Some events are so big that they become instant history. In 1989, the Berlin Wall came down, and the world changed forever. With other events, the impact isn’t immediately obvious. In 1989, an English physicist named Tim Berners-Lee wrote a proposal for combining hypertext, TCP, and the domain name system into what he called the “World Wide Web.” Eventually, history caught up.
That same year, five-year-old Cisco hosted a gathering of loyal customers in a small hotel conference room in Palo Alto, California. At the time, no one there would have called the first Networkers event historical. But it was the start of an annual conference that would influence the course of lives and businesses in the coming two decades.
Over the years, attendance has grown, the content offering has expanded, and the conference has moved to bigger and better venues. But the same focus on building knowledge, sharpening skills, and making connections has continued. For 20 years, Cisco customers have met to share ideas and insights. They’ve previewed the latest technology and learned about Cisco’s plans and directions. They’ve also helped one another find solutions that helped their organizations collaborate and communicate more effectively. Cisco Live 2009 is the latest chapter in that ongoing story.
Take a Quick Tour of the History of Networkers
Twenty years. That’s a lot of conference hats, desk toys, and t-shirts. Stop by the Cisco Live Museum located in the concourse adjoining Moscone North and South to see how the conference has evolved from its humble beginnings to become the industry’s premier event for IT and communications professionals.
Help Us Celebrate 20 Great Years — and a Bright Future
Don’t miss tonight’s 20th Anniversary Celebration in the World of Solutions. You’ve played a leading role in the Cisco story, so come help us celebrate two decades of innovation and inspiration – and the promise of an exciting future. Your conference badge is your ticket, so don’t leave it in your hotel room!
Collaboration and Contact Center Welcome Session
More than 200 attendees gathered Sunday to celebrate the recent debut of the Cisco Collaboration User Group, a virtual, interactive community for Cisco Unified Communications, Cisco TelePresence, and Cisco Webex customers to share best practices, influence roadmaps, and engage with Cisco executives and technical experts. Barry O’Sullivan, Senior VP, Voice and Technology Group at Cisco; and Kara Wilson, VP, Unified Communication and Collaboration Marketing at Cisco shared the latest insights on the unified communications landscape and Cisco’s vision for collaborative technologies.
Diving Deep: Cisco Live Labs and Technical Seminars
Cisco Live attendees took advantage of more than 25 technical seminars and hands-on labs throughout the day, getting in-depth training on a variety of Cisco technologies and solutions, ranging from Video Communication Design and SAN Fundamentals and Transport to Cisco Integrated Services Router Security and Nexus 7000/NX-OS.
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Cisco Live Orientation
If knowledge is power, the Cisco Live Orientation will help you get your week off to a powerful start with a wealth of information on how to make the most of your time in San Francisco.
Knowledge Is Power. You’ll be hearing those words a lot this week. Even though it’s not a new idea (the first recorded usage dates back to the late 16th century), it has fresh meaning for today’s IT and communication professionals. As new technologies and business practices emerge, the most knowledgeable people and companies have a compelling competitive advantage. They’re best positioned to capitalize on the ideas and innovations that can help them share information more efficiently and collaborate more effectively.
Helping you build the knowledge and skills that will make a powerful difference in your career is what Cisco Live is all about. The collective brainpower of Cisco Live attendees is a tremendous resource – one with the potential to make countless businesses more innovative and efficient. Cisco Live offers you several ways to leverage that resource, including:
Find out why Cisco Live is the industry’s premier education and training event for IT, networking, and communication professionals, and give your career a power boost that will pay dividends long after the conference ends.
Cisco Live Orientation
With hundreds of breakout and training sessions, a packed World of Solutions, and a full schedule of networking and social events, it can be a challenge deciding how best to spend your time at Cisco Live. Hundreds of attendees came to yesterday’s orientation to get answers to their questions and find out how to make the most of their time in San Francisco. In a fun, interactive event, attendees had the chance to text answers to questions such as “What were you doing 20 years ago?” (“Programming in COBOL” was one memorable answer) and “What technology will you be working on 20 years from now?” (“The Matrix” and “Robot maids” made the list).
Still have questions? You can find information booths the in the lobbies of the North and West halls.
