700-680 testing - Cisco Collaboration SaaS Authorization (CSaaS) Updated: 2024

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 28, 2023 / Cisco Systems Inc.

By Stacy Betts

As a Cisco channel leader, I recognize the importance of understanding our partners' sustainability endeavors in the Americas, as collaborative efforts and mutual support are imperative in addressing the significant sustainability challenges we confront. In this regard, I had the privilege of conducting interviews with several Cisco partners to discuss their challenges, uncover opportunities, and explore how Cisco can offer support.

Throughout these discussions, a common theme emerged: the need to bring our partners together for collaborative engagement, knowledge sharing, and in-depth conversations on building sustainable business models and offerings. The aim is to ensure not only the success of our partners but also the achievement of our mutual customers' sustainability goals.

Prioritizing sustainability is also a business imperative

A key revelation from these conversations is the recognition that prioritizing sustainability is not just an ethical choice; it's also a vital business imperative. While there may be situations where the choices between speed and convenience conflict with what is morally right, aligning our efforts with the objective of creating an inclusive and environmentally responsible future is not only ethically sound but also central to Cisco's overarching mission.

To help us share insights for the better good, the Americas partner sustainability community now convenes on a quarterly basis with a dedicated leadership team committed to helping customers realize their sustainability objectives. These gatherings provide valuable insights from Cisco leaders on the broader sustainability strategy. They also serve as a platform for introducing the latest Cisco programs and tools centered on sustainability, hosting industry and ecosystem partners to share their go-to-market strategies and offerings, discussing sustainability funding, and encouraging partners to share their own experiences and lessons learned.

Inclusive engagements

Sustainability is a concept that calls for inclusivity. It acknowledges that no single individual or group can bring about the needed changes on their own. What we require is a concerted effort that actively engages individuals empowered by organizations to create a culture of sustainability.

At Cisco, we strongly encourage everyone to engage with their local communities in ways that hold personal significance. This can take various forms, such as participating in beach cleanups, contributing to habitat restoration, supporting wildfire prevention, or engaging in organic waste and edible food recovery initiatives, among others. These efforts must address both the current sustainability challenges our planet faces today and inspire and educate future generations to carry this work forward.

Partnering for purpose

In addition, leadership plays a crucial role in driving these sustainability efforts. Leaders must lead by example, inspire others to join the cause, and ensure that everyone participates. It is a collective endeavor, and leaders must be at the forefront of the solution, making tangible commitments, both in financial terms and in the way their businesses operate, to become more sustainable entities.

At Cisco, our objective is to facilitate collaboration, create scalable solutions, and enable the sharing of best practices with partners globally. The "Partnering for Purpose" initiative aligns perfectly with Cisco's vision of an inclusive future. I'm thrilled to announce that in fiscal year 2024, Cisco will introduce sustainability offerings across our services portfolio in four key areas: Sustainable Data Centers, Smart Buildings and Workspaces, Internet of the Future, and Industry Solutions and Ecosystems.

Reducing our carbon footprint necessitates a shift in mindset, challenging us to think differently about how we design technologies, support our employees, and help our customers address challenges. For instance, through Cisco Refresh, we remanufacture and certify used network routers, switches, phones, and collaboration products, extending the value of our customers' budgets while reducing the environmental impact associated with old technology. This is a win-win solution for all parties involved.

A Commitment to Sustainability

My aspiration is for all of us to lead happy, healthy lives and enjoy our planet in a way that ensures future generations can do the same. As a leader, I encourage others to integrate sustainable practices into every facet of their lives and endeavors. Building a culture of sustainability requires the commitment of all individuals to make choices today that will protect us from bearing the consequences of poor decisions tomorrow. Whether it's protecting our oceans, nurturing emerging leaders, or running our businesses in a manner that safeguards the future, sustainability is a shared endeavor that benefits us all.

To learn more about what commitments Cisco has made to ensure a better tomorrow, read our 2022 Cisco Purpose Report.

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Cius was first announced last June at Cisco Live, and its Wi-Fi model was made available to partners on March 31. Exact Cius pricing has not yet been confirmed, but according to a statement from Cisco to CRN, "pricing structures are expected to support targeted end-user pricing ranging to below $700 for volume purchases."

Cisco Cius is available from Cisco Master and Advanced Unified Communications partners, according to the vendor, and priority availability is for what Cisco describes as "early field trial" (EFT) customers.

