Tag: Cisco

India – Only 18% of organisations in India are fully prepared to deploy and leverage AI-powered technologies, marking a decline from 26% a year ago, a report from Cisco revealed. 

The report found that all companies in India have increased urgency to deploy AI, driven mainly by CEOs and leadership teams. Additionally, 57% of companies are allocating 10% to 30% of their IT budgets to AI deployments.

Despite significant AI investments in areas like cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, and data analytics, many companies report that the returns are falling short of expectations.

According to the findings of the report, there is a decline in AI readiness across all pillars, with infrastructure identified as a key pain point, particularly in compute, data centre performance, and cybersecurity.

Only 21% of organisations have the necessary GPUs to meet current and future AI demands, while 36% have the capabilities to secure data in AI models with end-to-end encryption, security audits, continuous monitoring, and real-time threat response.

Despite prioritising AI investments, companies in India are also reporting underwhelming results. AI spending over the past year focused on cybersecurity (47% at advanced deployment), data analysis (44%), and data management (42%). However, half of respondents reported either no gains or returns falling short of expectations in enhancing, automating, or optimising operations.

With time pressing, Indian businesses are ramping up efforts and investments to embrace AI transformation. According to the report, 39% plan to allocate over 40% of their IT budgets to AI in the next 4–5 years, up from just 7% today.

Companies further recognise the need to strengthen AI readiness, with 55% in India prioritising scalability, flexibility, and manageability in IT infrastructure—highlighting key gaps that must be addressed for effective AI adoption.

“As companies accelerate their AI journeys, it’s critical they adopt a comprehensive approach to implementation and connect the dots to link AI ambition with readiness,” said Dave West, president for APJC at Cisco. 

“This year’s AI Readiness Index reveals that to fully leverage the potential of AI, companies need a modern digital infrastructure capable of meeting evolving power needs and network latency requirements from growing AI workloads. This must be supported with the right visibility to achieve their business objectives,” West added. 

Despite challenges unique to each pillar, the report highlights a common issue: a shortage of skilled talent. Companies identified this as the top challenge across infrastructure, data, and governance, underscoring the vital need for professionals to lead AI initiatives.

Anupam Trehan, VP of people and communities APJC at Cisco, said, “As the race to adopt AI picks up pace, talent will be a key differentiator for companies. There is already a shortage of skilled talent across various aspects of AI. This means companies will need to invest in their existing talent pool to meet the growing demand. At the same time, it is crucial that all stakeholders—the private and public sectors, educational institutions, and governments—work together to develop local talent so that the entire ecosystem can benefit from the immense potential that AI offers.”

Singapore – Global technology company Cisco has announced a reshuffle of its marketing leadership team in Asia-Pacific, Japan, and China (APJC).

Effective immediately, Mark Phibbs, Cisco’s former vice president of global marketing insights and analytics and for the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China (APJC) region is being promoted to a new and expanded global role as vice president for campaigns, content, and industries, to drive Cisco’s overall global marketing transformation.

Replacing him is Joyce Moy who takes the role of senior director for APJC marketing, a veteran at Cisco with close to two decades of experience in driving innovation and business impact in the region, and was formerly the senior director for strategy, planning & operations and segment, customer advocacy and partner marketing for APJC.

Mark has played a pivotal role in building a world-class marketing team and in driving strategic campaigns that redefined customer centricity and business growth for Cisco. Mark has been a champion of innovative, data driven marketing and revenue impact from marketing activities.

Meanwhile, Moy has been with Cisco for more than 15 years and has held multiple leadership roles.

Singapore – The onset of the global pandemic has pushed former brick-and-mortar businesses to the digital realm, and with this,small and medium businesses (SMBs) saw the need to implement their own cybersecurity measures, as well as setting their own digitalization roadmap, 

According to new insights from global technology company Cisco, about 94% of SMBs in the APAC region have implemented at least some sort of cybersecurity measure, while 90% revealed that they have also implemented a digitalization roadmap for their business to follow.

In terms of the implementation of the said roadmaps, 65% of APAC SMBs have implemented them, while 50% have deployed them.

Part of the growing trend of APAC SMBs realizing these digital strategies are fears over cybersecurity flaws in their business systems, with 56% of business respondents admitting that they have fallen victim to one of the many cybersecurity threats such as email phishing and malware attack, which clocked at 85% of the threats most of these businesses experienced.

With these fears in hand, about 62% of respondents have said that a cyber incident had disrupted their operations and 61% noting that it resulted in a loss of revenue. In addition, 57% saw a loss of trust with customers, while 66% said that a cyber incident affected the company’s reputation negatively.

“It is not a surprise that three quarters of SMBs said they are more concerned about cybersecurity today than they were 12 months ago. This is significant. But it is also encouraging because it demonstrates increased levels of awareness of cyber risk among SMBs,” Cisco said in their report.

As the large number of APAC SMB respondents have noted the consequences of cyber attacks, more and more of these institutions are now setting aside investment and budget for their cybersecurity and digitalization measures, with 63% of SMBs in the APAC region spend at least 4% of annual revenue on cybersecurity on average, with 30% of businesses spending at least 6% of their annual revenue, and 9% spending over 10%.

In terms of challenges, SMBs said keeping pace with continually evolving technologies and security requirements (77%); keeping pace with constantly evolving cyber threats (76%); challenges with engaging employees around responsibilities (75%); too much complexity in the industry (75%); and the ability to recruit (73%) are the top barriers they face to increasing cybersecurity resilience.

