Chambers: Video is the ‘killer app’: ”
SAN JOSE, Calif. — 8:50 a.m. PST — Cisco CEO John Chambers just said that ‘if there is a killer app, it is video,’ as part of his keynote speech kicking off the Cisco C-Scape analysts conference here.
‘Things like YouTube are just the baby steps of the impact video will have on networks,’ said Chambers, who has already introduced the company’s new big-vision theme (’The Human Network’) and the technology vision that supports it (’Network as the Platform.’)
Live-blogging this, so quotes may not be word for word… Chambers opened talking about how Cisco differentiates by combining vision, strategy and execution… said it took 6-7 years to change the company internally (’changing the reward system, who got promoted or not’) to get buy-in on the current track.
Singapore to get 1 Gbps to the home: Getting to some good stuff now about India, focus on globalization… ‘moving 10 of our top execs into our globalization center in India. Use our own technologies… (videoconferencing) to change support… Drive all four elements of our strategy from India. This is a huge investment for the future.’
Says Singapore is planning for 1 Gbps to the home… ‘not that much more expensive to do a gig.’
now transition into service provider market
why did US stop innovating? Stopped investing
SPs going to be experience providers, not plumbers.
‘we define service providers today by their access technologies. Who cares! Want to define them by the experience [they deliver].’
More as we catch up!
8:50 a.m. — Showing off now… it is impressive though how Cisco strategy slides from the past are pretty good at predicting the future, especially the gradual improvements in networks.
Next level: Quad play
9:07 a.m. — Jim Grubb demo now, showing a Cisco media player — small box with Ethernet jack and video input/output to make any display a smart device on the network.
Waiting for the inevitable Grubb salary/budget joke… there it is, Chambers says Grubb’s staff doesn’t need to be that big… ha ha ha
Before demo, Chambers said about video: ‘I really do not want to store all the ‘Desperate Housewives’ and Duke basketball games on the DVRs in my house.’ Content should be in the network, he says.
Applications are going to drive the service provider business… and video is going to be a large part of that. Telepresence (Cisco expensive teleconferencing). The data center will be virtualized first, and then it will go all the way out to the end…
9:12 — We are now hearing about Cisco plans with Oakland (Fremont!) Athletics to build a new baseball stadium.
(Will reserve my arguments against this stuff)… he is talking about watching multiple replays, multiple cameras (because of how wired/networked the stadium is)… use cell phones as credit cards… ‘we’re learning how to push experiences.’
End to end SP quad play. Consumer iHome end to end play. New services.
Telepresence? ‘It’s my favorite new technology.’
save $140 million? ‘it will change the way we collaborate’ play texas hold em, see pupils dilate.
Thought this year was all about execution… wrong. Need to keep innovating as well.
9:20 a.m. — Big close, puts up the slide that shows how Cisco market cap dwarfs that of closest 10 competitors combined.. says the opportunity ‘to be the major company in IT and communications is in front of us.’
Whew! Watch this space for more from the conference today and tomorrow. (As long as the Cisco folks don’t kick me out of my ‘reserved Cisco’ seat up front, heh)
(Via GigaOM.)
What is Sales? Recommended Readings
February 18, 2013This is a modified version of a post from the current Leanlaunch Pad session. It’s intention is to provide a set of “Introduction to Sales” readings.
Let’s talks Sales.
I cover the positioning of a Sales department in a company by Steve Blank. The “Spirit of Sales” by Malcolm Gladwell on Ronco founder Ron Popeil. Sales books for Managers and for Sales people. I also add in Geoffrey Moore’s discussion of “innovation styles” available to companies.
enjoy.
Positioning of Sales vs Marketing, Engineering, Finance, Legal, etc
The Sharp End of the Stick « Steve Blank
The “Spirit of Selling” — Gladwell covers Ronco
This story is magic. Malcolm Gladwell’s coverage of Ronco founder Ron Popeil in The Pitchman captures the essence of selling products you love. Every product developer, marketer, or sales person needs to read this. In the end you can’t fake product love and knowledge. Ron Popeil knows his products because he lives with his products.
The “shocking point” is that this story is relevant to us all and yet Ronco is the “sleazy” television sales world. Many people simple will not read this and get upset with me for recommending it to them.
Sales Books
I asked two extremely knowledgeable Sales people to recommend a sales book for me. From the VP of Sales I got Customer Centric Selling. I liked this recommendation because I had already read and liked Solution Selling by Bosworth. From the best sales person I’ve ever worked with I got ProActive Sales Management by Skip Miller
I like both books, they’ll both make a difference in your work. It was very interesting the choice that each person made since each book has very similar themes. In the details each book services a different audience. So if you’re a sales guy looking for direct tips and a means for understanding corporate sales management go for ProActive. It’s feet are firmly on the ground of a sales guy. If you are a management type looking to understand sales systems go for CustomerCentric.
Personal Perspective – ProActive Sales Managment
ProActive Selling: Control the Process – Win the Sale: Amazon.ca: William “Skip” Miller: Books
Managing Perspective – Customer Centric Selling
Customer Centric Selling « Bosworth
Innovation Techniques — “Dealing With Darwin”
Geoffrey Moore’s – Dealing With Darwin does an amazing job discussing Innovation Techniques available to companies as they age. This book is recommended for “Intrapreneurial Teams”. For the rest of you it is nice to know. It provides a detailed discussion on why Product Innovation is the innovation style necessary for “young” startups.
Summary Points