Cisco Live 2019: Thoughts from Garland Technology

Cisco Live. San Diego, California. 30th anniversary. Sure boss, I’ll go!

Last week I was part of the Garland Technology crew that attended Cisco Live 2019. Garland exhibited in the World of Solutions to talk to attendees about why Garland is the best TAP and network packet broker manufacturer in the world. But I will spare you our brilliant sales pitch and save it for a future blog. Today, I want to share my thoughts on Cisco Live 2019.

It was easy to get lost in the vastness and marvels that inhabited every inch of the San Diego Convention Center. There were countless experiences to indulge like sitting on the “throne of code,” taking a selfie with Ron Burgundy (the flute playing sold me on the portrayal), enjoying fresh-baked brownies, tasting an IPA beer sample or two, solving for a way out of an escape room, collecting any number of swords (I wondered how TSA reacted BTW), or simply people-watching. However, the never-ending amusement was the coastal fog that greeted me every morning and quickly dissipated as I consumed more and more of the content that Cisco and fellow exhibitors were presenting.

Live demos from Accedian, Plixer, and cPacket were informative and easy to grasp the value they offer. I was delighted to see technology being used for altruism during a VR presentation from Cisco Connected Conservation about protecting elephants and rhinos from poachers in Africa. Domino’s Pizza teamed up with Cisco to completely transform its business. (I attended the Gartner “Tech Growth & Innovation Conference” earlier in June and one of the presenters stated that Domino’s is a technology company not a fast food chain. Now I see why.)

Most of all, I enjoyed talking with fellow attendees because this was where the true value of being part of Cisco Live was realized for me. I learned more about the IT and security challenges facing businesses today. Three themes stuck with me as I stuffed conference swag into my carry-on to avoid the baggage check fee.

Projects Galore

IT professionals have multiple projects going on at the same time and are looking for vendors that deliver on time and within budget. Prioritization is an ongoing challenge so businesses appreciate transparency on lead-times and release dates. Pricing is seldom the first or second discussion point.

Solutions Galore

The sheer number of new products and services in the World of Solutions was impressive. Compatibility with the Cisco portfolio is a key requirement and helps businesses choose between options. Visual references of a joint solution in a real IT environment is sometimes the best way to communicate how the pieces work together.

People Galore

I am not overly concerned that technology or robots will replace humans after attending Cisco Live. Human collaboration is a necessity to act creatively and produce results. The conference theme of “You Make Possible” implies human endeavor. With 1B new IoT devices added each year in enterprise environments, we will have more time to apply human ingenuity to solve the most daunting problems facing us today.

The Garland Team’s efforts at Cisco Live were solid, but now the hard work begins for me and my teammates. We will be following up with everyone we chatted with to continue the conversations about the solutions we offer and look to expand our network of tech and reseller partners. We pride ourselves in being a people-focused tech hardware manufacturer and look to prove to prospects and customers that you can make possible with Garland’s help (I saved the shameless plug until the end).

Kudos to the Cisco team for this year’s San Diego event. Events of this magnitude are complicated and the care showed. I am glad I attended. Cheers!