"These customers have both innovative and broad-based use cases and their Wi-Fi environments have been validated against the Cisco Experience Assurance Program by our partners," said Richard McLeod, senior director, collaboration, Worldwide Partner Organization, at Cisco. "We have seen an overwhelming interest in our EFT program, and we are prioritizing these customers who have validated environments for Cius and pre-qualified use cases."

At the time of its announcement, many VARs saw definite enterprise potential in Cius, especially with Cisco positioning it as an endpoint for video and UC systems.

The Cius weighs 1.5 pounds, includes a front-mounted 720p HD camera, a 7-inch VGA touch-target display, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and other features. It's supported by Cisco's UC Manager and also supports Cisco collaboration products like Quad, WebEx and Presence.

As first reported by the blog Wireless Goodness, Cius popped up in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) listings for the first time on March 30. The documents were submitted by OpenPeak, a touchscreen device and device management vendor in whom Intel is an investor, confirming OpenPeak's role on the manufacturing end of the Cius release.

McLeod told CRN that Cius' release is on schedule. Cisco has also been actively working on extending its Cisco Developer's Network (CDN) to Android developers and independent software vendors (ISV), McLeod said, and Cisco will be announcing the results of those efforts soon. The Cius will initially run Android version 2.2, also known as Froyo.

"Cisco is committed to updating the version of Cius' Android OS when we deem there are feature benefits in the new release to our enterprise customers and when the new release is made publicly available by Google," McLeod told CRN. "Since Cius is an enterprise-class device, and not a consumer-oriented tablet, any new release we take on shall go through a special testing and verification process to ensure that the stability, security and performance of the device and the apps running on it are not compromised in support of our enterprise customers' requirements."

Cisco VARs said they have been champing at the bit to get ahold of Cius, especially those who look at tablets and mobile device infrastructure as emerging opportunities. Some expressed frustration that Cius hasn't become generally available yet.

"It's taking a lot longer than I would have expected by now," said a senior executive at a national Cisco partner, who asked his name not be used. "This is a big opportunity for partners because when you start seeing business-class tablets in use, that means you also have industrial strength applications for use with them. Cius seems like it is going to be part of that ecosystem and that's exciting."

The potential tablet play in enterprises is profound, said Mont Phelps, president and CEO of NWN, a Waltham, Mass.-based solution provider. NWN is among fast-growth solution providers that have expanded via acquisition, and in NWN's case, it recently beefed up its application development services through a pickup of Microsoft Gold partner ComFrame.

"I think the tablet is going to change the way work is done, more profoundly than the laptop did," Phelps said. "It'll change where the work is done, change how the work is done and who does it, and also create a lot of opportunity for infrastructure on the back to end to support all of these things. Positioning for the tablet revolution, which is where the work's going to be done, positions us with a different form factor and also exceedingly well for the cloud."

Rapid use of Generative AI, the emergence of a new blended workforce of humans and digital workers, and increasing employee fear of being obsolete (FOBO), together prove what Intel co-founder Gordon Moore (and the author of Moore’s Law) said, at any given point in time, “change has never been this fast and will never be this slow ever again.”

Resiliency, agility, and adopting a “test and learn approach” will mark the winning strategies for 2024.

As I have done in in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, here is my countdown of what you should include on your HR roadmap for 2024.

1. Generative AI Will Be Your New Work Buddy

In 2024, Generative AI will shake up how we think about what work we do and what we delegate to our new “work buddy.” This will be the year of specialized AI powered assistants working side by side with humans. Teachers will get a copilot for homework grading, such as Class Companion. Architects will get an AI assistant for design, SketchPro, and online learners studying at Kahn Academy will be able to access Kahnmigo to aid in brainstorming helping them to become better writers and learners while decreasing a teacher’s administrative workload.

Walmart launched one of the largest AI powered work buddies, called My Assistant, an AI powered app to help Walmart’s 50,000 corporate employees be more productive in summarizing long documents, creating new content, and taking over routine tasks that humans did in the past. Microsoft’s Co-Pilot, soon to launch, will integrate generative AI into Microsoft 365, allowing workers to perform at a much higher level. Jared Spataro, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, believes Microsoft Co-Pilot will transform meetings from a point in time and place to a knowledge object. This means employees working with Microsoft Co-Pilot will not only be able to create a summary of the meeting, but also use Co-Pilot to query the group’s sentiment on the meeting topic, the dissenting opinions, who the key dissenters were, and the agreed-to next steps. While these AI powered work buddies can boost efficiency and performance, it will be up to humans to have a strategy to capitalize on their potential.

