As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to gain traction across different industries, security has become one of the top concerns and topics in this new connected era. More connected endpoints and bigger amounts of data are just part of the challenge with security in the IoT. Cisco understands this, and recently expanded its connected safety and security solutions with IoT products so developers and customers can cost-effectively deliver unified solutions for public safety, utilities and industrial environments.
In a Cisco roundtable, Dan Kent, CTO and VP, public sector at Cisco, and Geetha Dabir, VP and GM, Internet of Things at Cisco, discussed the new platform, explained Cisco’s approach to the IoT and shared some customer success stories.
Cisco is behind the term “Internet of Everything.” It believes the IoT encompasses people, processes, data and things, and the IoE is about how these four critical areas come together, leveraging technology to impact every vertical and change the way we do business.
Cisco places the value over the next 10 years for the IoE at $19 trillion dollars. Behind this connected trend is machine to machine technology, which will account for $7.4 trillion, according to Cisco. Also included is machine-to-person technology, which helps people make different decisions based on data from these things, and person-to-person technology, which is taking traditional collaboration tools but putting them in a mobile, hyper-connected environment.
The company’s security and safety lineup now features open platform applications and analytics, integrating IoT products -- its IP video surveillance system can be stored directly on Cisco IP cameras with Connected Edge Storage. Cisco also expanded Cisco Instant Connect, allowing developers to connect mobile devices by downloading and SDK and integrating mobile communications into various applications.
Cisco shared customer perspectives on these solutions, showcasing three examples coming to life. One was in healthcare, one was in education and one was in the public sector.
Chad Lockhart from Clear Lake Regional explained how the medical center was trying to overcome a challenge of spending on unreimbursed sitters – nurse technicians or certified nursing assistants that sit bedside for patients who are at risk for falling, injury, toying with their treatment or suicide. It turned to Cisco for patient virtual observation, and in just a year it implemented 40 cameras on six nursing units on two sides of the medical center, increased the patient-to-sitter ratio from 1:1 to upward of 1:17, decreased by 57 falls and annual savings of $194,000 in operating expenses. Lockhart explained the bottom line: More people, less money and more efficient outcomes.
Jeff Russell, Dalton District Superintendent, State of Alaska Department of Transportation, explained how Cisco helped the Dalton highway provide reliable communications for DOT highway operations across harsh and remote conditions. An IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS) was developed to provide communications on Dalton Highway across 19 high-radio sites, nine base station sites, 20 radio repeaters connected via IP and nine talk groups.
DOT personnel and equipment were able to instantly connect, effectively optimizing DOT resources and improving collaboration and coordination across camps and geographies.
The last customer example was Los Alamos Public Schools. Ted Glavez, network administrator for the school district, had to consider one high school, one middle school and five elementary schools in a region that is surrounded by forest, and therefore, wildlife, like bears, elk, deer and coyotes. The school district adopted the Cisco Video Surveillance Manager, indoor and outdoor Cisco IP cameras, virtualized applications on Cisco Unified Computing Server Platform and switches, so any school can be monitored from nine different locations. Glavez explained student behavior improved and faculty were able to help coordinate events that occur on school grounds.
As we approach 50 billion connected devices, Cisco, among other companies, will be looking for ways to enable organizations across all industries to optimize their resources and take full advantage of the Internet of Everything.
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Edited by
Cassandra Tucker
