It’s inevitable that at some point in our lives, whether it’s personally or professionally, we all have and will experience fear. It’s a part of life we can’t avoid; however, how we face these fears without being crippled by them and how we triumph forward is what counts.
On Thursday, February 26, 2015, 9-10:00am PST, we will be hosting a #CiscoChat on behalf of the Women of Impact team to discuss what empowers women to Be Fearless. Joining the TweetChat will be Catalina Kowal from Cisco’s Empowered Women’s Network, Cindy Cooley from Cisco’s Men for Inclusion, and Barbara Koch from the Passion Project. Join us to discuss how being fearless isn’t really about eliminating fear from our everyday lives completely, but more about finding ways to make our fears not hinder us from being adventurous, from taking risks, from getting up after we fall down, or from being our own advocates. This is an important conversation to explore Continue reading “What empowers you to Be Fearless? #CiscoChat”
In 1973, the group Steely Dan burst onto the music scene with two hits from their first album “Can’t Buy A Thrill.” Setting the standard for obscure lyrical references, a loyal following for the band endures even in 2015.
One of the hits, Do It Again raced up the charts as a pop-music rarity – a hit song in a minor key. Most Steely Dan fans have concluded that it’s about a gambler that must return to the tables. For a vintage rendition of the song, check out this link:
I had a recent experience that highlights just how much Do It Again resides in today’s contact centers. After being unable to locate the answer to my question on their web site, I engaged a long-time financial-service provider supplier for live help. Continue reading “The Steely Dan Contact Center: When “Do It Again” Isn’t a Hit”
From days of setting up internet in his dorm and almost being kicked out of college for it, Joe Arnold’s tech roots are strong, and his passion is contagious. In the latest OpenStack Podcast, join the founder and CEO of SwiftStack as he discusses:
OpenStack Swift: What is it?
How the Enterprise Storage market is changing
How Swiftstack adds value on top of OpenStack
Standalone OpenStack Swift for particular use cases and industries
We’ve heard you say that choosing the right software releases on Cisco.com is too complex. It’s too difficult to narrow down your options and know whether you’re really getting the software that meets your needs.
Now imagine that you have a “configuration cheat sheet” for all Cisco software updates that tells you exactly which release will best suit your memory, reliability and system resource needs. Would that simplify your experience?
This is exactly how the SW Research Tool on Cisco.com works. Using the tool, you enter your requirements for hardware and software features, and access and download the right Cisco software that meets your needs immediately, all in one place, with a few simple clicks.
The tool has been live on Cisco.com since September 2013. Today, you can access release suggestions for 47 product groups (including high-end routers and switches and our newer products) via the SW Research Tool. The same suggestions are also available from the SW Download site, so you can continue to use the download venue of your choice. The current statistics show that 65 percent of all downloads via Cisco.com are for Cisco “Suggested” software versions. Our back-end metrics show both an increasing adoption rate and an improved quality experience for those versions.
Here’s what people are saying about their recent experiences…
“I often get software version recommendation questions from customers. This tool cut down the time this task took tremendously. The feedback has been very positive.” – Cisco Systems Engineering Manager, Americas
“Early adopter reviews help us a lot before we push out new code.” – Cisco Partner
“After reviewing the Software Research application I’m very impressed with the features offered. No doubt that when the product list grows more complete we’ll be using the tool regularly.” – Cisco Customer
I spent time in France last week, and it’s clear to me that the French tech scene is at an inflection point. The time to invest in France’s future is now. And with more startups than any other European country at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, and a strong infrastructure in place, France is primed to embrace the latest technology transition: digitization of everything.
Digitization, which harnesses the power of what we call the Internet of Everything at Cisco — the connection of people, process, data and things — will change everything from the way we work to how we serve citizens, and teach our young people.
I believe that France will lead in this new era of country digitization. The French government truly understands the economic and societal benefits digitization will bring. Last week, I met with Prime Minister Manuel Valls, and together we announced an ambitious partnership, pledging to transform France into a digital republic. By creating a connected ecosystem, there is tremendous opportunity to fuel economic growth, create jobs, foster innovation — even improve energy use.
Cisco will power this initiative through the network. France has a strong traditional infrastructure in place — roads, water lines, buildings, even parking spaces — and the country is now committing to build out their digital infrastructure, which will help increase productivity, create jobs, and improve the lives of citizens. Cybersecurity will also be enhanced for the country and its businesses and citizens, and the results for France could be dramatic.
When I watched the Grammy’s last month, I wasn’t only rooting for my favorite artists from my couch – I had Twitter open, engaging with my friends, following interesting hash-tags, and engaging in the event in a way that five years ago wasn’t even an option.