2. Generative AI Will Impact How Managers Lead

Generative AI has evolved to one of the fastest adopted technologies, with nearly 200 million users of ChatGPT since it launched on November 30, 2022. Business and HR leaders are struggling with how to keep pace with rapid adoption in the workplace. The impact on managers is not simply in training employees on how to use Generative AI, but also in helping managers lead teams of humans and digital workers. Morgan Stanley estimates Generative AI technologies will likely affect a quarter of all occupations that exist today, and this will rise to 44% within three years. To address this, companies and education providers need to provide training on how to use Generative AI. Within the next three years, this will translate into a $16 billion market for re-skilling workers displaced by Generative AI.

As Generative AI becomes increasingly adept at problem solving, it will be up to managers to get better at problem finding. Managers will be working side-by-side with their human and digital teams to foster a culture of continuous learning while leaning into their uniquely human skills, such as relationship building, communications, and collaboration. One thing is certain: Generative AI will drive organizational change, impact workflows, automate some jobs, and create new ones. But it will always be humans augmented by machines that will create innovation.

3. The Fear of Obsolescence Will Force Companies to Increase Spending in Career Development & Mobility

While employers see the promise of increased productivity using Generative AI, a latest survey by EY reports that 75% of employees are concerned AI will make certain jobs obsolete, and two-thirds say they fear AI will replace their job. This fear of being obsolete is causing employees to seek out training in using Generative AI and acquiring new skills to better deal with their fears. PwC announced a $1 billion investment in training its workers on AI with courses on syllabus such as the ethics of AI, responsible use of AI, and how to create AI prompts to generate the best results. Their goal is to engage 75,000 U.S. PwC employees to both enroll and complete these courses.

In addition to training employees on how to use Generative AI, there is an explosion of new internal talent marketplaces as companies continue to find it difficult to successfully recruit external talent. Internal talent marketplaces have become the de facto way companies connect employees with internal career opportunities and resources to grow in their careers. For example, Grow at Key is KeyBank’s AI powered employee-led, and manager supported talent platform to support internal talent mobility. Launched with the vision that every employee can be the CEO of her own career, Grow at Key provides a range of resources, from matching employees to new job roles to accessing mentoring, coaching, and stretch assignments. To date, there has been a 60% increase in employees engaging in training programs and one in three KeyBank employees have enrolled in an Investing in My Development session to prepare them for understanding how to better manage their careers.

4. Hybrid Work Environments Are Good for Business

Companies need to stop debating the merits of hybrid work and realize this is the new way of working for many knowledge workers as we enter 2024. An ADP survey of 32,000 workers reports that 64% of workers would consider quitting if asked to return to the office full time. Recent research shows companies that allow choice and a remote first/hybrid work environment have revenue growth four times faster than their peers who are more stringent about office attendance. This research conducted by Boston Consulting Group and Scoop Technologies Inc. among 554 public companies employing 26.7 million people, found that “fully flexible” firms — which are either completely remote or allow employees to choose when they come to an office — increased sales 21% between 2020 and 2022, on an industry-adjusted basis. The better growth rates for more remote-friendly companies reflects their ability to hire faster and from a wider geographic area, along with higher rates of employee retention.

As hybrid work becomes the norm, leaders must have a plan to combat proximity bias, or the phenomenon of favoring in-person workers for career development, mentoring, and stretch assignments at the expense of those who work remotely. Hybrid work environments “work” when leaders ensure they are equitable for all and grant autonomy for individual leaders to determine when and where work happens, rather than follow a CEO mandate. Leaders must remember presence in the office does not equate to performance, so they need to shift from “managing by walking around,” to “managing by connecting across geographies.”

5. The Workforce Is a Blend of Full-time Employees, Part-Timers, Contingent Workers, and Digital Workers

Remember when the blended workforce was simply a distinction between full-time workers and part-time workers. Today’s work now gets accomplished by a blend of full-time workers, part-timers, teams of contractors, contingent workers, and digital workers, the later designed to augment some tasks of human labor. In fact, Statista reports a growth in all sectors except full-time workers, with part-timers (growing from 20 million in 1990 to 26 million in 2022) and contingent workers forecast to be half of the US workforce by 2027.

This blended workforce is not a new concept; it’s been around for decades. What’s different now is that a greater percentage of key jobs are performed by contingent workers. Overall, we are starting to see upwards of 30% to 50% of a global organization’s total workforce composed of contingent workers. MIT Sloan Management Review reported that the Novartis workforce includes 110,000 full time employees plus 50,000 contractors and temporary workers. Cisco has 83,000 full time employees and 50,000 plus contingent workers of various types. This new workforce ecosystem requires a new set of management practices, and leadership approaches, especially as 81% of companies in a latest HBR Analytical Services survey report that contingent workers are important to their organization, but only 38% say that their organization is effective at managing them.

