Disruption and Transformation at Cisco Live Vegas: Final Day Recap

The last few entries have talked quite a bit about the technologies, solutions, and services that Cisco and its partners bring to market for prospects and customers. That is the main reason that Cisco Live exists in the first place: it is a platform to showcase where networking and ancillary IT products and services are today, and where they might be in the months and years to come. We get to put on display the evolution of IT all under one (very large) roof.

However, let’s not end this series of impressions on such a serious business note. Cisco Live is also about having fun along the way.  From the massive, shifting crowds moving through the aisles to the pure excitement of the visual and auditory sensations (think bright lights and loud talking), the pure stagecraft and artistry on display is something to behold. Cisco Live is loud and proud about putting the best of technology on display.

I think it might be nice, by way of saying an appreciative goodbye to Cisco Live 2017, to focus on a few of the small things that really provided a lot of enjoyment for those of us fortuate enough to observe them.  Here’s my very short list of the small things that make Cisco Live great:

1. Outgoing booth personnel. Where in this busy world can you walk and make so much eye contact with other people, be encouraged by such hard working and accommodating folks to step over and have a chat, sit down and watch the presentation, or just grab some swag to stuff in whatever bag you brought along?  If you love just talking with people about technology—getting to know them, their organization, and their products & services—then Cisco Live probably gave you more opportunity than you’ve had in many many months.
2. The “It” items. I’m talking here about the hot items that everybody has to have.  Those items that, once procured, attract all your colleagues to run over to the same booth to grab one for themselves (or their kids).  Think fidget spinners, hilarious t-shirts, and all sorts of plastic weaponry that turned many of us into IT LARP-ers over the past few days.  How fun is it to talk about next-generation technology with a plastic light saber hanging at your side?  Let me answer that—WAY fun!
3. Super Heroes. They were everywhere at Cisco Live this year, on placards, windows, and even walking around wearing capes.  In Cisco and also in the IT market in general, we work long hours, get run down, and often forget about why we do it all.  At the end of the day, we all could use a little more from the caped crusaders who show us why exactly we do it—to be the best we can be, and to make our companies strong.  As a matter of fact, that’s what we’re trying to do with our managed services:  create offers and capabilities that augment the already-heroic efforts of your organization as you try to compete and innovate in a very competitive market.  We want to provide the best people with the strongest technical skill sets, the most effective processes, and the most powerful tools to help transform your own core business.  We think it’s a mission well worth doing.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everybody in Cisco’s Managed Services group who helped to prepare for and present our best face at Cisco Live.  Too many names to list out here, but suffice to say that the effort was great and well worth it.  We also appreciate all the interest from prospects and customers in managed services and what our group brings to market.  We listened, we heard, and we will make sure to use that knowledge to better our practice and strengthen our portfolio of managed services.  Thanks for dropping by and chatting with us!

And of course, we’re already eagerly waiting for next year, so see you there!

Written by Trevor Morgan

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