By Militza Gonzalez, Head of Communications, Latin America
Cisco recently hosted Cisco Connect LatAm, Latin America’s leading IT event for customers, experts and partners to meet, network, and experience Cisco’s latest technology solutions and trends, all in Spanish.
"It was wonderful to share our vision for the future with our customers and partners, and showcase the power of technology, solutions and innovations that will help them succeed in their digital transformation journey and the path to hybrid work. Cisco Connect LatAm was a formidable opportunity to learn, exchange knowledge and come together with more than 3,000 IT leaders," said Laercio Albuquerque, Vice President of Cisco for Latin America.
The event keynote was delivered by Albuquerque who welcomed attendees and shared his perspective on how technology is an ally to solve challenges. “It is not a luxury; it is life quality,” said Albuquerque.
Following Albuquerque, Rachel Barger, SVP of Americas Sales at Cisco, highlighted the relevance of the region and the immense opportunity to transform LatAm, focusing on customer priorities and needs, all underpinned with security at the foundation. “There is no business without security. Organizations must realize it is not about if they will be attacked; it is about when and how quickly they can be back up,” said Barger.
Ned Cabot, Senior Director of the Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) Program for Americas, explained the relevance of leveraging technology in the joint work with governments, communities and private sector to make a difference in people’s lives. “We have implemented CDA in Mexico, Brazil Chile and Colombia to address challenges in areas such as health, education, financial and citizen services, helping governments and organizations accelerate their digital journey and bring to life the benefits of technology in Latin America”.
Finally, Eric Knipp, Vice President of Americas Systems Engineering, talked about the key role of a secure network infrastructure to run applications that are critical for organizations of any size. “There was a time when businesses just had to worry about the phone and the laptop. Now it’s everything: cars, home appliances, tools, cameras, even our toothbrushes. Each of these are now a connection point. These changes put incredible pressure on the network, which is why organizations must think about how to transform their infrastructure with the network at its core,” explained Knipp.
Attendees also had an immersive experience with access to other special sessions:
- Technology Forum: targeting IT personnel and developers, this forum consisted of work sessions on the different technologies and solutions showcased at Cisco Connect LatAm (cybersecurity, enterprise network, collaboration, observability, applications management, among others)
- Business Forum: specially designed for IT managers and other lines of business, this forum showcased success stories and panels with experts who covered different Cisco technologies
- Executive Forum: CXOs and business leaders, with a focus on technology, had the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from different industries. The program brought together executives for sessions to increase their leadership skills, bringing more value to their organizations.
Participants could also visit ExpoConnect, a large exhibition area designed for Cisco partners to highlight Cisco solutions. Over 100 channel and technology providers presented the latest solutions from Cisco’s portfolio. Other Cisco solutions were also featured at the Cisco Campus where attendees had the opportunity to see first-hand more than 30 technology demonstrations that can help transform infrastructure, enable hybrid work, and provide end-to-end security, from the device to the cloud.
In 1997 Cisco was the first company to host a summit that brought together customers, IT experts, channels, and technology specialists in the region. Ever since, this event has become a milestone in Latin America’s business landscape.
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