Leaders will need to acknowledge they will have more types of contributors—human and digital, full time, part time and contingent—that must seamlessly work together. What is needed is a total workforce strategy where HR plays a central role in coordinating all the cross-functional disciplines that hire internal and external workers.

6. The Four Day Work Week is Desired by Both Front-line and Knowledge Workers

Many of the assumptions we have about how we work, when we work, the needs of our workers, the demographics of the workforce, and where we work have been changed forever. One of the major changes, as we move into 2024, is our assumptions about a five-day work week. All workers, including both frontline and knowledge workers, want flexibility in when they work. Research conducted among 1,301 workers found 41% of both front-line workers and knowledge workers want flexibility in when they work, and 56% of front-line workers and 69% of knowledge workers want the ability to opt for a 4-day work week with no pay reduction.

As I wrote in my Forbes column, the UK four-day work week pilot was conducted among 61 companies and found 56% intend to continue trying the four-day week citing benefits of increased productivity and decreased employee attrition. These UK companies adopted the 80-100-100 model of flexible working: a drop in hours to 80% of their standard work week, while retaining 100% pay and 100% productivity.

Experiments on a shortened work week are also occurring in the US. For example, several Chick-Fil-A stores are allowing front-line workers the opportunity to work 13 hour shifts for three consecutive days with full pay. The results so far have been increased retention while maintaining customer service efficiencies.

However, it’s important to remember the three- or four-day work week is not a one size fits all solution. Companies should adopt a “test and learn approach,” focusing on the type and magnitude of changes required to allow for a shortened work week, the level of employee and manager training needed, and the type of well-being support required for new ways of working.

7. Cognitive Skills Will Increase in Importance as Generative AI Gains Traction

The World Economic Forum estimates that 44% of a workers’ core skills are expected to change in the next five years. While there are endless lists of the most important skills for the future, World Economic Forum identifies five core skills that will increase in importance in the next five years. This are shown in Figure 1 as:

Cognitive skills are growing in importance, reflecting the increased demand for creative and analytical thinking in the age of AI. This combined with technological literacy, the third fastest growing skill along with the skills of resilience, flexibility, curiosity, and lifelong learning are evidence that leaders will continue to emphasize a culture of lifelong learning. As Generative AI gains traction, one skill I see that is foundational to all of them is the ability to be digitally curious, meaning seeking out and using new and emerging digital technologies to enhance one’s cognitive skills. I think about the past few years where some of the new technologies I have used include Mural, an online visual collaborative tool, StreamYard, a live streaming studio, and ChatGPT 4.0 and Pictory, to create a new video entitled, Flexible Work for All. This is the start of building my digital curiosity muscle, trying out these platforms and seeing what they might mean for enhancing my work.

8. Holistic Financial Well-being Is The Must Have Benefit for 2024

Financial well-being among workers is eroding. LendingClub reports 61% of American workers live paycheck to paycheck and lack a core set of financial literacy skills, and over half of workers earning $100,000 are living paycheck to paycheck.

Unifi, a leader in aviation services with more than 23,000 employees, became aware of this two years ago and created a new offering for frontline workers to access their earned wages on-demand. Since then, this has grown beyond early access to wages to a holistic financial well-being offering with almost 20% frontline workforce enrolled and taking advantage of free services including anonymous financial coaching and customizable saving plans. Dr. Archana Arcot, Chief People Officer at Unifi, believes that, “the major driver of this program is to relieve an employee’s financial stress and make financial wellness part of their everyday life.”

MetLife reports nearly half of workers surveyed cited financial concerns as the cause of poorer mental health. To address this, Unifi adopted a Goal Based Savings program which resulted in the company moving to the top 1% with a total amount saved of $10,000+ YTD, as reported by Payactiv. By offering holistic financial well-being programs, companies like Unifi can not only enhance their employee experience but build financial wellness into their employer value proposition and be better able to attract talent in a tight labor market.

9. The Sexy C-Suite Job For 2024 Is Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer

While we have seen a myriad of new C-suite job roles in the past decade—from Chief Medical Officer to Chief Ethics Officer—the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer is coming at a time when organizations are looking for guidance with how to create guidelines and policies for safe and ethical use of generative AI in the workplace. LinkedIn reports 44% globally and 57% in the U.S. say their organizations don’t have policy guidelines or training for how to use these new tools at work.

