The previous two weeks of Olympic competition held the world’s attention like never before. We were able to stream events from our phones, get info in real time, and follow our favorite athletes on Twitter.

And isn’t nice to know that our partners share something in common with the Olympic champions. Like the athletes, our partners dream big, give it their all, and work hard to hone their skills—both as technology providers and trusted business advisers. Read More »

Tags: channel partners, Cisco House, citrix, EMC, Intel, john chambers, London 2012, olympics, SAP, Schneider Electric, videoscape

We came to know some interesting stories of players embracing social media in my last blog post: Courage in Sports: Titanss of Social Media. We also learned that some leagues are not embracing the use of Social Media during live events. Did the National Football League (NFL) take things too seriously or were they only taking precautionary steps to check team room discussions going open or even trivial field issues between players getting nasty behind wary eyes of the coach, management and sponsors.

So, not only can NFL players not tweet during the game, they also can’t post updates for the 90 minutes before and after a game or (presumably) during halftime. And it’s not just players; coaches, officials, and even press must stay away from their phones, too. Incidentally, fans who are watching the game are not prohibited from using Facebook, tweeting, or texting during the game, thank goodness. Read More »

Tags: olympics, social media, sports

One of the most anticipated and distinctive features separating the Beijing Olympics from the London Olympics is the explosion in the world of Social media. In fact, news has already labeled the London Olympics as the first Social games. And they are not wrong in saying so.

Times have really changed now, and it’s no longer just about the live soccer updates or any other sporting news. It’s all about a well-framed syndication of social media and sports bridging a two-way dialogue between the social media tools available and the sports fans.

With the latest apps and gadgets now in the hands of the social media buff, whether a team wins or loses a match, all of the happening is witnessed on the screen of a mobile device, making sports fans addicted to social media with a chance to be closer to their idols. More and more people are subscribing to RSS feeds, sending instant replies thru tweets and all the sports titans have raised their own virtual army of followers, fans, members and viewers. Read More »

Tags: olympics, social media, sports

As you can well imagine, Cisco is excited and proud to be the Official Network Infrastructure supporter to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. But you know what else we’re proud of? Cisco House, our 20,000-square-foot connected business showcase. It’s taking our customers to new heights—literally. And our technology partners are central to its success.

Throughout the games, customers are touring the “house,” which is perched above the entrance to Olympic Park. We’re engaging visitors with a multi-media, business transformation journey, where Cisco is uniquely relevant in a landscape where organizations, cities, and even entire countries are transforming to thrive in an increasingly connected world.

And the message is coming through loud and clear. It’s not just what Cisco makes. It’s what we make possible. And sharing this not-so-futuristic story wouldn’t be possible without the help of our incredible technology partners.

So hats off to Citrix, EMC, Intel, SAP, and Schneider Electric. They’re playing an invaluable role as we highlight a portfolio of customer- and public-facing technologies such as Videoscape, Stadium Vision, iServices, and my personal favorite, the Virtual Shopper experience. That’s worth its weight in ‘Gold.’ Read More »

Tags: BTE, business transformation experience, channel partners, Cisco House, cisco London 2012 Olympics, citrix, EMC, Intel, iservices, London 2012, London 2012 Olympics, olympics, SAP, Schneider Electric, sports and entertainment, stadium vision, TelePresence, videoscape, virtual shopper

Watch Cisco VP Marie Hattar as she discusses the 2012 Summer Olympics and its ability to connect humans across the globe. Cisco, an official 2012 Games sponsor, has implemented its Borderless Networks infrastructure, which allows us all to share and create new Olympic experiences.

Read More »

Tags: Borderless Networks, connectivity, infrastructure, London 2012, mobile, multiple devices, Olympic Network, olympics