Providing the Freedom Employees Need, Without Compromises

BYOD continues to get headlines, as organizations look for ways to help users work the way they want, when and where they want—with the device they choose. Ultimately, mobility is more than BYOD. At Cisco, we believe work is a verb, not a place you go to – we provide the flexibility for our employees to work remote.

Sheila Jordan (@CiscoSheila), Cisco’s Senior Vice President of IT Collaboration, pointed out in this piece in Computerworld that cost savings are important, but the real benefits are “fostering collaboration, building employee morale, and creating an environment that is attractive to millennials.” Read More »

Tags: byod, collaboration, mobile, mobility, work, workforce, workplace

In a time when the manufacturing industry is in dire need of new employees as more and more baby boomers move to retire, I find it interesting that more than 50 percent of 2011 college graduates are either jobless or underemployed (AP Report). To me the numbers don’t add up. Sure, at first glance, it’s easy to blame the poor economy for the unemployment rate, but try considering reasons beyond that. What are the real reasons many college graduates are unemployed? I don’t necessarily think it’s because there aren’t jobs, because in the manufacturing industry, there are plenty. Some have estimated there are hundreds of thousands of jobs that are going unfilled in manufacturing in the US alone; jobs that are good-paying and that can be the foundation and means for someone to attain their “American Dream”.

As I reflect on this information, a couple of things come to mind. Kids growing up today are expected to go to college and graduate. This is great, but over the past few years, we have seen more and more students going to college without a well thought out career in mind. They all have aspirations to be “successful” and have a “dream job” once they graduate, but many students are never really able to untangle what that dream job looks like. This can lead to four or more years of education along with college debt without a clear career path.  Read More »

Tags: Cisco, Manufacturing, manufacturing industry, mobility, workforce

Throughout the recent years we have seen an uptake in a new group of SMB’s – the “Progressive SMB,” organizations that are increasingly encroaching on the territory of their larger competitors. But what makes a SMB progressive?

Check out the infographic below to see what you can learn from progressive SMBs, including how they are going against the grain and investing heavily in technology to improve collaboration, productivity and long-term business bottom line results.

Do you consider yourself a progressive SMB? If so, we would love to hear how you are investing in IT to gain a competitive edge.

Tags: cloud, Cloud Computing, collaborate, infographic, mobile, smb, social media, workforce

I always dread summer coming to an end.

Sure, it’s not like the old days when summer meant no school and running around free, but like most people, summer still makes me feel like I have more personal time and freedom. It must be the extra daylight.

Even if I can’t have the feeling of summer, it makes a huge difference to me if I can  work in different ways -- from home or even handling some to do items from the car.

One of the best things about the new, free version of WebEx, is that having a host account (yes, it’s free) means you can host a WebEx on your mobile. And that means I don’t have to be tethered to your computer.

Get your own free, basic WebEx account here.

In 2007, Cisco commissioned a study: Understanding and Managing the Mobile Workforce that looked at ways to really grasp how mobility was emerging. Of course, since then, “going mobile” has really become the norm.

In that study, they found:

Successful mobile workers tend to be resilient extroverts. They are open to new experiences and highly adaptable. And, contrary to the stereotype of the harassed and disoriented road warrior, they are supremely organized and independent-minded. With the right kind of tailored support, their productivity and adaptability make them superlative operators in an era of increasing demands and constant change.

In 2007, the Cisco study cited a prediction that “within two years, one quarter of the world’s working population will be mobile workers.” Not to freak anyone out but this was BEFORE Apple’s iPad was even released!

Read More »

Tags: Android, cell phone, iPad, iphone, mobile, mobile devices, mobile users, research, smartphone, WebEX, WebEx mobile, workforce

No matter where you are in the world, you need networking skills to be competitive in today’s economy. In many countries, a lack of people with information and communications technology (ICT) skills is the biggest impediment to global competitiveness.

In the current issue of the Brunswick Review, Cisco Vice President of Corporate Affairs Amy Christen discusses how Cisco Networking Academy is helping to bridge this ICT skills gap by training 1 million people in 165 countries each year to build, maintain, and secure computer networks. Some of the facts Amy shares in her interview may surprise you.

Read More »

Tags: Cisco, CSR, developing world, education, ICT, K-12, netacad, networking academy, workforce