Organizations are starting to appoint a new C-suite player to lead this effort. Research from Foundry, an IDG company, finds 11% of mid-size to large organizations already have an individual with the role of Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and another 21% of organizations are actively seeking such a person for this role. This role is growing in importance as business leaders develop an AI strategy, create governance practices, and engage cross functional leaders in safe, ethical, and responsible use of generative AI.

A new Wavestone survey of Data and AI leaders found 61.7% report the responsibility for Generative AI is currently part of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) remit. But a growing number of organizations are creating a new role, the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO) to oversee AI developments for their organization. “This will be very much a focus during 2024,” says Randy Bean, Innovation Fellow at Wavestone.

10. An Organization’s Sustainability Record Will Attract and Retain Talent

As the talent marketplace continues to be competitive, climate change and sustainability has become one of the defining challenges for current and future generations. A growing number of publicly traded companies, such as Alphabet, Apple, Cisco, and PayPal, have created sustainability annual reports with Alphabet committing its entire $5.57B Sustainability Bond to support environmentally and socially responsible projects such as clean energy, clean transportation, and circular economy design.

A company’s sustainability record is proving to make a difference in talent acquisition and retention. Research by IBM Institute for Business Value, found 70% of workers and those in the job market, are drawn to environmentally sustainable employers. And almost half of these workers said they would take a lower salary to work for environmentally and socially responsible organizations. Gartner predicts employers will respond by promoting climate change protections, such as offering employees shelter during natural disasters, as part of employee benefit offerings.

In addition, a growing number of universities are building ambitious goals to integrate sustainability into their curriculum, campus operations, and endowment. The University of Toronto, placing first out of 1,400 universities in environmental and social impact, is making headway to de-carbonize its campus by 2050, developing new energy efficient student centers, and committing to climate responsible construction.

The Global Business School Network, a network of 150 global business schools in 50 countries, has several new initiatives for universities to share sustainability “next practices.” While companies and universities are each addressing sustainability, I see the need for greater collaboration among them, as both employees and students weigh the environmental impact of their employer and university. Sustainability is both a business and educational issue requiring joint corporate and university solutions.

What’s important to you as you reflect on your 2024 HR Playbook?

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SpaceX launched a rocket on Tuesday carrying the first set of Starlink satellites that can beam signals directly to smartphones from space.

Elon Musk’s space business struck a deal in August 2022 with wireless carriers to provide phone users in “dead zones” with network access via its Starlink satellites.

One of the carriers, T-Mobile US, confirmed that the satellites, carried on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, were in low-Earth orbit this morning.

The direct-to-cell service will begin with text messaging, followed by voice and data capabilities in the coming years, T-Mobile’s statement said. Satellite service will not be immediately available to T-Mobile customers; the company said that field testing would begin “soon”.

SpaceX plans to “rapidly” scale up the project, according to Sara Spangelo, senior director of satellite engineering at SpaceX. “The launch of these first direct-to-cell satellites is an exciting milestone for SpaceX to demonstrate our technology,” she said.

Mike Katz, president of marketing, strategy and products at T-Mobile, said the service was designed to help ensure users remained connected “even in the most remote locations”. He said he hoped dead zones would become “a thing of the past”.

Other wireless providers across the world, including Japan’s KDDI, Australia’s Optus, New Zealand’s One NZ and Canada’s Rogers will collaborate with SpaceX to launch direct-to-cell technology.

Reuters contributed reporting

As we transition from one year to the next, it's a season of reflection and looking forward. As an analyst, the end of the year is a time to learn from past work, analyze its outcomes and consider its potential impact on the future.

In 2023, enterprise data management (EDT) solutions underwent significant changes due to the influx of generative AI technologies. These technologies have fundamentally altered how businesses approach data management, analysis and usage. In this post, I’ll review some of 2023’s highlights in this field.

How Different Areas Of EDT Are Evolving

Over the past year, there have been promising developments in EDT across several key areas. These include data management itself, where the focus has been on using AI to Improve how data is organized and accessed. The data cloud sector has also experienced growth, with more businesses adopting cloud-based solutions because of their flexibility, scalability and facility for integrating tools that handle unstructured data.

In data protection and governance, there has been a continuous effort to enhance security measures to safeguard sensitive information. Database technologies have also improved, particularly in handling and processing large data volumes more efficiently by incorporating generative AI.

