Cisco Systems, Inc. - Special Call - NasdaqGS:CSCO

NasdaqGS:CSCO

Here’s a detailed summary of what Elle Grossenbacher, the Product Marketing Leader for Wireless at Cisco, discussed during the special call:

1. Introduction:

   • Welcomed attendees to Cisco's Insider webinar series for networking.
   • Introduced the topic of the day: simplifying networks for the manufacturing industry.
   • Introduced Carlos Rojas, Global Manufacturing Solutions Lead at Cisco, as the guest speaker.

2. Overview of Webinar Content:

   • Industry 4.0 and the ideal state for IT and manufacturing.
   • The pursuit of the ideal state.
   • Challenges faced by organizations in the manufacturing industry.
   • Path forward, including real-life examples from brands like Jack Daniel's.

3. Definition of Industry 4.0:

   • Defined Industry 4.0 as the convergence of cyber-physical systems, automation, IoT, and better vertical and horizontal integration.
   • Provided historical context, mentioning Henry Ford's moving assembly line and its impact on automobile affordability.

4. Discussion with Carlos Rojas:

   • Asked Carlos to explain Industry 4.0 and the ideal state for manufacturing IT.
   • Prompted Carlos to discuss the importance of data in decision-making.
   • Engaged in a conversation about the circular economy and Cisco's role in supporting it.

5. Challenges in Pursuing Industry 4.0:

   • Initiated a discussion on the major challenges, starting with the lack of efficient management.
   • Probed Carlos about the relationship between IT and stakeholders when faced with inefficient management.
   • Transitioned to discussing the lack of visibility, asking Carlos about its impact on profitability.
   • Discussed the lack of modern technology, questioning how to overcome skepticism about emerging technologies.
   • Talked about the lack of best practice adoption, seeking insights on barriers to implementation.

6. Path Forward: Real-World Examples:

   • Jack Daniel's: Discussed their setup, challenges, and how modern technology and switching helped improve operations.
   • Unilin: Highlighted their transformation initiative around gaining visibility and the importance of stakeholder collaboration.
   • Krones: Described their initiative to embed Cisco switching into their machinery, benefiting both themselves and their customers.
   • Bonus Story: Mentioned a new trend in wireless technology, specifically Cisco Ultra-Wideband technology.

7. Closing Remarks:

   • Shared an article by Audi highlighting the use of Cisco’s Connected Factory technology.

   • Encouraged attendees to consider setting a future-proof foundation to accommodate new business initiatives and technologies.

   • Asked Carlos about Cisco's offerings beyond the customer use cases.

   • Summarized practical next steps, including bringing together people within the organization, identifying gaps, and setting goals.

   • Concluded the webinar, thanking Carlos and attendees.

Certainly! Below is a detailed summary of the statements made by Carlos Rojas, the Global Manufacturing Solutions Lead at Cisco, during the special call:

Introduction

• Background and Role:
  • Carlos Rojas is the Global Manufacturing Solutions Lead at Cisco.
  • He has been with Cisco for nearly 17 years.
  • Before Cisco, he ran manufacturing companies for 21 years.

Industry 4.0 and Ideal State for Manufacturing

• Definition of Industry 4.0:
  • It involves the convergence of cyber-physical systems, automation, the Internet of Things, and better vertical and horizontal integration.
• Real-World Application:
  • The goal is to provide manufacturing executives with more data for decision-making.
  • This involves connecting legacy industrial control systems, new automation technologies (robotics, cobotics, AGVs), and sensor networks for monitoring environmental conditions.
• Network Requirements:
  • A transformative network environment is needed to connect all these systems and devices from the edge to the cloud securely.

Challenges in Pursuing Industry 4.0

• Lack of Efficient Management:
  • Complexity arises due to the deployment of systems from different vendors with varying protocols and methods for delivering telemetry.
  • This leads to inefficient management and difficulty in scaling.
  • Multiple points of entry increase security risks.
• Lack of Visibility:
  • Customers often lack visibility into what is connected in the manufacturing environment.
  • This makes it difficult to resolve outages quickly, which can be costly, especially in industries with high production costs per minute.
• Lack of Modern Technology:
  • New technologies like augmented reality/virtual reality headsets, digital twins, and AI capabilities demand more from the network, causing bandwidth constraints.
  • Low latency is required for fast-moving robots and AGVs to prevent incidents like collisions.
  • Embedded security is crucial due to the increased attack surface.
• Lack of Best Practice Adoption:
  • Successful transformation requires the adoption of best practices from both IT and manufacturing.
  • Open standards and certifications improve interoperability.
  • Collaboration with the ecosystem is essential.

Real-World Examples

• Jack Daniel’s:
  • Had issues with outages caused by bad multicasting.
  • Deployed managed switching to preempt and manage network traffic flow.
  • Improved overall equipment effectiveness and reduced delivery issues.
• Unilin:
  • Discovered OT cybersecurity risks due to lack of proper segmentation.
  • Used Cisco Cyber Vision for visibility and discovery.
  • Deployed industrial Ethernet switching and segmentation tools.
  • Achieved higher productivity and throughput.
• Krones:
  • Faced visibility issues in their factory environment.
  • Implemented managed switching for better visibility.
  • Embedded Cisco switching into machines sold to customers for better service level agreements.
• Wireless Technology Use Case:
  • Deployed Cisco Ultra-Wideband technology for 0 packet loss and low latency.
  • Enabled advanced robotics and AGVs to operate with high precision.
  • Demonstrated the evolution of wireless technology in manufacturing.

Future Direction of Cisco

• Industry Solution Use Cases:
  • Cisco focuses on advanced manufacturing technology, industrial security, and automation.
  • Also offers solutions for workforce enablement and supply chain operations.
• Ecosystem Partnerships:
  • Relies on partnerships with manufacturing vendors and system integrators.
  • Joint solutions and go-to-market capabilities with these partners are essential.

Practical Next Steps

• Collaboration:
  • Bring together people from different departments around a specific use case.
  • Focus on the project at hand and leverage each other's strengths.
• Gap Analysis:
  • Conduct site assessments to identify gaps between current state and desired state.
• Goal Setting:

  • Establish short-term and long-term goals.

  • Think big, start small, and move fast to achieve long-term goals through small wins.