Avatar

Screen shot 2014-05-08 at 9.26.42 AM

This blog post was written by Priscila David in collaboration with Emily GriffinAnuja Singh and Rima Alameddine

Today. Tomorrow. Transformed. This was the theme of the second annual Cisco Empowered Women’s Network (CiscoEWN) forum at Cisco Live. And what a great week of transformation it was, and a great way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Cisco Live! Sorry for the long blog post, but it was an exciting week for us!

CiscoEWN is a global community of highly motivated, professional women, as well as a forum for Cisco customers, partners and employees to network and motivate one another at Cisco Live and in virtual and live events throughout the year. Our founders and Executive Sponsors highlight our goals for CiscoEWN at Cisco Live US in San Francisco this year:

CiscoEWN sponsored several activities during the week each of which gave the opportunity for women in technology and our male allies to gather together and network, learn from and empower each other.

We kicked off the week with the CiscoEWN Forum on Sunday, a four-hour event with a packed agenda of mentoring sessions, panels, and keynotes. Here’s a recap of the afternoon:

  • Over 450 men and women, including Cisco employees, customers and partners, attended (up from 250 attendees last year!).
  • 50 executive mentors shared life experiences and offered advice in an icebreaker mentoring session with attendees.

Screen shot 2014-06-01 at 12.24.56 PMScreen shot 2014-06-01 at 12.28.15 PMScreen shot 2014-06-01 at 1.02.49 PM



Authors

Priscila David

Systems Engineer Director US Commercial East Area

Avatar

The 2014 Automation Conference (TAC) was held March 20-21, 2014 in sunny Chicago (Yes, sunny Chicago!! I made sure to pack some California sunshine for the Windy City) attracted a diverse group of automation and manufacturing thought leaders and subject matter experts from leading machine builders, system integrators, manufacturing end users, standards bodies and educational institutions. The focus and objective of the conference was to have peer to peer discussions and dialogue around the technologies and next generation automation strategies that are enabling and driving the Internet of Everything (IoE).

“This conference is designed not only to make you think about the application of automation, but also to help you take action” – David Greenfield, Automation World, editor in chief and TAC event director

The conference achieved this goal and more.  The framework of the sessions encouraged audience collaboration and dialogue around the challenges and practical steps and strategies being designed and deployed to achieve an integrated and scalable IoE architecture that drives value across the entire manufacturing value chain, as depicted in the video below:

I can “wax poetic” around all the great individual sessions held at the conference around Big Data, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), mobility, virtualization, cloud computing, cyber-physical security, network switching, CPwE (Converged Plantwide Ethernet), safety systems, workforce retention and optimization, but I think its more fun and interesting to summarize the highlights of the conference through the  context of a use case that was shared at the conference.

What better way to meet that objective than to leverage a manufacturing use case around beer!!!!

Automating Brewing Operations from Two Different Perspectives

I attended this session where Highland Brewing, Sierra Nevada and Vicinity Manufacturing gave an interesting perspective around the challenges and strategies in deploying their next generation manufacturing operation.

Highland Brewing is a regional brewer of craft beers based in the Southeast and Sierra Nevada is a larger brewer with more of national brand.  The interesting contrast between the two is that Highland Brewing is designing more automation into their operational facility and Sierra Nevada is scaling their automation and IoE strategies across all their facilities.   Both perspectives and approaches have the same objective.  How do I effectively integrate all the various technologies into an intelligent, flexible and scalable system/architecture to meet the following business outcomes:

  1. Increase Customer Loyalty
  2. Supply Chain Optimization
  3. Operational Excellence
  4. Energy Sustainability
  5. Disruptive Innovation

To paraphase Kevin Wheeler, Director of Operations, Highland Brewing Co,“Our core competency is crafting great beer. We have an opportunity to drive efficiency into our operation by an integrating IoT/IoE platform … the challenge is figuring out the best approach.”