Recent advancements in data integration and intelligent platforms have been geared towards better aggregating data from multiple sources, allowing for more comprehensive data analysis. The integration of AI and ML has further enhanced the capabilities of these platforms, improving data analysis interpretation and offering more profound and insightful analytical outcomes.

Full disclosure: Amazon Web Services, Cisco Systems, Cloudera, Cohesity, Commvault, Google Cloud, IBM, LogicMonitor, Microsoft, MongoDB, Oracle, Rubrik, Salesforce, Software AG, Splunk, and Veeam are clients of Moor Insights & Strategy, but this article reflects my independent viewpoint, and no one at any client company has been given editorial input on this piece.

Bringing AI To Data Management—And Vice Versa

“In a way, this AI revolution is actually a data revolution,” Salesforce cofounder and CTO Parker Harris said during his part of this year’s Dreamforce keynote, “because the AI revolution wouldn't exist without the power of all that data.” Harris's statement emphasizes the vital role of data in businesses and points to the increasing necessity for effective data management strategies in 2024.

As data becomes more central, the demand for scalable and secure EDT solutions is rising. My latest series of articles focusing on EDT began with an introductory piece outlining its fundamental aspects and implications for business operations. This was followed by a more in-depth exploration of EDT, particularly highlighting how it can benefit businesses in data utilization. These articles elaborated on the practical uses and benefits of EDT and its importance in guiding the strategies and operations of modern businesses.

As businesses continue to leverage generative AI for deeper insights, the greater accessibility of data is set to revolutionize how they manage information. This development means enterprises can now utilize data that was previously inaccessible—a move that highlights the importance of data integration for both business operations and strategic decision-making. For instance, untapped social media data could offer valuable customer sentiment insights, while neglected sensor data from manufacturing processes might reveal efficiency improvements. In both cases, not using this data equates to a missed opportunity to use an asset, similar to unsold inventory that takes up space and resources without providing any return.

Revolutionizing Data Cloud Platforms

Incorporating AI into data cloud platforms has revolutionized processing and analyzing data. These AI models can handle vast datasets more efficiently, extracting previously unattainable insights due to the limitations of traditional data analysis methods.

Over the year, my own collaborations with multiple companies suggested the range of technological progressions. As I highlighted in a few of my articles, Google notably improved its data cloud platform and focused on generative AI with projects including Gemini, Duet AI and Vertex AI, reflecting its solid commitment to AI innovation. Salesforce introduced the Einstein 1 Platform and later expanded its offerings with the Data Cloud Vector Database, providing users with access to their unstructured enterprise data, thus broadening the scope of their data intelligence. IBM also launched watsonx, a platform dedicated to AI development and data management. These moves from major tech firms reflect a trend towards advanced AI applications and more sophisticated data management solutions.

At the AWS re:Invent conference, I observed several notable launches. Amazon Q is a new AI assistant designed for business customization. Amazon DataZone was enhanced with AI features to Improve the handling of organizational data. The AWS Supply Chain service received updates to help with forecasting, inventory management and supplier communications. Amazon Bedrock, released earlier in the year, now includes access to advanced AI models from leading AI companies. A new storage class, Amazon S3 Express One Zone, was introduced for rapid data access needs. Additionally, Amazon Redshift received upgrades to Improve query performance. These developments reflect AWS's focus on integrating AI and optimizing data management and storage capabilities.

Recent articles have highlighted Microsoft's role in the AI renaissance, one focusing on the launch of Copilot as covered by my colleagues at Moor Insights & Strategy, and another analyzing the competitive dynamics in the AI industry. Additionally, Microsoft has expanded its data platform capabilities by integrating AI into Fabric, a comprehensive analytics solution. This suite includes a range of services including a data lake, data engineering and data integration, all conveniently centralized in one location. In collaboration, Oracle and Microsoft have partnered to make Oracle Database available on the Azure platform, showcasing a strategic move in cloud computing and database management.

Automating Data Protection And Governance

With the growing importance of data privacy and security, AI increasingly enables the automation of data governance, compliance and cybersecurity processes, reducing the need for manual oversight and intervention. This trend comes in response to the rise in incidents of data breaches and cyberattacks. AI-driven systems have become more proficient at monitoring data usage, ensuring adherence to legal standards and identifying potential security or compliance issues. This makes them a better option than traditional manual approaches for ensuring data safety and compliance.