Industry people call this the 2nd screen and it’s fast become the way many people engage with TV and the thousands or millions of other viewers and fans across the globe. I don’t want to just sit passively in front of the TV, I want to be involved – but it’s just text, it’s one-way, and like it or not, I’m still not “part” of the show.
I grew up in Hollywood… and I remember seeing throngs of people lining up for the chance to be part of the live studio audience for any number of shows. They wanted to be involved. If they were lucky enough to get in, they still weren’t fully involved in the experience – it was one-way. They might be “on TV” when the camera panned the audience – and that was good enough.
Think about how many people stand outside just to be on the Today Show’s background video feed. But that audience has to be in NYC to participate and it’s still one-way. And to be in a live studio audience, you have to be local, be there in person.
The awesome and creative team at Jimmy Kimmel Live is asking the question: What if you didn’t have to be “local” anymore? What if the one-way text experience became a live, interactive experience? What if you could participate IN the show from anywhere, on any device, via video… be “on TV” from the comfort of your living room?
Well, I’m happy to tell you that the collaboration team at Cisco is partnering with Jimmy Kimmel Live to change that. We’re bringing the 2nd screen to the next level – and building in the opportunity for fans to be in the live studio audience at the same time – to be “part” of the show.
The “Wall of America”, located on the Jimmy Kimmel Live set in Hollywood, and powered by Cisco, will allow viewers in the US to video call from any device for an opportunity to be on the live broadcast. Through Cisco’s Jabber Guest, any participant with a browser and a camera will be able to click a link and have the possibility of joining the live broadcast. The producers will choose viewers to appear on the video wall, extending the live studio experience to viewers at home. Up to 20 different fans can be a part of the video wall simultaneously. Sound too good to be true? Check out the debut of the “Wall of America” on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show:
Around the world, banking customers express similar frustrations: they believe the value they receive from their banks is declining, at a time when their trust in those banks already has eroded.
What’s more, according to a Cisco survey of 7,200 banking customers in 12 countries, four out of five customers would trust a non-bank, such as a technology company or retailer, to handle their banking needs. Some of those disruptive competitors are succeeding where banks fail: by engaging customers with convenient transactions and value-added services.
The Cisco study found that Internet of Everything (IoE)-enabled services can help restore the value customers expect from banking institutions. IoE — the networked connection of people, process, data and things — makes it possible for banks to offer a more relevant, engaging, and convenient experience for customers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTAN8FR77os
Of the $19 trillion in global economic value Cisco estimates IoE can create over the next decade, 7 percent ($1.3 trillion) is accounted for in the finance market and could be addressed with concepts included in this survey.
The digitization of business and society is happening at a rapid pace and people are looking for improved, digital services that make life easier. Banks need to embrace this pace of change and deliver relevant services or risk becoming obsolete in a market where other providers are stepping in to fill the gaps.
The Internet of Everything (IoE) has the potential to be worth an estimated $19 trillion. But this huge number means nothing if it isn’t improving people’s lives.
Industry visionaries are seeking ways to help businesses and people extract value from IoE. In healthcare, IoE promises to improve care delivery, enhance patient and visitor experiences, and create new care models we can only imagine.
This is partly because ‘dark assets’ – common objects not connected to the Internet – are being equipped with minute, yet technologically advanced sensors, transforming them into connected devices capable of generating useful data that can advance health services. Continue reading “Internet of Everything Shines Light on Smarter Healthcare Solutions”
Have you read the latest Cisco Connected Health newsletter? Find out details about the 8th annual Community for Connected Health Summit and read relevant stories about how the Internet of Everything is enabling new innovations in care delivery.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., includes complimentary lunch
Hear from highly regarded leaders who are pioneering new approaches to delivering care, including Stuart James, IS-COO, Sutter Health; Dr. Craig Sable, Director of Echocardiography and Telemedicine, Children’s National Medical Center and Professor of Pediatrics, George Washington University; Ashley Simmons, Director of Innovation and Development, Celebration Health; and Ketan Paranjape, General Manager of Life Sciences, Intel.
Barbara Casey, Cisco’s Senior Practice Director for Healthcare Transformation, recently discussed telehealth and home health solutions during the American Hospital Association (AHA) panel on innovations in healthcare.
Molina Healthcare, a Fortune 500 multistate healthcare organization, implements Cisco Next-Generation Firewalls to secure data for patients and clinicians in 14 states.
The Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC uses Cisco TelePresence® technology to collaborate on care with the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI).
This issue also includes information about upcoming webinars focused on using data virtualization to improve clinical insight. Webinars are offered on Tuesday, February 24, 2015, or Tuesday March 31, 2015.
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