Dan Scheinman talks about the connection between Web 2.0 and video. Dan heads up our Cisco Media Solutions Group and in this video he talks about the network's role in delivering the next-generation entertainment experience, Cisco Eos (TM) and our first "alpha customers" in this space.
He answers the following questions:
1. Why is Social Networking relevant to Cisco? Are we hoping to evolve into another Myspace or Facebook?
2. What is your view of the current state of Social Networking? And where is it going?
3. What kind of traction are you seeing with your customers?
Posted by John Earnhardt at 03:18 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
VIDEO: Stockholm as a model 21st Century city
A question that seems to crop up a lot at the Cisco Public Services Summit is how civic leaders can improve the competitiveness of communities.
Stockholm is not a bad place to look for clues, as it frequently occupies the higher echelons of European and global league tables and earlier this year was named as one of Europe’s top 15 international knowledge hubs.
To find out how IT can help improve the competitiveness of communities, and find out more about Stockholm’s success in particular, we spoke to Kristina Alvendal, vice mayor of the city, and Geoff Mulgan, a director of the U.K.’s Young Foundation and expert on public sector transformation.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 03:03 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
C-Scape VIDEO: Global Thought Leaders on Collaborative Technology
This morning at Cisco’s annual industry analyst conference, C-Scape, Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers facilitated a dialogue between three industry thought leaders on collaborative technologies…via TelePresence, of course.
Joining us from Cincinnati, OH (home of my Cincinnati Reds) was Filippo Passerini, Chief Information Officer and President of Global Business Services, Procter & Gamble; from London was Erik Huggers, Group Controller, Future Media, BBC; and from Boston was Erik Brynjolfsson, Director, MIT Center for Digital Business and Professor of Information Technology and Strategy, MIT.
I taped a couple of segments with them talking about the power of collaborative technology. The BBC, in particular, under Huggers’ leadership is doing some amazing things with IP video and is in the middle of an overall transformation of their technology approach to delivering content…this is where I captured the most video. Professor Brynjolfsson talks about the economic impact of collaborative technologies, a field where he has done much academic and field research.
I hope you enjoy the video. Click here for more information on C-Scape.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 02:53 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
VIDEO: Reflections on the 2007 Public Services Summit
The last two days have seen more than 300 of the world’s top public sector IT decision makers gathered for Cisco’s 2007 Public Services Summit.
The invite-only annual event, co-hosted by the City of Stockholm and now in its sixth year, is seen as a major networking opportunity because it brings together senior government, education and healthcare officials from around the globe in a forum which encourages open dialogue.
In this video, Yvon Le Roux, Cisco vice president for the Public Sector in Europe, and Simon Willis, vice president of the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group, provide an overview of the summit.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 02:40 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
December 07, 2007
Tip of the Week: Leave Your Desk Messy
Albert Einstein once said, "Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." I knew my desk is messy for a reason. Yesterday, Web Worker Daily (a GigaOM property) wrote on the good psychological effects of having a messy desk. Anne Zelenka writes that "a slavish devotion to perfection can be psychologically unhealthy" quoting a New York Times article this week. Zelenka writes: "Spend too much time worrying about getting your desk perfectly clean and your work perfectly excellent and you might put yourself at risk for psychological problems."
Now, don't get me wrong I'm all about doing a good job, I just don't think that having a clean desk necessarily facilitates that. And, to those who have immaculate desks, that's fine and dandy with me too. My colleagues are constantly giving me grief about my messy desk and maybe it is my not so subconscious way to "mess" with them by refusing to clean it up. I'm not looking for attention, but I also don't know what the big deal is about having paper and napkins and water bottles and business cards and other shrapnel strewn amongst my workspace. I often say I only need enough desk space for my computer to fit on...and it's true. And, I've never said to someone, "What's up with your clean, neat, well-organized desk?"
Here's what my desk looks like as I post this blog.
Clearly, I'm psychologically balanced.
More support for messy desks at CNN.com.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 11:46 AM Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)
VIDEO: Berkeley’s Adam Hochman Talks to The Chronicle of Higher Education about YouTube Channel
At Educause ’07 in Seattle, WA in late October, Adam Hochman of UC-Berkeley’s Education Technology Services, sat down with Jeffrey Young of The Chronicle of Higher Education to chat about the school’s recently launched YouTube channel for its courses.
