Photo from The International Society for Presence Research
Corporations are finding themselves in an increasingly globalized and urbanized world. As the world's population continues to migrate to urban centers, these corporations realize they have to adjust to meet this shift. Cisco created its “Smart+Connected Communities” initiative to address the challenges associated with the global urban shift. These challenges include overcrowding, pollution, budget and resource constraints, inadequate infrastructures, and the need for continuing growth.
Anil Menon became the president of Cisco's Smart+Connected Communities (S+CC) in March 2009. Since then, he has consistently worked to bring together people, services, community assets, and information using intelligent networking capabilities. By bringing community leaders together, it is easier to address the challenges and create a more sustainable environment. Anil leads a cross-Cisco team focused on services-led solutions in safety and security, energy, real estate, and transportation.
Cisco’s S+CC initiative focuses heavily on using technology to revitalize cities, develop smart cities, and deliver next-generation services. New tools have the potential to help city governments address the long list of challenges that they are facing. Anil Menon and Cisco believe that technology can be extremely effective in bringing positive change to city government both internationally and domestically. There are powerful new connectivity technologies and software that better support co-production, collaborative consumption, and participation in municipal governments. As the world continues to urbanize, the need for smart technologies in city governments is rising. In this regard, Cisco’s investments are proving to pay off.
S+CC has collaborated with numerous cities and regions to use technology to help solve challenges in urban areas. In 2010, Cisco and the City of Holyoke (MA) partnered up to create an Internet-based, connected community model to help revitalize the local economy. In 2009, Cisco partnered with the City of San Francisco to promote similar initiatives, with a particular focus on the environment. On Earth Day 2009, Cisco and the City of San Francisco launched the Urban EcoMap, representing a first step toward the vision of a sustainable San Francisco.
In addition to these examples, Cisco has worked with many other cities across the country and the world to bring advanced collaborative technologies to city governments. For the first time in history, the majority of the world’s population lives in cities, and this trend shows no sign of reversing. The people at Cisco realize that cities are the primary location for the main challenges of the 21st Century. But they also realize that many of these challenges can be addressed through new technologies that will help city governments collaborate with their citizens and create a sustainable model for growth. To invest in cities is to invest in the future.
S+CC President Anil Menon will be a featured speaker at CEOs for Cities’ 2013 Fall National Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Register now to join the conversation about The Art of the Collaborative City.
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Ethan Lawson is a CEOs for Cities Summer Success Fellow. Ethan is a senior at Baldwin Wallace University, majoring in political science and history with a minor in urban studies. He has also spent time studying at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa, while also volunteering for the SHAWCO program, which provides education for low-income children in the greater Cape Town area. He plans on pursuing a graduate degree in Urban & Regional Planning after graduating in 2014.