Welcome Reception
Cisco Live attendees caught up with longtime colleagues and made new connections at last night’s Welcome Reception. It was a nostalgic night as people reminisced about two decades of Networkers events and the way technology, hairstyles, and waistlines have changed over the years.
Breakout Sessions
A comprehensive slate of breakout sessions got underway yesterday. Attendees had a choice of sessions spread across four programs: Networkers, IT Management, Developer Services, and the new Service Provider program.
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
John Chambers Keynote Address
Cisco CEO John Chambers takes the stage to share his vision for the future of networking and communications technology — and Cisco’s leadership role in shaping that future. It’s your chance to hear directly from the man at Cisco’s helm about the emerging trends and solutions that will change the way we work and live. John Morgridge, Cisco’s Chairman Emeritus and first CEO, is also scheduled to appear and share his memories about the early days of Networkers. Be sure to be there early for your best seat to this special event.
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Intel and NetQoS Super Sessions
Executives from Intel discuss how they stay ahead of growing demand for services and software delivered and accessed over the Internet and the higher expectations for systems that combine networking hardware with virtualization software and storage systems. Leaders from NetQoS and NBC Universal share their experience designing and building the network that delivered record-setting live coverage of the Beijing Summer Olympics.
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
World of Solutions Reception
Check out the partner technology and services that can add value to your Cisco solutions at the World of Solutions Reception. While you’re there, don’t miss the Data Center of the Future, located in the Cisco booth, for a preview of the efficient, flexible technologies that will support the next generation of businesses.
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Ask the Expert Panels
Dive into the what, why, and how behind Cisco solutions at this unique interactive forum. You can find out exactly what you need to know about the networking and communications technologies your business relies on from the experts who bring them to you.
Vlogging
Something on your mind? Share it with the rest of Cisco Live at the Vlogging Station in the World of Solutions Booth #1800.
The Cisco Consumer Lounge
Make time in your schedule to stop by the Cisco Consumer Lounge for a look at the Cisco technologies available to make your home a more connected and entertaining place.
Access the Cisco Live Desktop via Wireless
Please login to your personal Cisco Live Desktop to complete your session surveys, review event highlights, and update your personal schedule.
CommScope Partner Case Study
CommScope’s Partner Case Study, “CommScope, Cisco, and the Dallas Cowboys—A Winning Combination!” is now scheduled for Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. in Moscone South #301.
Session ID: ITMPCS-7143.
The green movement is more than a trend. It’s a fundamental rethinking of business that emphasizes smarter use of resources and long-term sustainability. At Cisco, our solutions help companies reduce their environmental impact by allowing people to share information and collaborate across distances. We’re also committed to responsible environmental stewardship in the way we do business — including how we run Cisco Live. Some of the ways we’re limiting the environmental footprint of Cisco Live include:
We’re inviting you to join us. Go to the Cisco Live Green Plan page for a list of suggestions on how to make your time at Cisco Live more environmentally friendly. Remember, small changes can make a big difference.
One Million Acts of Green: Building Momentum
Our commitment to good environmental stewardship doesn’t end with Cisco Live. We want to encourage everyone to keep the momentum going by making similar changes in their homes and workplaces. That’s the idea behind the One Million Acts of Green program. In conjunction with GreenNexus, we’ve created an online community where people can sign up for an “act of green” — a personal commitment to making the world a greener, more sustainable place through positive action. An act of green can be something small (like replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents) or something big (like adding solar panels to your home).
In the U.S. alone, thousands of people have already signed up for more than 100,000 acts of green. Worldwide, that number is approaching 2 million. That translates into some pretty impressive reductions in greenhouse gasses.
At the One Million Acts of Green website, you can start your own blog and read up on what others have to say, join an online forum and share tips, ideas, and insights, and find a wealth of information on environmental issues. It offers an easy way to translate your good intentions into positive actions that can improve the world we all share.
John Chambers’ Keynote Address
CEO John Chambers delivered his keynote address outlining his vision of the future of networking technology and Cisco’s evolving role in that future. Chairman Emeritus John Morgridge shared his memories of the earlier days of Networkers and how Cisco and its customers have changed over the years. Senior Vice President Carlos Dominguez acted as master of ceremonies, with an entertaining look at how the quality of his employee photo has improved as his job title improved.