Security is not only about protecting data but also about ensuring it can recover quickly from any disruptions, a quality known as data resilience. This resilience has become a key part of security strategies for forward-thinking businesses. Veeam emphasized “Radical Resilience” when it rolled out a new data protection initiative focused on better products, improved service and testing, continuous releases and greater accountability. Meanwhile, Rubrik introduced its security cloud, which focuses on data protection, threat analytics, security posture and cyber recovery. Cohesity, which specializes in AI-powered data security and management, is now offering features such as immutable backup snapshots and AI-driven threat detection; in 2023, it also unveiled a top-flight CEO advisory council to influence strategic decisions. Commvault has incorporated AI into its services, offering a new product that combines its SaaS and software data protection into one platform.

LogicMonitor upgraded its platform for monitoring and observability to include support for hybrid IT infrastructures. This enhancement allows for better monitoring across an organization's diverse IT environments. Additionally, Cisco has announced its intention to acquire Splunk. This acquisition will integrate Splunk's expertise in areas such as security information and event management, ransomware tools, industrial IoT vulnerability alerting, user behavior analytics and orchestration and digital experience monitoring that includes visibility into the performance of the underlying infrastructure.

Key Changes for Database Technology

Advancements in AI and ML integration are making database technology more intuitive and efficient. Oracle Database 23c features AI Vector Search, which simplifies interactions with data by using ML to identify similar objects in datasets. Oracle also introduced the Fusion Data Intelligence Platform, which combines data, analytics, AI models and apps to provide a comprehensive view of various business aspects. The platform also employs AI/ML models to automate tasks including data categorization, anomaly detection, predictive analytics for forecasting and customer segmentation, workflow optimization and robotic process automation.

In my previous discussion about IBM's partnership with AWS, a major highlight is the integration of Amazon Relational Database Service with IBM Db2. This collaboration brings a fully managed Db2 database engine to AWS's infrastructure, offering scalability and various storage options. The partnership between AWS and IBM will likely grow as the trend of companies forming more integrated and significant ecosystems continues.

Database technology also evolved with MongoDB queryable encryption features for continuous data content concealment. MongoDB Atlas Vector Search now also integrates with Amazon Bedrock, which enables developers to deploy generative AI applications on AWS more effectively. It’s also notable that Couchbase announced Capella iQ, which integrates generative AI technologies that exploit natural language processing to automatically create sample code, data sets and even unit tests. By doing this, the tool is streamlining the development process, enabling developers to focus more on high-level tasks rather than the nitty-gritty of code writing.

Leveraging Data Integration Platforms

Generative AI technologies have also improved data integration capabilities by using historical data, analyses of trends, customer behaviors and market dynamics. This advancement is particularly influential in the finance, retail and healthcare sectors, where predictive insights are critical for strategic and operational decisions. There's been a shift towards adopting data lake house architectures, which combine the features of data lakes and data warehouses to help meet the challenges of handling large, varied data types and formats, providing both scalability and efficient management. This evolution in data architecture caters to the growing complexity and volume of data in various industries.

Integrating various data sources is crucial for many companies to enhance their business operations. Software AG has introduced Super iPaaS, an evolution of the traditional integration platform as a service (iPaaS). This advanced platform is AI-enabled and designed to integrate hybrid environments, offering expansive integration capabilities. Cloudera has also made strides with new data management features that incorporate generative AI, enabling the use of unstructured data both on-premises and in cloud environments. Its hybrid approach effectively consolidates client data for better management. Informatica's intelligent data management cloud platform integrates AI and automation tools, streamlining the process of collecting, integrating, cleaning and analyzing data from diverse sources and formats. This creates an accessible data repository that benefits business intelligence and analytics.

That’s a Wrap!

In my collaborations throughout the year with various companies, one key theme has emerged in this AI-driven era – data has become even more fundamentally important for businesses. It's clear that the success of AI heavily relies on the quality of the data it uses, and AI models are effective only when the data they process is accurate, relevant and unbiased.

For example, in applications such as CRM or supply chain optimization, outcomes are directly influenced by the data’s integrity. Instances where AI failed to meet expectations could often be traced to poor data quality, whether it was incomplete, outdated or biased. This year has highlighted the necessity of not just collecting large amounts of data but ensuring its quality and relevance. Real-world experience underscores the need for strict data governance and the implementation of systems that certain data accuracy and fairness, all of which are essential for the effective use of AI in business.

