next 100 days and beyond. In that sense we are proud of our work supporting the Scottish Women in Technology initiative to try and close what has been a widening gender gap. “Startups and scale-ups are also in


our DNA and through an academic partnership at the University of Ed- inburgh we are helping to advance an AI and blockchain accelerator. “We want to play a part in in-


novative, preventative health and care, too. Our work with housing associations in Scotland is already connecting residents to access points which can deliver a better quality of life and standard of care.” She adds: “Of course we want to


Cisco has supported


virtually every sector through Covid-19, ‘prioritising’ support for frontline services such as healthcare


do all that and remain focused on providing a safe environment for all of our customers, of every size. Te Cisco Capital scheme has enabled customers to take advantage of zero per cent finance and extended payment terms, giving them access to multi-layered security products that will help break the kill-chain for new and emerging cyber threats such as ransomware. “When we’re talking to custom-


ers about enterprise networking, we might be talking about collabora- tion but we’re always talking about how you secure your environment. For us, cybersecurity is embedded in everything that we do.” So, what next for a company


strategy refresh – which places a great emphasis on connecting people to the internet, ensuring that there is fair and equitable access for all – chimes well with Cisco’s purpose of building an inclusive future for all. At the University of Strathclyde,


a 5G demonstrator project is being heralded by the company as both one with huge innovation poten- tial – to support economic growth in new industry sectors, as well as digital startups based at the campus – but also as a lynchpin in the roll- out of next generation connectivity. It also wants to boost the wider


tech skills pool to support the aspi- rations set out in former Skyscanner chief operating officer Mark Logan’s Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review, which has been endorsed as a blueprint for tech sector develop- ment by the Scottish Government. Already, Cisco’s Country Digital


Acceleration programme and Networking Academy is plugging


Our products and


services are built around that core networking strength


Ishbell MacPhail, Cisco’s Country Manager in Scotland


the annual tech skills gap. World- wide, it has supported more than 12.7 million students with access to Cisco training and qualifications and in Scotland – via educational partnerships with Glasgow Cale- donian University and Fife College – 13,000 learners have developed their digital skills with more than 8,000 having completed a pro- fessional course giving them an industry qualification and a route into a new career. Te firm is also supporting a cadre of young police officers to develop their tech skills and help the national force realise its own digital strategic aims. MacPhail says: “Trough this


activity, we are cementing our presence in Scotland and support- ing both the government’s digital strategy and the Logan review. “In addition, Cisco believes in the


principle that no-one is left behind and we want to do our best to sup- port an inclusive recovery over the


whose history and culture are so entwined with the internet? Although network architecture and enterprise solutions remain the core of Cisco’s business, its last quarter’s growth figures – the biggest bounce in over two years – demonstrate a slow but undeni- able shift to delivering its services differently. Growing automation capabilities


will enable the company to provide its customers with greater insights into their data, but the fundamental shift is that of building enterprise services in a hybrid working world. Te skyrocketing demand for


software-as-a-service (SaaS) prod- ucts like Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), will also ensure Cisco re- mains as committed to innovation as it was over 35 years ago when two young graduates met – and started to connect the world. l


Partner Content produced in association with Cisco.


FUTURESCOT | SUMMER 2021 | 31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36