How Smart Devices Saved a Species: A Trip Down IoT Memory Lane

We start our day with a routine of checking wearables,?adjusting smart thermostats,?and delegating tasks to virtual assistants.?These are the ordinary interactions with the Internet of Things (IoT),?a technology that has become seamlessly integrated into our lives.?But rewind to just a decade ago,?in 2014,?and the picture was entirely different.

Back then,?the tech world was buzzing with "killer apps," and few paid attention to the quiet revolution brewing with connected devices.?At Cisco,?the "hardware heads," were fascinated by the potential of a world teeming with billions of connected devices,?from smart sensors in pipelines to intelligent tractor tires.

However,?the public conversation revolved solely around apps.?Even the term "Internet of Things," coined in 1999,?remained obscure.?The potential for increased productivity and efficiency in businesses and industries was going largely unnoticed.

This nascent technology was so misunderstood that Cisco even attempted to re-brand it as the "Internet of Everything," emphasizing its reach beyond mere devices.?This strategy,?a classic Cisco move of redefining problems and positioning ourselves as solution providers,?aimed to break through the app centric focus and get companies excited about building the infrastructure for a connected future.

Meanwhile, Across the Globe...

The 2012 Olympics had faded into the past and the “Cisco House” in the Olympic village had long since been dismantled.? Back in 2012, the Cisco House was a smart home that demonstrated many of the “future technologies” we consider common today; weather.com informed irrigation systems, Nest thermostats, digital display refrigerators.? It also had a sizable data center with Cisco routers, switches, security software and serves.? By 2014, the partnership between Cisco and Dimension Data had donated, integrated and deployed a state of the art data center for the World Wildlife Fund’s brand new headquarters in London. Roll Video!

Leaders from all three companies were toasting to the success, when the executive from the WWF wondered aloud, “what could we accomplish together if we applied this technology to our mission of saving species from extinction”.

And on Another Continent Entirely . . .

A tragic event unfolded.?A dentist from Minnesota leveled his rifle, took aim and Cecil the lion was killed in Zimbabwe.?This seemingly unrelated event would become the catalyst for an incredible journey.

This blog series will delve into the remarkable story of how Cisco and Dimension Data embarked on a mission to save species using the power of the Internet of Things.?We'll explore the audacious initial concept,?the internal battles to push the idea forward,?the heart-pounding helicopter rides over the African savanna,?and finally,?the launch of Cisco's first partner-inspired brand campaign.

Get ready for a captivating story filled with strategic alliance lessons.?I promise to keep the series moving (unlike those golf blogs!),?but if you're eager to hear the full adventure,?tune in to the We Are Twogether Podcast this week.