Like Highland Brewing, manufacturers must begin to transform existing business processes and fundamentally rethink how they create, operate, and service smart, connected products in the IoE. For those that get it right, the future represents a huge opportunity to create product and service advantages.

Are you having challenges putting together the “IoE technology puzzle?”  Is security the main barrier to IoE adoption?



Authors

Kevin Davenport

Cisco’s Global Solutions Manager

Industrial Intelligence

Avatar

First we rolled out the MSE tech blog series to give our customers an in depth look at the various features of the location-based technology behind Cisco’s Mobility Services Engine (MSE) and Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX) solution. Now, we’re kicking off a CMX Techtorial video series to provide a visual and helpful walkthrough of how to maneuver and get started with CMX and location-based services.

First up, we have the charismatic Darryl Sladden, Technical Marketing Manager for CMX, taking us through CMX 7.6 Analytics. In this quick video, Darryl will cover:

  • What is CMX 7.6 Analytics?
  • What is the analytics dashboard?
  • How do I visualize dwell time, heat maps, device density?
  • What kinds of reports can you get with CMX 7.6 Analytics?

Continue reading “Getting Started with Cisco CMX 7.6 Analytics”



Avatar

Located in the heart of the oil and gas-rich Permian Basin, Midland, Texas started to go through an exponential growth phase in 2005 due to the increasing demand for energy. The city was feeling the impact of that growth, and in 2007,  its major arterial year-over-year traffic volume increased by 17 percent causing traffic management to become a critical imperative. Finding a solution to this traffic congestion was important not only in terms of efficiency of transportation, but also in terms of public safety.

In response to this, the head of the Midland Transportation Department, Gary Saunders, recommended the IP wireless Advanced Transportation Management System (ATMS). The solution runs on a Cisco wireless network with more than 1,500 wireless access points and monitors traffic and provides notification to various departments about the status of 70 pedestrian crosswalk flashers and 119 networked traffic signals. This instantaneous data collection and reporting mechanism has allowed officials to respond with intelligence and swiftness.

The cost savings and benefits are paying off too. The following are some of the key results: 27 percent reduction in total delays per vehicle, 18 percent reduction in total stops per vehicle, and 10 percent reduction in fuel consumption. On four major arterials alone with average vehicular volume, this equates to $1.2 million in annual savings. Additionally, by implementing vehicle detection cameras, replacing wires embedded within the road’s surface and installing cameras, Midland seeks to further enhance its traffic management system. The Traffic Management Center receives real-time video from the cameras enabling the ability to assess or monitor current traffic conditions.

Continue reading “#CiscoPublicSafety Series: Less Issues with Traffic, More Safety”



Authors

Brenda Germundson

Global Public Sector Marketing Lead

Global Industries Marketing

Avatar

Video: What will it cost? Part 2

If you read my previous Blog about the cost of video you probably thought, “Ok, but how much will it cost? What are the numbers?” So here we go, part 2….

Some ground rules for the discussion.

Not all corporate videos are created alike so I will break the discussion down into different categories of video. Additionally I will give a range of costs in US dollars with the core assumption that professional resources (aka people and equipment) are being used and any travel expenses are separate. All videos are no more than about 5 minutes in length.

Keep in mind that if you can get Joe in the Marketing Department that has a video camera and can edit to help for free that does not mean the cost of the video is free. There is an intrinsic value in Joe’s time, expertise and the use of the equipment.

Category 1: A basic talking head video. Example:


The first category is a basic video with just one person talking to the camera. No script, no graphics and little or no editing.  Can be done with a cell phone for a cost of $0 but quality could be an issue. At the other end of the range would be a camera crew of 1-2 people to setup a camera with nice lighting, maybe a teleprompter, and an hour or two of editing out the mistakes for a cost of up to $2,000. So, a Category 1 video has a cost range of $0 to $2,000.

