Introduced in 1994, Open Platform Communications (OPC) is an interoperability standard for industrial control system components like programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces, and supervisory software. Using OPC, components from different vendors can reliably exchange data to control an industrial process. Classic OPC was released in an era when security was not a concern for OT systems. Industrial networks were isolated and perceived as secure because they used proprietary protocols. “Security by obscurity” doesn’t work…

If you’re part of the 82% of enterprises(1)  who’ve already adopted a hybrid cloud strategy, you know that cloud adoption comes with challenges. Management complexity, poor user experience, and inconsistent security are among them. Cisco SD-WAN is here to help with scalability, visibility and flexibility. Our cloud networking solution, Cloud OnRamp, allows you to use the same SD-WAN policies and security across both on-prem and cloud environments. Cisco SD-WAN has been leading the industry with…

Episode 8 of the Cisco Optics Podcast is now posted! See below for episode notes. Cisco Optics Podcast Episode 8 Overcoming the next hurdle to get to 800G pluggable optics, a conversation with Mark Nowell, part 4 of 4. What are the industry’s technical experts in pluggable optics thinking about today? What are the technical boundaries that the smartest minds are pushing past to make the next generation of high speed optics? In episode 8,…

The explosive growth of network connected devices, known as “Internet of Things” or IoT, is well-understood. In a study conducted in September 2020, IDC predicted by 2024, more than 51 billion IoT devices – that’s billion with a “b” – will be connected to the internet[1]. These devices include printers, display panels, heating ventilation and air conditioning controllers – think of a Nest thermostat you might have in your home – credit card processing terminals,…

My name is Matt Swartz and I’ve been supporting the technology side of live events with Cisco for many years. Having recently completed the men’s and women’s U.S. Open Championships, and currently in Japan for the largest temporary sports event on the planet, keeping fans and event infrastructure connected is top of mind. I thought I’d share the top five challenges IT professionals like myself face and need to anticipate at these types of events.   1. Bandwidth Depending on where the event takes place, there probably won’t be a couple 10 gig…

Now that the Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge 2021 winners have been officially announced, we are excited for you to learn more about each winning team and the story behind each innovation. The Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge is an annual competition that awards cash prizes to early-stage tech entrepreneurs solving the world’s toughest problems. Now in its fifth year, the competition awarded its largest prize pool ever, $1 million USD, to 20 winning teams from around the world….

Enterprises can look for more transparency from software vendors after the Biden Administration’s recent mandate that software bills of materials be provided by companies attempting to do business with the federal government. Software bills of materials, frequently abbreviated to SBOMs, aren’t a new concept. The idea comes from the manufacturing sector, where it’s often crucial for buyers to fully understand the components and materials that were used to make a particular piece of equipment. For…