As AI technology advances and data quality improves, the use of generative AI in understanding and engaging with customers is becoming ever more prominent. Backed by good data management, this enhances the customer experience by making the customer journey more personalized and informative. It allows businesses to gain valuable insights from customer interactions, helping them continuously refine and Improve their offerings and customer relations. I expect this trend to grow, further emphasizing the role of AI in customer engagement and shaping business strategies. In fact, this symbiotic relationship between AI-driven personalization and customer engagement is becoming a cornerstone of not only data management strategy but modern business strategy overall, significantly impacting how companies connect with their customers.

Wrapping up, it's evident that the emphasis on data quality is critical for improving AI's performance. Data management, cloud services, data protection and governance, databases, data integration and intelligent platforms have all significantly contributed to the advancement of AI. In 2024, I expect we’ll see even more emphasis on ensuring the accuracy and relevance of data so that AI can provide dependable insights.

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 28, 2023 / Cisco Systems Inc.

By Stacy Betts

As a Cisco channel leader, I recognize the importance of understanding our partners' sustainability endeavors in the Americas, as collaborative efforts and mutual support are imperative in addressing the significant sustainability challenges we confront. In this regard, I had the privilege of conducting interviews with several Cisco partners to discuss their challenges, uncover opportunities, and explore how Cisco can offer support.

Throughout these discussions, a common theme emerged: the need to bring our partners together for collaborative engagement, knowledge sharing, and in-depth conversations on building sustainable business models and offerings. The aim is to ensure not only the success of our partners but also the achievement of our mutual customers' sustainability goals.

Prioritizing sustainability is also a business imperative

A key revelation from these conversations is the recognition that prioritizing sustainability is not just an ethical choice; it's also a vital business imperative. While there may be situations where the choices between speed and convenience conflict with what is morally right, aligning our efforts with the objective of creating an inclusive and environmentally responsible future is not only ethically sound but also central to Cisco's overarching mission.

To help us share insights for the better good, the Americas partner sustainability community now convenes on a quarterly basis with a dedicated leadership team committed to helping customers realize their sustainability objectives. These gatherings provide valuable insights from Cisco leaders on the broader sustainability strategy. They also serve as a platform for introducing the latest Cisco programs and tools centered on sustainability, hosting industry and ecosystem partners to share their go-to-market strategies and offerings, discussing sustainability funding, and encouraging partners to share their own experiences and lessons learned.

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Inclusive engagements

Sustainability is a concept that calls for inclusivity. It acknowledges that no single individual or group can bring about the needed changes on their own. What we require is a concerted effort that actively engages individuals empowered by organizations to create a culture of sustainability.

At Cisco, we strongly encourage everyone to engage with their local communities in ways that hold personal significance. This can take various forms, such as participating in beach cleanups, contributing to habitat restoration, supporting wildfire prevention, or engaging in organic waste and edible food recovery initiatives, among others. These efforts must address both the current sustainability challenges our planet faces today and inspire and educate future generations to carry this work forward.

Partnering for purpose

In addition, leadership plays a crucial role in driving these sustainability efforts. Leaders must lead by example, inspire others to join the cause, and ensure that everyone participates. It is a collective endeavor, and leaders must be at the forefront of the solution, making tangible commitments, both in financial terms and in the way their businesses operate, to become more sustainable entities.

At Cisco, our objective is to facilitate collaboration, create scalable solutions, and enable the sharing of best practices with partners globally. The "Partnering for Purpose" initiative aligns perfectly with Cisco's vision of an inclusive future. I'm thrilled to announce that in fiscal year 2024, Cisco will introduce sustainability offerings across our services portfolio in four key areas: Sustainable Data Centers, Smart Buildings and Workspaces, Internet of the Future, and Industry Solutions and Ecosystems.

Reducing our carbon footprint necessitates a shift in mindset, challenging us to think differently about how we design technologies, support our employees, and help our customers address challenges. For instance, through Cisco Refresh, we remanufacture and certify used network routers, switches, phones, and collaboration products, extending the value of our customers' budgets while reducing the environmental impact associated with old technology. This is a win-win solution for all parties involved.

A Commitment to Sustainability

My aspiration is for all of us to lead happy, healthy lives and enjoy our planet in a way that ensures future generations can do the same. As a leader, I encourage others to integrate sustainable practices into every facet of their lives and endeavors. Building a culture of sustainability requires the commitment of all individuals to make choices today that will protect us from bearing the consequences of poor decisions tomorrow. Whether it's protecting our oceans, nurturing emerging leaders, or running our businesses in a manner that safeguards the future, sustainability is a shared endeavor that benefits us all.

To learn more about what commitments Cisco has made to ensure a better tomorrow, read our 2022 Cisco Purpose Report.

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SOURCE: Cisco Systems Inc.

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