New Year’s Greetings 2020 ― Internet for the Future

Japanese　　English

Building Next-Generation Network Infrastructure and Promoting Digital Innovation in Japan

Dave West
President and General Manager, Cisco Systems G.K.

Please accept my warmest wishes for the New Year.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you, including our customers and partners for your continued support.

It has been 35 years since Cisco was founded, and we have entered a new era in Japan called Reiwa. As we enter a new calendar year, we also enter the beginning of the zodiac. 2020, the year of the rat, is guaranteed to be a special one. Not only because Japan will be hosting the Olympic Games, but also because the year of the rat promises to be a year filled with good luck and prosperity; in Chinese culture, the rat symbolizes wealth and surplus.

With Tokyo 2020 right around the corner, Cisco is determined to contribute to the further growth of the Japanese economy in Japan’s new era.

Japan’s digital innovation is becoming more serious. The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the most digitized tournament in history, connecting all devices, all players and spectators. 2020 will be the year when various social innovations in Japan, such as 5G and self-driving cars, will begin to become reality.

Since its founding, Cisco has consistently innovated and contributed to the realization of today’s Internet society. As networks become an increasingly important part of society’s infrastructure, new strategies are needed to look ahead to the future.

“Internet for the Future (Internet of the future)” strategy: In December, Cisco announced plans to deliver technology and innovation that will fuel Internet digital innovation for the next 10 years. Cisco has invested in the development of software, silicon, and optical equipment, which will lead to the construction of future Internet infrastructure combining this new silicon architecture and optical technologies to deliver the high-speed, low latency, and secure services required for the future.

The current Internet infrastructure is approaching its limit. Virtual reality, augmented reality, 16k streaming, artificial intelligence, 5G, quantum computing, adaptive/predictive cybersecurity, and Internet of Things require “Internet for the Future.” In order to enhance and realize these technologies, applications, and services that are still in their early stages, and to further promote digital innovation in the future, a new technology strategy that is not bound by conventional ideas is required. Defining a technology strategy for the future of the Internet as “Internet for the Future” is an approach that defines the Internet for the next decade, an innovation that brings the world to the realization of applications and services that we are just beginning to conceive.

Japan has been promoting digital innovation towards Tokyo 2020. 2020 is the start of a new transformation. Cisco will continue to support digital innovation in Japan with advanced network technology that delivers for tomorrow and looks ahead 10 years.

We look forward to your continued support this year.