Hong Kong, December 12, 2013 - At Cloud Connections, held today at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, cloud technologies leader Cisco gathered prominent Cisco cloud and managed services providers to share their cloud strategies and comprehensive Cisco® Powered Cloud and Managed Services, giving customers and partners the confidence and insights they need to prepare for a cloud journey. Themed "Your Amazing Cloud Journey Starts Here", the event not only offered the best opportunity to help customers keep abreast of the latest Cisco cloud innovations, but also represented an ideal platform for Cisco cloud and managed services providers to connect with end customers and partners, and assist them in choosing optimal Cisco Powered Cloud and Managed Services in embarking on their own cloud journey.

Cloud computing is an irreversible trend in which enterprises are moving from careful contemplation to industry-wide adoption. The latest Cisco Global Cloud Index (2012-2017) predicts that global cloud IP traffic will increase nearly 4.5-fold over the next five years to reach 5.3 zettabytes by the end of 2017. Additionally, the "Impact of Cloud on IT Consumption Models" study conducted by Cisco Consulting Services and Intel, which surveyed 4,226 IT leaders in 18 industries across nine key economies, revealed that more than four out of five respondents believe that cloud will positively impact their organizations. Cloud also represents a significant share of IT spending worldwide, with an average of about 23 percent today expected to reach 27 percent by 2016. Cloud is becoming a crucial element of IT in addressing today's business demands, as organizations are increasingly looking to cloud and managed services to accelerate growth and lower costs. 

Cisco Cloud Connections began with welcoming remarks by Barbara Chiu, managing director, Cisco Hong Kong and Macau, who emphasized Cisco's ongoing commitment in innovating cloud technologies and driving partner go-to-market strategy, as well as Cisco's role in supporting businesses on their cloud journey.

 "As a leader with extensive experience and unmatched expertise in cloud technologies, Cisco is fully equipped to travel with our partners and customers on their cloud journeys. From a highly secure and reliable cloud platform to hosted services and partner programs, Cisco is here to provide everything you need for a profitable cloud journey, enabling our partners and their customers to benefit fully from the immense advantages of cloud and achieve their core business objectives," said Chiu.

Highlights of the event included a keynote presentation by Bob Gault, vice president of the Cisco Cloud and Managed Services Partner Organization, featuring a review of "Cloud and IT: Creating New Consumption Models". When organizations consider investing in cloud, the main challenge is creating a strategy and flexible architecture that allows for new business innovation, reduces network complexity and better aligns IT costs with delivery capabilities. Gault provided an overview of private versus public clouds, the total addressable cloud market, Cisco's cloud approach and cloud partner go-to-market strategy, and how Cisco can help businesses prepare for the evolution to a cloud consumption model. 

At the event, customers and partners could also experience the power of a variety of comprehensive Cisco Powered Cloud and Managed Services offered by the cloud and managed services providers employing Cisco technology. The showcase area also featured a Cisco booth, showcasing Cisco's innovative cloud solutions such as Cisco Meraki Cloud Managed Solution, a managed edge and branch networking solution that simplifies enterprise-class networks and can centrally manage the wireless network including switching, security and devices from the cloud. 

Cisco Cloud Strategy

As the leading cloud enabler, Cisco's cloud strategy is to help customers build, deploy and consume cloud services with its comprehensive cloud portfolio, including the Cisco Cloud Intelligent Network and the Unified Data Center platform, and to drive demand for its partners' Cisco Powered Cloud and Managed Services. The Cisco cloud partner go-to-market strategy is based on three key roles a partner can play, namely, cloud builder, cloud provider and cloud services reseller: - 

• Cloud Builders: Build and sell Cisco-centric cloud to customers and cloud providers
• Cloud Providers: Manage and sell Cisco Powered Cloud Services to customers
• Cloud Services Resellers: Resell providers' Cisco Powered Cloud Services to customers 

Cisco Powered Cloud and Managed Services

Cisco Powered Cloud and Managed Services provide a technology platform for delivering secure and reliable cloud services that customers will associate with faster time-to-value, assured performance and continuous innovation. Cisco Powered Services comprise a comprehensive portfolio of best-in-class, flexible and scalable solutions for cloud providers, including: - 

• Cloud Service for Hosted Collaboration

With the Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution (HCS), cloud providers can offer cloud-based unified communications and collaboration applications to customers. Applications are delivered within a highly secure, cloud-ready, virtualized platform under a centralized management system. The solution helps providers differentiate themselves and promote value in the collaboration market. 

• Cloud Service for Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)

This solution enables customers to use IT resources more flexibly with on-demand computing, networking and storage resources within the cloud. 

• TelePresence-as-a-Service (TPaaS)

This solution helps customers access and enjoy a reliable, cost-effective Cisco TelePresence® video experience. Partners can provide Cisco Powered TelePresence-as-a-Service, benefitting their customers with in-person videoconferencing experiences that are available to all their users, as well as improved business agility, flexible and scalable control, and optimized resources. 

Telstra Global Launches IaaS in Hong Kong

At the Cloud Connections event, Telstra Global, Cisco Cloud and Managed Services Master Partner worldwide, announced that its globally connected Cloud Infrastructure solution supported by Cisco's leading cloud portfolio including the Cisco Nexus® Switches, Cisco Unified Computing System™ (UCS), Cisco Carrier Routing System (CRS) and Cisco Aggregation Services Routers 9000 (ASR 9000), is now officially available for order within its Hong Kong data centre. The Telstra Cloud Infrastructure offering, hosted in Telstra's data centers and delivered over Telstra's leading global IP backbone network, helps customers to reduce costs, enable innovation and streamline the way they manage their ICT. 

"Cloud Connections represents Cisco's continued commitment to driving the cloud computing market. The event marks a milestone for Cisco, as we gather prominent Cisco cloud and managed services providers to connect with customers, partners and cloud services resellers to make the amazing cloud journey happen. We will continue our efforts in investing abundant resources to innovate and to drive Cisco's go-to-market strategy for our trusted partners. We look forward to seeing more customers enjoying the full benefits of cloud and growing their businesses," concluded Chiu. 

Supporting Resources

• Cisco Cloud Connections
• Learn more about Cisco Cloud and Managed Services Program

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com. 

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