With the ever growing demands placed on IT organizations to “do more with less” it is becoming apparent that the way we deploy the network infrastructure, how we administer policies and how we manage the whole thing needs to evolve.

Why is IT spending so much time maintaining separate wired, wireless and VPN networks? We need to focus on the business that is banging on the door telling you to support more mobile and wired devices, more bandwidth hungry applications and extend that support well beyond the walls of corporate facilities.

How can we simplify how IT operates and still deliver a high-performance, high-quality connected experience? Cisco Unified Access can help! We announced the webinar series earlier this week, and part 1 is just around the corner.

In next Wednesday’s webinar (CLICK TO REGISTER) we will discuss:

• The industry perspective regarding challenges surrounding, BYOD, Mobility and the Internet of Everything
• The latest Cisco technology that can help you simplify and optimize you network
• How a unified access network can improve performance and operations
• Deploying consistent and contextual policies will improve access control and enforcement
•  How reducing operational complexity can accelerate device deployment and end user problem resolution.

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Tags: 11ac, 802.11ac, Cisco, Cisco Unified Access, Converged Access, gigabit, gigabit ethernet, gigabit Wi-Fi, LAN, mobile, mobility, network, wi-fi, wifi, wired, wireless, wlan

In the last MSE Blog, you were taken through how to monetize your WLAN using location analytics. Today I am going to expand on our partnership with Meridian.

The Cisco MSE enables location-based services and has an ecosystem of partners that use the MSE to create location-based apps. One such partner is Meridian, which is a mobile software company that uses the MSE to provide location based services in it’s mobile app. Prior to the 7.4 MSE release, venue owners using Meridian and MSE to provide indoor location and way-finding in their mobile app found it a real challenge to make MSE work with Meridian. First they would have to provide Meridian with the venue maps, then wait for Meridian to create an account for them and then finally open up the MSE to be accessed by Meridian’s server.

In 7.4, we set out to simplify and automate this whole process. Starting this release, integration between MSE and Meridian is made painless and easy with a single click. Enabling the mobile app integration on MSE will allow the MSE to send the venue maps to Meridian without having to open the MSE for inbound access. An account is created for the venue in Meridian’s CMS and the best part is that you can immediately launch Meridian’s mobile app and look at the maps and if you are at the venue, you can see your own location indicated with a blue dot.

The real magic happens behind the scenes on the MSE. Read More »

Tags: 11ac, 802.11ac, advanced location, Cisco, Cisco Unified Access, Converged Access, data analytics, gigabit, gigabit ethernet, gigabit Wi-Fi, Indoor location, LAN, location, location services, mobile, mobility, network, wi-fi, wifi, wired, wireless, wlan

The ever-increasing number of devices and applications coming into the workplace poses complex challenges for the enterprise. As a result, IT must adapt the ways in which they enable, manage, and secure end-user access.

• How will the network handle increased demand for bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies and mobility?
• How can IT maintain raised expectations for wired devices, while improving the end-user experience?

To solidify IT as a key contributor in driving better business processes, IT teams must shift from maintaining the network to delivering innovative, connected experiences. The key to success is to simplify the network, and Cisco Unified Access does just that.

Mark your calendars for our five-part webinar series to learn how to create an effective, unified access strategy. Find out how to transform IT to better address the demands of BYOD and next-generation technology.

• Wednesday, April 3: Activate the IT Transformation <--Register NOW!
• Wednesday April 17: One Network Part 1: Deploying Unified Access
• Wednesday May 1: One Network Part 2: Simplifying the Network Infrastructure
• Wednesday May 15: One Policy: Centralized Policy, Control and Enforcement
• Wednesday June 5: One Management: Converged User Access Management

You will learn how to: Read More »

Tags: 11ac, 802.11ac, Cisco, Cisco Unified Access, Converged Access, gigabit, gigabit ethernet, gigabit Wi-Fi, LAN, mobile, mobility, network, wi-fi, wifi, wired, wireless, wlan

The Internet of Everything is all around us. People are connecting on the go in new ways, and they expect fast, secure network connections that follow them anywhere and everywhere —at work, at home, at play, at the mall, at the gym, or even at the ballpark.

Not so long ago, getting on the Internet was a static experience. It was a desktop PC tethered to the company network, or for the elite the “double, double, toil and trouble” of a modem firing up, followed by a long wait for a sluggish home connection.

The new era of mobility takes computing beyond the PC’s limitations, surpassing it by a long shot. It’s becoming less about devices than what you can do as the workspace evolves, offering adaptability and choice based upon who you are, where you are, and what you need to accomplish. Whether it’s a quick phone call, a web conferencing session, instant messaging, or file sharing, removing the limitations of location and devices lets organizations work together better and make decisions faster.

What is driving these changes? When people think of mobility, they usually focus on the devices used to access the net. Slick new smart phone displays, multi-touch tablet screens, and futuristic industrial designs are definitely eye-catching. Consumers are snapping up these new devices, and companies are embracing bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs. But what’s happening behind the scenes and on the screens is just as important—if not more important.

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Tags: byod, Cisco, collaboration, Internet of Everything, IoE, IT, management, mobility, network, security, unified access, wired, wireless

It was not that long ago that whenever I read an article about IPv6, it usually discussed how the IPv4 Address depletion in other countries. At that time, the adoption of IPv6 was coming from other countries that where the v4 address space was depleted, the US Government, or Service Provider. Well fast forward only a few years and you can include Enterprise Networks in that mix.

Driving this IPv6 train for enterprise networks is wireless technology and the enabling by-product, BYOD. Wireless technology, in particular, Wi-Fi has grown from a toy to a requirement in most businesses today. We have moved from 802.11b which gave you a max datarate of a paltry 11Mbps to 802.11n to a max datarate of 450Mbps if you currently deploy the Aironet 3600 Access Point that supports 4x4 MIMO; if not, it’s a max datarate of 300Mbps. Never mind the fact that we will soon see the Wave 1 version of 802.11ac will have a datarate of 1.3Gbps and Oh BTW, Wave 2 promises a scorching datarate of 6.9Gbps!

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Tags: 802.11, access point, Aironet, bring your own device, byod, Enterprise, government, ipv4, IPv6, mbps, mimo, network, networking, Service Provider, wireless, wireless technology