Category 2: A basic 1-2 person video with limited graphics. Example:


Add some basic graphics and perhaps a second person to the Category 1 video and you have increased your costs slightly. Now you must do some editing to insert the graphics or do the taping with more elaborate equipment to “switch” in the graphics. If the two people are on camera together then quality sound is an issue that might require 2 microphones and an audio mixer. If the people are taped separately then more editing is required.  Cost range $1,500 to $4,000.

Category 3: A basic scripted video with narration, on camera talent and limited graphics. Example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtKrxhOK7T0

Category 3 takes the jump into simple scripted videos. Perhaps it is an internal training video or a product overview. You have 3 core costs: script, 2-3 person video crew and editing.  There are a lot of variables such as non-professional talent vs. professional actors, professional scriptwriter vs. in-house writer and the numbers of days and locations for taping. Typical cost range $5,000 (non-professional writer and talent) to $25,000 (professional writer and talent).

Category 4: Testimonial or success story. Example:


Category 4 is the basic testimonial or success story. The core expense is the on-location tapings with an experienced video crew that can setup quickly and not be too invasive. Selecting and editing the comments into a cohesive story can be time consuming. Typical cost range $15,000 to $40,000 (remember that travel expenses are not included in the ranges).

Category 5: A complex scripted video with narration, graphics and on camera talent. Example:


Category 5 moves up the scale to create a more engaging or fun video. Perhaps it is a marketing video or something motivational. Costs include: professional scriptwriter, actors, 3-4 person video crew, professional graphics and/or animation and editing. Every component becomes more critical in this type of video and lack of quality in any component can hinder the effectiveness of the video. Typical cost range $30,000 to $70,000.

Category 6: A complex scripted video with an analogy, motion graphics, and complex location video shoots. Example:


Category 6 pulls out the stops to create a visual experience. The script must be more precise and visual. The video crew and type of equipment required is high end. Editing becomes much more expensive to incorporate the graphics. Typical cost range $50,000 and up.

Summary

Of course not everything fits into these neat categories but this can help identify a budget and frame the discussion with your video production resources. Good luck….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Authors

Bob Dennis

Director

Cisco TV Production

Avatar

Today Sustainable Brands writer Dimitar Vlahov names Cisco and its nonprofit partner Good World Solutions as a Hot Couple in Sustainability for our work to develop and scale the Labor Link mobile platform that improves transparency in global supply chains.

Vlahov writes, “What if workers in a global brand’s supply chain could access a free and anonymous channel to report on working conditions, and the brand in question could get real-time data to identify and address problems quickly, before they become front-page news? Well, this is now a reality for adopters of solutions like Labor Link, and clients such as Cisco are already making good use of it.”

Read the full article at Sustainable Brands.

Read more about the relationship between Cisco and Good World Solutions.

Trainers at a garment factory in India show workers how to use mobile phones to take anonymous surveys. Photo: Arjun Kartha
A trainer at a garment factory in India shows workers how to use mobile phones to take anonymous Labor Link surveys. Photo: Arjun Kartha


Authors

Alexis Raymond

Senior Manager

Chief Sustainability Office

Avatar

At CiscoLive San Francisco held last week, Soni Jiandani, Senior Vice President of Cisco INSBU, highlighted our continued industry momentum for Application Centric Infrastructure.  She discussed customer deployments, new ecosystem partners and the enormous simplification of cloud and application delivery.

So it’s timely to review both ACI’s architectural approach and get a first look at the actual business value that large customers expect from adopting ACI.   This two part blog introduces:

ESGwide

  • A new Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) white paper that explains the principles of ACI’s application-centric approach and how it helps data center teams keep pace with business agility, risk management and the need for resource efficiency.
  • An economic analysis from IDC showing the three year return on using ACI in one of the largest data center environments in the world, Cisco’s own IT Elastic Services.

