Cisco shapes future of work with innovative solutions

New Cisco networking, security, cloud and collaboration solutions help businesses keeping their employees safe, connected and productive

From the beginning of the pandemic and throughout the recovery journey, US networking technology leader Cisco has remained committed to helping people and communities around the world drive an inclusive recovery.

New Cisco networking, security, cloud, and collaboration solutions help businesses reimagine how they work while keeping employees safe, connected, and productive.

Solutions address fears over the return to office, the demand for a safe workplace, and IT tools that connect hybrid workforces in new ways.

Whether an organisation’s goal is to bring people back into the office, or to evolve support for a remote or hybrid workforce, Cisco’s new innovations – and the breadth of Cisco's networking, security, cloud, and collaboration portfolio – support multiple options to create a trusted workplace that helps enable a safe-return-to-office and a secure remote workforce.

Recent research shows that 95 per cent of respondents feel uncomfortable about returning to the office given the current health crisis, and 96 per cent of respondents want intelligent technology to improve work environments.

In addition, 86 per cent of respondents state that empowering a distributed workforce with seamless access to applications and high-quality collaborative experiences is important or very important – this jumps to 95 per cent for companies with more than 1,000 employees.

In response, organisations are looking to transform their workplace for a hybrid workforce and create a more inclusive future of work for all. This transformation requires organisations to prioritise adaptable, engaging, and trusted work experiences for their employees, customers, communities, and ecosystems.

Business agility and resilience are core to this transformation, with research revealing 90 per cent of CIOs and IT decision-makers saying that, in the future, business agility and resilience will be inextricably linked. This exemplifies the need for tools that connect, secure, and automate technologies and applications in order to transform at scale and bring the workforce and workplaces together – regardless of where employees work.

Cisco’s portfolio and deep expertise in helping customers to navigate challenging technology transformations provide the tools to empower a workforce to securely work from anywhere, on any device, anytime; enabling a safe return-to-office by transforming offices and facilities optimised for productivity into trusted workplaces connected for health and wellness.

It also helps break down the barriers of different geographies, personality types (such as introverts and extroverts), language preferences, and tools to fully realise communication experiences where everyone is included.

Todd Nightingale, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Networking and Cloud at Cisco

“As we think about the return to office, Cisco is helping our customers find solutions that work best for their teams. Whether they are in the office, at home, or on the road, every employee deserves the best experience,” said Todd Nightingale, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Networking and Cloud at Cisco. “We are committed to delivering solutions with the simplicity, agility, and resiliency businesses require to meet today’s needs and thrive in the face of tomorrow’s challenges.”

Some of Cisco’s smart devices helping to ensure trusted workplace and a safe return to office for organisations and businesses include Cisco Webex collaboration devices that enable a safe return to office with capabilities like wayfinding, digital signage, room capacity alerts and more; or DNA Spaces Back to Business suite of applications which provides location analytics and insight into user behaviour to support customers’ safe return to office strategies.

Aside from these, Cisco Meraki cloud-first comprehensive platform includes MV smart cameras for reliable security monitoring to keep people, workplaces, critical infrastructure, and sensitive inventory secure. Through using Meraki MV and Cisco DNA Spaces, building managers can see real-time footfall and presence, along with actionable analytics for safer, more productive spaces. New Meraki MT sensors provide more insight with real-time environmental monitoring, from temperature to humidity and leaks, to opened/closed doors and cabinets.

Regarding secure remote workforce solutions, Cisco offers integrated security solution Cisco Secure Remote Worker that delivers the strength and breadth of the Cisco platform approach to protect a remote workforce.

Accordingly, Cisco Secure Access by Duo helps verify the identity of all users before granting access to corporate applications; Cisco AnyConnect Mobility Client (VPN) enables secure access to the enterprise network for any user, from any device, at any time, in any location; Cisco Umbrella coordinates defence against threats for internet security, Cisco Secure Email for email protection and Secure Endpoint for endpoint security. This solution is part of Cisco’s cloud-native and integrated platform, SecureX.

Meanwhile, Cisco Managed Remote Access from Cisco Customer Experience (CX) provides businesses with the expertise needed to ensure long-term remote or hybrid workforces are secure. With Cisco Managed Remote Access, businesses can leverage Cisco CX experts to not only build and scale up VPNs across their entire ecosystem, but leverage management and oversight services handled entirely by Cisco.