Partner Super Sessions
Leaders from Intel and NetQoS kicked off this year’s lineup of Super Sessions. The Intel session provided an overview of how the trend of accessing software and services over the Internet is driving higher expectations for solutions that combine networking hardware with virtualization software and storage systems. NetQoS session offered a look into how NBC Universal designed and deployed the network that brought the Beijing Olympics to the world.
World of Solutions Reception
Attendees had the chance to explore the solutions and services that make up the extended Cisco ecosystem. The Data Center of the Future saw a lot of traffic as attendees sought a glimpse at the cutting-edge technologies that tomorrow’s businesses will rely on.
Ask the Expert Panels
In these frank two-way exchanges, customers got answers to their questions on Cisco technologies, from why certain solutions are designed the way they are to how to troubleshoot specific challenges.
Cisco Live Virtual
Cisco Live Virtual started its first day of live programming in parallel with the live event in San Francisco. Attendees who couldn’t be on site were still able to be a part of Cisco Live. More than 3,000 people registered to join in John Chambers’ keynote address.
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Padmasree Warrior’s Keynote Address
The spotlight is on Cisco’s Chief Technology Officer, Padmasree Warrior, for a Keynote address covering what’s on the horizon for Cisco solutions. Make time in your schedule for this informative event that offers you the big picture of Cisco’s direction and the latest industry trends and developments.
2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Cisco Super Sessions
Today’s Super Sessions feature Cisco experts discussing the hottest topics in networking and communications technology. "Data Center Virtualization Architectures – Road to Cloud Computing” and “Building the Collaboration Extranet” are the topics of the day.
11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Service Provider Community General Session
The Service Provider program is the latest addition to the Cisco Live program lineup that includes Networkers, IT Management, and Developer Services. Be a part of the inaugural general session for this new content offering, where the subject will be “Transforming the Video Experience with Medianet Technology.”
7:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Customer Appreciation Event
It’s a “who’s who” of 80s pop icons at tonight’s Customer Appreciation Event, including headliners The B-52s and Devo. Travel back in time to when we still went to record stores to buy music. Buses run continuously from 7:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. between the event and your hotel’s shuttle stop. And don’t forget your conference badge, which is REQUIRED to board the bus and enter the event!
Please note: This venue is located outdoors and it is suggested that you dress in layers as the San Francisco weather does turn chilly in the evenings.
Behind the Scenes at Cisco Live
While your time at Cisco Live winds down, plans are already underway for next year’s conference. Have you ever wondered about what goes into planning breakout sessions, booking speakers, reserving venues, organizing transportation? It’s an object lesson in collaboration and communication. A lot of thought and effort goes into making sure attendees can eat lunch, check their email, and find their way from Point A to Point B. Here’s a look at some of the behind-the-scenes efforts.
The Network
Cisco Live is a proof-of-concept for Cisco Solutions. It’s a major networking event. Literally. For Doug Robb, Cisco’s Operations Manager for Enterprise Marketing, and his team, the week of Cisco Live is the equivalent of creating a network infrastructure for a business with thousands of mobile employees who need continual Wi-Fi access. “Just because Cisco Live attendees are away from the office doesn’t mean they’re not involved with what’s going on back at work. We want to make sure they can stay in contact with their workplaces to keep things running smoothly.”
In addition to providing attendees with wireless access throughout the conference venue, Doug’s team is responsible for network access in breakout sessions, Super Sessions, and Keynote addresses—and for the hundreds of Cisco employees on site. “Infrastructure planning begins about 6 months out from the conference. We work with the venue’s team and the production company to make sure Cisco Live is a great overall experience for attendees. We want them to keep coming back.”
The Production
The keynote addresses and Super Sessions at Cisco Live also require a small army of technicians and production personnel — along with 45,000 feet of video cable, 15 projection screens, 92 backstage video monitors, and 100+ loudspeakers. It takes two 53-foot semi trailers to haul that equipment to the event site. And by the way, that doesn’t include the AV technology used in the breakout rooms.