In the first paper, Enterprise Strategy Group shows how the rise of mobile, social, and e-commerce applications are driving a fundamental IT transformation. Web 2.0, Big Data, and collaboration applications are built using a modular approach, leveraging Dev Ops and Cloud Ops models and consumed on traditional and mobile devices. These applications are far more dynamic than ever before.  Therefore, the supporting underlying IT infrastructure (compute, network, and storage), has to be more flexible and adaptable to their specific needs.

The paper explains how Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) architecture provides a common programmable infrastructure policy model for enterprise network, application, security, and virtualization teams. Policy based provisioning of applications makes IT more agile in both application deployment and optimized operations.  It offers full visibility and integrated management of both physical and virtual networked IT resources, supporting an “application anywhere” model with complete freedom of application movement and placement.  In addition, through open OpFlex protocol, ACI’s policy-based approach can now be extended to a growing vendor ecosystem, allowing customers to protect their existing data center investments.

In the paper, Bob Laliberte, Senior Analyst at ESG, addresses the following topics:

  • How applications are driving IT transformation
  • How infrastructure obstacles inhibit responsiveness to the business
  • A new approach in which there is a much tighter link between the applications and the underlying networking infrastructure
  • How Cisco ACI complements and accelerates the IT transformation in the networking space

Download the ESG paper here.  And stay tuned for the IDC business value analysis.



Authors

Sandeep Agrawal

Sr. Product Line Manager

Security Business Group

Avatar

Harris-Steve_GrayThis is a partner perspective guest blog contributed by Steve Harris, Senior Director, Advanced Network Technologies.

If the category is “SCTE Cable-Tec Expo® Highlights” and the answer is “The SCTE IP Challenge,” then the question is obvious:  “What major Cable-Tec Expo event gets underway next week?”

While Cable-Tec Expo is a few months beyond the horizon, the SCTE IP Challenge – the event that gives cable engineering and operations professionals the chance to demonstrate their mastery of IP technology – is coming up fast.  The start date for virtual qualifying rounds?  That’s an easy one, Alex:  June 1.

IMG_0239

Sponsored once again by Cisco, the SCTE IP Challenge has become a signature event on the Cable-Tec Expo agenda.  Here’s the opportunity for those contestants who are SCTE members and work for a cable MSO: if they’re among the top eight scorers in the two virtual qualifying rounds – June 1-7 and July 13-19 – they win a free pass to SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2014 in Denver, where they can compete in the semifinals and finals.  Before a live audience Continue reading “It’s Time to Play the SCTE IP Challenge!”



Authors

David Yates

as Director of Service Provider Video Marketing at Cisco

SP360

Avatar

ID-10056513In many ways, the race to the cloud resembles the Wild West of the 1800s. The urgency with which business groups are rushing to adopt cloud services, often without IT involvement, resembles the race out to the western US of those looking for gold. With our customer engagements, we have found that there are 5-10 times more cloud applications being used than IT is aware of.

With this rapid rise in shadow IT, organizations are seeing their costs skyrocket as they lose visibility of how much they are spending on cloud services. For example, we worked with a business that discovered it was using well over 600 vendors (and wasn’t aware of 90 percent of them) and spending millions. Shadow IT has been forecasted by CEB to be as high as 40 percent above the IT budget.

The influx of investment in new cloud ventures is also leading to a land grab by cloud service providers, some which are on shaky ground. According to Gartner, only one in four cloud vendors will exist in 2015 due to acquisition or being forced out of business. This leads to risk for organizations that need to ensure continuity of their business applications. Finally, just as the Wild West was filled with dangerous towns and outlaws, cloud services carry business risks if organizations don’t have strong cloud risk and compliance strategies.

Despite this, organizations are keen to brave this new frontier to capitalize on the benefits of cloud. Cloud services help organizations become more agile, reduce costs, and can simplify IT infrastructure. However, to reap these benefits IT teams need a different way of governing the new territory of cloud.

Continue reading “Governing the New Wild West….The World of Many Clouds”



Authors

Robert Dimicco

Senior Director

Advanced Services