Cisco Tech Stories - ep 24 -

This week Kat and Ian are diving into one of their favorite topics - Workplace Productivity. We've heard Ian's terrifying email organization (or lack thereof before), but believe it or not, this week he's coming in hot with the productive tips. Tune in this week for WebEx features that even Kat didn't know existed, and a general education on online folders for Ian. OH and if you're here for additional information on Cisco's solutions that can support your team's productivity, *cough* Webex *cough*, you can check them out here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html#tabs-a107e9a621-item-6caff3e5bb-tab

Jason Gallo, Global VP of Partner GTM at Cisco, joins Jeff Edwards to unpack the latest evolution of the Cisco 360 Partner Program. From key truths about the new estimator tool to aligning partner investments with what’s next — this episode delivers the insights you need to lead with clarity and confidence. Tune in and get ahead of the shift.

What really goes into the biggest partner program evolution Cisco has launched in 20 years? In this episode of Shift Happens, host Jeff Edwards is joined by two powerhouse leaders — Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, SVP of Partner Evolution, and Rhonda Henley, VP of Americas Partner Sales — to unpack what’s new, what’s working, and what’s still in motion with Cisco 360. They tackle: • The mindset shift partners are making • The biggest wins (and what keeps them up at night) • What teams and partners can do today to set up for success Insightful. Actionable. Real talk. Grab your coffee or hit play on your commute — let’s make shift happen.

In this episode, Brandon tells us the story of the time a critical issue was discovered the day before the Cisco Live US event started. A race against the clock then starts to find a workaround before the attendees arrive. We discuss DHCP snooping and Cisco Live event network preparation.

New is always better, right? In this episode, Ian is joined Dave Soscia, Vice President of Cisco Product Management and Business Development at D&H Distributing to talk about his perspective on Cisco’s new partner program and how partners can optimize their profile before the launch date. Dave digs into how distribution can help partners with business analysis, practice consultations and even building and executing a business plan. The channel is changing, and partners are the ones who will continue to drive that change. Learn more about Cisco's solutions for SMBs: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html Learn about D&H’s partner offerings: https://www.dandh.com/v4/view?pageReq=focusedlanding&focus=SPAS1&int_cid=NS-NAV&utm_campaign=ASCII

AI…nightmares? Join Kat and Ian for a part two to their original AI episode - slightly spookier. Will AI take over our jobs, our thoughts, the world? Press play to co-conspiracy deep dive…but also hear practical takeaways on how Cisco is securing AI models. Kat confesses to a close relationship with Chatgpt, and Ian vents about the need to upgrade his iPhone. From incredible sports references (1:22) to the tech revolution that we're all experiencing (5:17), this episode (like most) has a little something for everyone. If you came to listen to this episode to learn something about Cisco's AI solutions for small and medium businesses, you should check them out here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html#tabs-a107e9a621-item-6caff3e5bb-tab

Service delivery chains are often made up of a longer string of dependencies than you might expect. When an outage happens, the root cause might not be in your systems or even with a third-party provider you depend on. It could actually trace back to yet another third-party provider they rely on. We saw this phenomenon in action recently when some Cloudflare services were affected by an outage ultimately caused by Google Cloud issues. Tune in to hear more about what happened at Google Cloud and Cloudflare, and also explore takeaways from a recent OpenAI outage. ——— CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:50 Google Cloud Outage 04:20 Google Cloud & the Cloudflare Outage 08:26 OpenAI Outage 12:45 Outage Trends: By the Numbers 16:46 Get in Touch ——— For additional insights, check out the links below: - Explore the Google Cloud outage further on the ThousandEyes platform (no login required): https://alksjqkoqpogyviwdqlukavercvlzlsi.share.thousandeyes.com/ - Google Cloud Outage Analysis: June 12, 2025: https://www.thousandeyes.com/blog/google-cloud-outage-analysis-june-12-2025?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fy25q4_internetreport_q4fy25ep4_podcast - The Guide to Next-generation Assurance: https://www.thousandeyes.com/resources/guide-to-next-generation-assurance-ebook?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fy25q4_internetreport_q4fy25ep4_podcast ——— Want to get in touch? If you have questions, feedback, or guests you would like to see featured on the show, send us a note at [email protected]. Or follow us on LinkedIn or X. ——— ABOUT THE INTERNET REPORT This is The Internet Report, a podcast uncovering what’s working and what’s breaking on the Internet—and why. Tune in to hear ThousandEyes’ Internet experts dig into some of the most interesting outage events from the past couple weeks, discussing what went awry—was it the Internet, or an application issue? Plus, learn about the latest trends in ISP outages, cloud network outages, collaboration network outages, and more. Catch all the episodes on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform: - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-report/id1506984526 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ADFvqAtgsbYwk4JiZFqHQ?si=00e9c4b53aff4d08&nd=1&dlsi=eab65c9ea39d4773 - SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ciscopodcastnetwork/sets/the-internet-report

Coming to you live...well at Cisco Live but in person! We dig into the week's biggest news from Cisco Live, from the actual notes Kat took during the sessions, to Ian's adventures. We also tackle the tough topics of what our Uber ratings are, how to pronounce "data," our thoughts on San Diego and what makes a good party at a conference. Something for everyone (especially those above a 4.9 Uber rating)! Short and sweet! If you came to listen to this episode to learn something about Cisco's solutions for small and medium businesses (outside of the Cisco Live updates) you should check them out here: https://id.cisco.com/app/ciscoid_aemcloudprodsaml_1/exk14lk1xf6SKDANc5d7/sso/saml

We're talking everything influencer marketing this week, from the influencer(s?) themself. From internal influencers and employee advocacy to finding the right "celebrity" to support your brand, we share what we've learned. Shoutout to the Giggly Squad. Kat shares what goes into making good influencer content based on her own experiences, and we find ourselves talking AI again...is Bing actually important? Somehow along the way, we end up power ranking our old email accounts (turns out Kat had them all).

Communication is key, and cloud communications have quickly become a critical component for businesses of all sizes, helping organizations stay agile in an increasingly digital-first world. Yet, many small businesses are still navigating the shift from outdated phone systems to modern, cloud-based solutions that unlock new opportunities for growth. In this episode, Ian is joined by Ben Rife, President and CEO of Bullfrog Group and long-time member of the Cisco SMB Advisory Board, to discuss his new book, Cloud Calling Secrets. Ben reveals how small and medium businesses can identify when their phone systems are holding them back, why now is the time to embrace cloud communications, and how solutions like Cisco Webex Calling can transform the way businesses operate. He also dives into real-world success stories, practical tips for a seamless transition, and how his book helps demystify the decision between vendors. Learn more about Cisco's solutions for SMBs: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html To buy Ben's book for yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Calling-Secrets-Underground-Communications/dp/B0DT1813Z1/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3kYo4R4GAtkiSVlo_FeQKw.Mrykj20lEL2_eQtDW6jLCIlvAL0fWdOSWktNqDG7Z2Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=cloud+calling+secrets&qid=1749670806&sr=8-1