By any measure, Cisco Live is a big production. Donna Rutley, a freelance event producer, puts it this way: “From a technical perspective, Cisco Live’s Keynotes and Super Sessions are like putting on a Broadway show. And because it’s a technically savvy audience, they have high expectations. It’s a lot of pressure to make sure the message comes across in a compelling way. Our job is to make it easy for the presenters to connect with the audience, and to make sure the production complements what they say rather than overwhelm it.”
The Conference
For Kathy Doyle and her team, work on a conference begins 4 to 5 years in advance with booking of the venue and facilities. Kathy is Cisco’s Senior Manager for Cisco Live, and she and her team work full time, year round on Cisco Live, starting with a debriefing process that kicks off immediately following each year’s conference. They then begin to map out the program content and sessions for the next year based on attendee and partner feedback from the previous conference. This year’s Service Provider track is an example of one of the outcomes of this process. All of this occurs before January, when the major marketing and registration push begins (following months of its own strategizing and planning). For the people involved, the next six months leading up to the conference are a blur of activity that involves literally thousands of Cisco employees worldwide.
From a planning perspective, Cisco Live is essentially five conferences in one. The Networkers, IT Management, Developer Services, and Service Provider programs and the IT Executive Symposium all have their own content planning processes. It combines the coordinated effort of thousands of employees, hundreds of speakers, some 50 Cisco business units, and hundreds of partners (in fact, more than 70% of companies in the World of Solutions reserve booth space a year ahead of time).
The Payoff
It all adds up to a world-class conference experience for attendees. But what’s in it for Cisco? As Kathy says, “We put so much effort into Cisco Live because our customers tell us that it’s such a worthwhile investment for them. But it’s also a great investment for Cisco. It’s our chance to connect with our customers and hear their concerns, so we can develop the solutions that will make them successful.”
Padmasree Warrior Keynote
Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior took the stage to outline how Cisco’s vision, strategy, and execution will align to deliver the next generation of networking solutions. Attendees were briefed on Cisco’s view of the evolving role of the data center, the growing importance of virtualization, and the movement toward cloud computing.
Cisco Super Sessions
Super Sessions wrapped up yesterday with Cisco experts discussing how IT departments can deploy collaboration technologies to retool fundamental business processes and how virtualization is helping business deliver innovative data services while addressing challenges such as power, cooling, real estate and data center facilities management.
Service Provider General Session
The Service Provider General Session made its Cisco Live debut yesterday. Program host Michael J. Koons, Cisco’s Vice President of Systems Engineering, led an informative session discussing the optimization of networks for end-to-end rich media delivery, from the starting point all the way to customer screens — to allow consumers to interact with video services from mobile devices, PCs, and TVs.
Customer Appreciation Event
It’s safe to say that Treasure Island won’t be the same after last night’s Customer Appreciation Event featuring a stellar line-up of classic 80s acts, including The B-52s and Devo. Dance moves not seen since the Reagan administration made a memorable comeback.
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Guy Kawasaki Keynote Address
Guy Kawasaki helps close out another successful Cisco Live with a keynote address that’s sure to send you home inspired and motivated. Guy is a founding partner and entrepreneur-in-residence at Garage Technology Ventures. His unique career offers a unique perspective on the business of technology and the technology of business.
Complete Your Cisco Live Survey
It’s your conference. Help us make it better. Please complete your conference survey when you see the reminder on the Cisco Live Onsite Desktop (LINK). In return for your opinions, you’ll receive a limited edition Cisco Live baseball cap after completing your online survey.
Join Us in Las Vegas for Cisco Live 2010.
Next year is the 21st anniversary of the first Networkers conference, and Las Vegas is the perfect place for counting to 21.
Activate Your Cisco Live Virtual Membership
Your Full Conference Pass entitles you to a one year subscription to Cisco Live Virtual, where you can network with your peers in the Cisco community, access content from hundreds of technical sessions and the conference keynotes, and participate in live events from your workplace, including regular Second Life TechChats. Activate your membership today at www.ciscolivevirtual.com!
Thanks for Joining Us
The collective creativity and expertise of Cisco Live attendees make this a one-of-a-kind event. Thank you for your participation and ongoing commitment to the Cisco community.
