Cisco Puts Collaboration in Motion

Cisco is making its move in the mobile work space world. Last week, at the Interop show in Las Vegas, the networking giant announced a new initiative called Collaboration in Motion, that draws from a number of its product lines to facilitate collaboration in the mobile work space. Products and services tied to the initiative include Cisco WebEx, Cisco Unified Communications, Cisco Unified Wireless Network, and Cisco Advanced Services.

"Together, the transformational power of collaboration combined with the power of the network as the platform can enable businesses to thrive," said Ray Smets, VP and general manager for the Cisco Wireless Networking business unit. "Evolving modern businesses are comprised of workspaces that are rarely physically connected, and critical business information is collected and shared with mobile devices such as laptops and smartphones."

Bridging Network Gaps

As part of Collaboration in Motion, Cisco has invested in new products and services in five areas: the work space experience, the wireless network platform, third-party applications, technology partners, and professional services. Cisco's goal is to bridge the gaps between an on-premises wired network, off-premises cellular network, and a high-performance Wi-Fi network so workers can work from anywhere.

On the work space experience front, Cisco has expanded its network-delivery services to include the WebEx Meeting Center version 1.2 application on the iPhone. This allows the host to schedule meetings and invite attendees before and during the meeting using an iPhone.

Turning to the wireless network platform, Cisco is delivering an 802.11n solution that incorporates access points, controllers and management, and the ability to expose network information and services through an open API. For example, the new Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controller is optimized for 802.11n networks. The new Cisco OfficeExtend solution complements the Cisco Virtual Office portfolio of teleworking solutions. And the new Cisco 3310 Mobility Services Engine supports...