Cisco worked with Berkeley to enable its networks for video and podcast storage and distribution via YouTube as well as Apple iTunes U. Berkeley’s open content initiative, webcast.berkeley.edu, required a scalable network to meet the needs of its university population in the age of Web 2.0.
View the video here...hosted on The Chronicle of Higher Education's site.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 10:36 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
December 06, 2007
VIDEO: Cisco Global Education Lead Talks Tech Trends in Higher-Education
At Educause ’07, which took place in Seattle, WA in late October, the tradeshow focused on IT solutions for higher education, Cisco led the conversation about the technology trends in security and Web 2.0 permeating through university and college communities.
Cisco Global Education Lead, Charles Fadel, in this “three questions” interview highlights some of these trends and how the network is taking center stage in meeting the needs of the wider university population.
Charles answers the following questions:
1.What are the major tech trends Cisco is seeing in higher ed?
2.What roles does the network play in enabling these trends?
3.Who is driving these trends?
Posted by John Earnhardt at 02:27 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
New Organizational Model in Cisco Engineering
As our Chairman and CEO John Chambers likes to say, "The only constant is change." Change IS part of our culture. Our strategy has always been to continually examine our business and market opportunities and to align with key market transitions. Today, we announce a new organizational model in our engineering organization. The new model's focus is to drive development of the next phase of communications technologies. The changes within the Cisco Development Organization (CDO) are designed to enhance our effectiveness and efficiency in continuing to deliver great products and solutions to the marketplace.
In a press release, Chambers stated, “Cisco is entering the next phase of Internet growth and productivity centered on the demands of tremendous video growth, the revolution in the data center, and collaboration and networked Web 2.0 technologies, where the network becomes a platform for all communications and IT. The evolution of our development organization reflects our continued commitment to customer success and to successfully execute new market opportunities.”
I've been at Cisco long enough to know that a countless amount of thought and planning went into these organizational decisions. For more flavor on the new organizational model, please view a full Q&A with EVP and Chief Development Officer Charlie Giancarlo.
Posted by John Earnhardt at 05:00 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
December 04, 2007
The Platform Paradigm
Post by Padmasree Warrior, Chief Technology Officer
It is an exciting time to join Cisco.
Cisco is the company whose leadership legacy defines “The Network” in many ways. Today, it is a company driving many new paradigms in communications and information technology. In the future, it will be a company poised to lead the industry to the next phase of Internet evolution.
What are some of the characteristics of solutions driving the next wave of Internet evolution? We already see many precursors for this such as, Collaboration, Web 2.0, and Always-on Demand. Cisco has been at the forefront of this shift, where the network becomes the platform to deliver the next wave of applications and services.
Throughout its history, Cisco has demonstrated the ability to anticipate changes with a proven record of accomplishments for capturing market transitions. The company’s customer centric culture, unwavering commitment to technology, and passion for innovation, mark the platform for leadership. Leveraging the reality of globalization, integrating outside and inside ideation through well-executed acquisitions, a relentless focus on financials and flawless delivery of results, delineate Cisco’s platform for talent.
I am eager to bring to Cisco my technical expertise, over 20 years of experience in many aspects of the communications industry, a global bent of mind and an energizing leadership style. As we get to know each other, you will also see me as a tireless champion for innovation and inclusion. I enjoy envisioning and creating the future, and leveraging technology leadership for business growth. Expertise, experience, energy - these exemplify my platform for achievement.
This Platform Paradigm draws me to Cisco.
As I begin my journey here, I look forward to working with the talented and well-respected team at Cisco. I am eager to tackle the challenges in the continued development and implementation of Cisco’s vision and technology strategy. Together, we will explore and engage in new technology directions and business growth.
However, I will begin by listening...your comments, please.
Response to comments: Thank You. Many thanks for all the support in welcoming me to Cisco. I sincerely appreciate the warmth and excitement in the comments that so many of you have posted in response to my blog. I am anxious to get going at Cisco, and hope to meet many of you in person very soon. I bet California is much warmer than Chicago, right now :)
Padmasree
Posted by Cisco PR at 01:30 PM Permalink | Comments (88) | TrackBacks (0)
