Another Year and More Innovation

At Cisco Partner Summit 2024, we announced the winners of the 7^thGlobal Partner Innovation Challenge, and I am excited to celebrate the engagement of the many partners who participated in the Partnering for Purpose category and to spotlight this year's winners.

Once again, we're inspired by the remarkable submissions we've received. Our partners' dedication to developing innovative solutions that transcend profit and aim to make a lasting, positive impact on the world is unmatched. We are privileged to collaborate with them in our shared purpose of creating an inclusive future for all.

A Range of Purpose Innovation

Showcasing their passion and ingenuity in addressing what matters to them and to our shared customers, 87% of partner submissions this year were in the Partnering for Purpose category.

This category recognizes and awards partners for their innovative efforts in driving purposeful change across several key areas: Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship, Digital Inclusion, Employee Experience and Economic Empowerment, and Crisis Response and Critical Human Needs. These four themes form the foundation of our Partnering for Purpose initiative.

The innovative submissions tackled broad societal challenges, from addressing teacher shortages and over work in Japan with virtual assistant camera monitors, to proposing solutions for the challenges of increasingly ageing populations, through the use of cameras and sensors to enhance support and care. There were submissions focused on combating unconscious bias in the recruitment process leveraging ethical AI and innovation to help businesses manage and offset their environmental impact by converting their carbon emissions into verifiable reforestations projects.

Meet the Winners...

Wipro UK-is part of Wipro limited, a leading global IT consulting and business process services company that's revolutionizing agricultural and livestock management with their AI- driven pest and disease detection solution. The innovative platform offers real-time, automated detection of pests in crop lands and diseases in poultry and cattle, enabling early intervention and significantly reducing economic losses.

Designed for seamless integration and supported by comprehensive training and ongoing support for the farmers and agriculturist, this solution is a game-changer in ensuring food security and the profitability of agricultural endeavours.

Presidiois a US based global digital solutions and services provider augmenting the remote meeting experience by integrating real-time American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation within Webex technologies meetings. The new tool transforms spoken language into sign language via a dedicated video feed.

This AI-driven innovation also features a bidirectional component -translating sign language into spoken English, as well as a visualization component -creating imagery based on spoken content. These features enable seamless
communication among all participants, fostering inclusivity and accessibility in various environments, and create the potential to revolutionize communication for millions globally.

Outcomex is an Australian based systems integrator innovating crisis and emergency services response. Their self-healing, vehicle-as-a-node solution is designed to keep emergency first responders connected, especially when responding to events and disaster in remote highland areas where connectivity is low.

Outcomex IOT utilizes standard emergency response vehicles, including fire trucks and tankers, command vehicles, ambulances, police, and air and marine vessels, as mobile nodes. These vehicles are connected through a combination of multiple wireless technologies, including leveraging vehicles stationed near permanent cell towers or satellite uplink sites that are connected directly to the mainstream mobile network.

This solution facilitates a seamless and reliable network for real-time communication, tracking, and data collection among first responders, control rooms, and other essential services.

NTT Com DDis a Japan based global company under the umbrella of NTT Communications that's innovating safe, secure and intelligent workspaces to help us navigate a post Covid-19 world with solutions that help ensure the health and well-being of employees.

Intuitive workplaces minimize the need to touch with built-in low energy short range mobile communication technologies built into employee badges for ease of booking and auto login into meeting rooms and Webex devices.

Thank you to all participating partners, and congratulations to this year's winners.

The high levels of engagement in the Partnering for Purpose category highlight the innovative spirit of Cisco's partners and demonstrate that doing good for the world is also good for business.

I am excited to see how our partners will continue to combine innovation with purpose in the Partnering for Purpose category in 2025.

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