Co-written by Joe O’Connor, Senior Executive Director, Cisco Smart+Connected Communities

Seattle, famous for technology and innovation, couldn’t be a more perfect place to attend and participate in the 2012 Every Building Conference & Expo hosted by Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and BUILDINGS. This summer meeting is one of commercial real estate’s premier events and a place to develop new ideas and showcase Cisco’s commitment to the smart+connected real estate industry.

Cisco’s participation at the conference will be multi-faceted. As a Cornerstone Partner with BOMA, we will present to other industry professionals on Cisco solutions and hear from other partners about how they have put their ideas to work to advance commercial real estate offerings.  We will also be participating in three panel sessions focused on the role of technology innovation in shaping the real estate industry. Read More »

Tags: 2012 Every Building Conference & Expo, BOMA, Cisco, Commercial Real Estate, emerging technology, energy savings, high-performance space, IBSG, innovation, network as the 4th utility, next-generation buildings, real estate industry, smart+connected cities, smart+connected real estate, Sustainability, urban community

From the IT Executive Symposium at Cisco Live 2012

When you strip away all the hype and emotion around the word “innovation,” you end up with a simple but powerful concept: Innovation is about doing something new that creates value. Innovation isn’t just important—it’s critical to a company’s growth and success.

In his keynote at Cisco Live 2012, Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers discussed the importance of being able to capitalize upon market transitions. This requires both innovation (the ability to adapt) and agility (the ability to change quickly, to be flexible). One of the most interesting comments I heard was in the IT Executive Symposium, where several discussions focused on dealing with today’s economic uncertainties. The point was made that innovation most often occurs when we find ourselves deeply challenged. As Jeff DeGraff, professor of business management at the University of Michigan stated, “That is when the risk-reward model is inverted.” Read More »

Tags: Cisco, Cisco Live 2012, environment for innovation, IBSG, innovate, innovation, IT Executive Sympsium, ITES, market disruptions, rick hutley

It used to be easy—mobile devices were brick-like devices that we carried with us to make phone calls.  Not anymore. Now we have smartphones, tablets, eReaders, and other devices that we bring everywhere and can’t seem to live without. No longer are we using them just for phone calls. In fact, they are now mobile computers, books, entertainment stations, game consoles, and social tools, in addition to our communications hubs. And, because Wi-Fi has become a prevalent way for many of these devices to connect to the Internet, they’re no longer strictly “mobile,” from a network perspective.

To learn more about what consumers are doing with their mobile devices, and how and where they are using them, the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) recently conducted a survey of U.S. mobile users. Following are our top three findings related to mobile devices: Read More »

Tags: Cisco, devices, ereaders, IBSG, mobile, research, Service Provider, Smartphones, survey, tablet PCs, Tablets, wi-fi

From the IT Executive Symposium at Cisco Live 2012

I think the enterprises of the future will look very different from those of today. Organizations will become leaner and more virtualized as their business processes grow more reliant on ecosystem partners. Process boundaries will transcend a specific entity.

Many macroeconomists believe that real shareholder value (and, ultimately, economic growth) will be driven by the speed and quality of innovation.  Historically, enterprises have been successful by capitalizing on a disruption (market transition) that plays into their core strengths, competency, and market position. Read More »

Tags: architecture, as-a-service, business, Cisco, everything-as-a-service, IBSG, innovation, process, virtualization

On May 24, 2012, the non-profit Sustainable Silicon Valley and its partners gathered at West Summit 2012, with hundreds of others, to explore interlocking themes: Global Trade, Regional Resilience, and Climate Volatility. The Summit featured high-caliber speakers and sponsors from corporations, governmental agencies, NGOs and educational institutions.

I was part of a panel entitled, “Leadership and Vision to Achieve Regional Resiliency,” which focused on the twin challenges facing cities — sustainability and resiliency. We honed in on best practices gleaned to date and how leaders can catalyze the deep transformation necessary to build a sustainable future. Read More »

Tags: Cisco, climate change, corporate leadership, IBSG, infrastructure, innovation, invention, investment, natural resources, public engagement, public policy, public sector leadership, resilience, Sustainability, urban