By Roland Klemann, Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG)

The promise of Big Data has inspired many visions of transformation and opportunity. Big Data has even been compared to oil in the late 19^th century, when it stood ready to fuel a new age of unprecedented growth. But this will happen with Big Data only if information can be refined, sorted, and moved in real time to the points where it will create value.

Big Data was front and center at the New Digital Economics EMEA Executive Brainstorm & Innovators Forum, June 12-13 in London. This event, with its unique brainstorming format, incorporated four tracks: Telco 2.0, Digital Commerce 2.0, Cloud 2.0, and Digital Things 2.0. Across tracks, data played a significant role in all its forms: big data, small data, and personal data. In general, attendees were uncertain if Big Data is “the next big thing”—or maybe just overhyped.

One thing, however, is clear: a flood of data – terabytes to Read More »

Tags: Big Data, Cisco, data infomediary, IBSG, network, service providers, Telco 2.0, Value Chain

The Global Certification Team (GCT) is proud to announce the following additions to the Unified Capabilities Approved Products List (UC APL):

• Cisco ONS 15310-Customer Location (CL) Rel. 9.2.1 TN 1023001, as a Fixed Network Element (F-NE).
• The Cisco ONS 15310-CL SONET Multiservice Platform is an economical, 1-rack unit (1RU)-high delivery platform optimized for use as the last network element—at the customer location (CL)—in a service provider’s network, or for use as an end node in enterprise or campus environments. The Cisco ONS 15310-CL takes advantage of the proven technology pioneered by the Cisco ONS 15454, the industry’s first and leading multiservice optical transport platform.
• Cisco ONS 15310-Metro Access (MA) Rel. 9.2.1 TN 1023002, as a F-NE.
• The Cisco ONS15310-MA is a carrier-class MSPP that efficiently switches Ethernet and TDM traffic for use in metropolitan and regional optical networks. With the flexibility and scalability that allow it to support DS1, DS3/EC1, OC-3 to OC-48 SONET, and Ethernet interfaces, the ONS 15310-MA is already a part of many North American service providers multiservice SONET and next-generation “triple play” and IPTV deployment strategies.
• Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Provisioning Platform (MSPP) Rel. 9.2.1 TN 1023003, as a F-NE.
• The Cisco ONS 15454 SONET Multiservice Provisioning Platform (MSPP) provides the functions of multiple network elements in a single platform. It supports common interfaces such as DS-1, DS-3, and EC-1 and data solutions including 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet solutions with OC-3 through OC-192 optical transport bit rates and integrated DWDM wavelengths.
• Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP) Rel. 9.2.1 TN 10230047, as a F-NE.
• The Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP) is the most deployed metropolitan-area (metro) and regional dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) solution in the world featuring two- through eight-degree reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) technology that enables wavelength provisioning across entire networks and eliminates the need for optical-to-electrical-to-optical (OEO) transponder conversions. The ONS 15454 MSTP interconnects with Layer-2, Layer-3 and storage area network (SAN) devices at rates up to 40 Gbps. It delivers any service type to any network location and supports all DWDM topologies.

The approval document is posted on the UC APL site at the following URL: https://aplits.disa.mil/processAPList.do

Tags: apl, approved, capabilities, certification, defense, dod, list, network, ons, Optical, products, system, UC, unified

Networked technologies have made work and learning increasingly mobile and highly flexible. So much so that employees are now choosing work-location flexibility over a higher salary and employers are providing workers with the tools to facilitate this. Cisco IBSG calls this “Smart Work.” Of course, the ability to make flexible working a viable option depends on a number of factors, including availability of good broadband connectivity, employer trust, the nature of the work in which an employee is engaged, and suitable social software and video technologies that enable the employee to remain in a connected (albeit virtual) work environment.

Employees, too, have to develop a new form of self-discipline that involves maintaining a good work-life balance; rather than working longer hours, this entails spending much of their extra time with family, in the community, or furthering their own personal and professional development. Read More »

Tags: Big Data, Cisco, cloud services, device proliferation, future of work, IBSG, infrastructure, network, S+CC, security, smart applications, Smart+Connected Communities, urban services, urban sustainability, work-life

Last week I had the privilege of attending the Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) in San Francisco. Hosted annually by the Nonprofit Technology Network, the conference is a gold mine of professional development and relationship-building opportunities for nonprofit staff who use technology for marketing, fundraising, operations, program delivery, and more.

Cisco sponsored the Ignite Reception at NTC, where attendees had 5 minutes and 20 slides to talk about how their nonprofits are using technology.

Cisco’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts operate at this intersection of human and technology networks, too. We know that by working with nonprofits, government agencies, or other businesses, we can accomplish much more than we could alone. And, by adding technology to the equation, we can multiply our impact even further.

Many nonprofits have similar experiences. They are collaborating--and using innovative, network-enabled technologies--to reach more people with better services.

If you work for a nonprofit that has used human and technology networks to multiply your impact, we want to hear your story.

Read More »

Tags: corporate social responsibility, CSR, feeding america, grameen, grameen foundation, guest blog, hunger, impact multiplied, innovative, MFI, microfinance, network, nonprofit, nonprofit technology conference, NTC, nten, poverty, progress, technology

Mobile video is exploding at a rate unimagined only a few short years ago. Whereas the quick YouTube clip had been a satisfying enough diversion, consumers armed with next-generation devices now demand the latest bandwidth-busting, 2-gigabyte Hollywood opus. The end user wants it on his iPad, and he wants it now.

For the industry at large, this creates no shortage of challenges. According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index, by 2016, 71 percent of global mobile data traffic will be video, placing a heavy burden on the network. But along this next frontier of mobile video there are also unprecedented and exciting opportunities.

Read More »

Tags: analytics, business, Cisco, cloud, collaboration, data, digital entertainment, equipment manufacturers, IBSG, media companies, mobile, mobile cloud, models, monetization, network, rich media, Service Provider, service providers, video, visual networking index, web, wi-fi