“The growing maturity in SMBs’ understanding of cybersecurity is perhaps best highlighted by the fact that they are looking at preparedness holistically. However, even with investments in solutions, talent, and training, SMBs do find themselves at the wrong end of a cyber attack. It’s just the nature of the industry,” Cisco explained.

The report added, “With a growing understanding of the potential impacts of a cyber incident on business, and increased legal implications, SMBs are turning towards cybersecurity insurance as a key investment area. This provides them with a cover to cushion the financial impact any such incident might have on their business.”

Singapore – Support for employees working remotely has been rated as the top strategy for SMEs across APAC in regards to their growth and success, new statistics from technology company Cisco shows.

According to the research, 41% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Asia Pacific (APAC) rated it as important as online sales platforms for success and growth. With the shift to a hybrid work environment here to stay, SMEs in the region are expected to continue to invest in technology solutions that support this trend. 

As a result of the business disruptions caused by the pandemic in the past year, using technology to reduce cost is the top business goal for one in five (18%) SMEs across APAC in the next 12 months. This is especially prevalent in mature APAC markets such as Australia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, where more than one-quarter (26%) of those surveyed selected it as their top goal compared to 17% in emerging markets India, China, Indonesia, and Thailand. 

Finding alternative channels to sell and deliver products is a challenge that half (50%) of SMEs in APAC are currently facing, followed by improving employee productivity (44%) and boosting revenue (40%). Such conflicts are manifested by SMEs who are seemed overwhelmed by the global pandemic.

Furthermore, improving employee productivity (44%) is the second-largest business challenge that SMEs in APAC are facing. In mature APAC markets, employee engagement (42%) is the top priority for digitization efforts across SMEs.

For Bidhan Roy, managing director and head of commercial and small business for Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China, the study reveals that the pattern of SME revamps in their remote work support has not only been evident in APAC, but also globally. 

“In the current climate, where online is a major consumption channel and dispersed workforces are the norm, our research also finds security and privacy among the chief considerations for SMEs when selecting technology solutions. It is crucial for SMEs, who may have limited resources, to work with technology partners that can help them identify secure, reliable, and value-for-money technology solutions that best fit their needs, as well as provide ongoing, one-stop, and customized support throughout the lifetime of the products and their digital transformation journey,” Roy said.

The findings are based on a survey by Analysys Mason of senior business and IT leaders at 1,600 SMEs with 50 to 150 employees, based in eight markets across APAC. 

Singapore – Technology conglomerate Cisco has named Dave West (left) as its new President, and Irving Tan (right) as Chairman for its Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China business.

West will be taking over his predecessor Miyuki Suzuki, as the latter has announced retirement. With more than 20 years of experience with Cisco, Dave’s recent position was the Head of Cisco Japan, where he launched the Japan Country Digitization initiative, built important strategic alliances with key Japanese companies, and drove sustained growth in one of the most strategic markets in the region. 

He has also held key global leadership roles for Cisco, including leading worldwide Enterprise Networking and Security sales and as the chief technological officer for Cisco APJ, where he spearheaded various key initiatives, designed and implemented innovative go-to-market models, and led multi-year digital transformations for customers.

“We are witnessing a major shift in the way businesses operate with technology driving the change. Home to some of the fastest-growing and diverse economies in the world, Asia is leading the charge on this front,” West commented.

He added, “As a global leader in networking, collaboration, and cybersecurity, we are committed to working with our customers and partners to accelerate their digital transformation so they are ready for the future and can fully leverage the growth opportunities that are opening up. I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead our business in this dynamic region and am looking forward to building on our success.”

Meanwhile, Tan, prior to his new position, was executive vice president and chief of operations for Cisco USA. Tan will partner with West and his leadership team on special projects to drive growth across the region.

“During his 20 years at Cisco, most recently as the head of Japan, Dave has demonstrated a strong understanding of the region, a great talent for recognizing and maximizing market trends and transitions, and the ability to motivate teams and drive growth. He’s the right leader at the right time,” said Gerri Elliott, executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officer at Cisco

Meanwhile, on Tan’s appointment, Elliott commented, “I am delighted that Irving is taking on the role of Chairman for APJC. His experience on the Executive Leadership Team, and as a former leader of APJC, will be invaluable to our efforts to drive sustained growth in the region,”

America-born Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, and other high-technology services and products. Its Asia Pacific presence spans11 countries, from Southeast Asia to ANZ.

Singapore—Small-medium enterprises (SME) in Asia Pacific are slowly making their way into being adoptive to today’s business changes across the digital transformation sphere, according to a report from IT and networking company Cisco and market intelligence firm IDC.

With more than 1,400 respondents across APAC SMEs, the report found out that there is a significant increase for digital adoption, showing a 16% growth for SMEs willing to integrate more digital transformation strategies, compared to the 11% growth last year.

On the other hand, 53% of SMEs showed initial willingness to be ‘observant’ at first for their small modern digital changes, while 31% of SMEs showed reactiveness to move into the digital market and are slow in their own transition.

The current COVID-19 pandemic proved to be one of the major reasons for digital transition of SMEs, as statistics showed that 94% of SMEs showed reliance on technological measures for their businesses. In regards to using digital business measures as a way to make roundabout on disruptive events i.e. the pandemic, 55% percent said that such measures are important and are crucial for the business framework.

Some of the leading goals for digitalization of SMEs include market expansion, improved customer experience (CX), prototype kickstart/startup, supply chain, among others.

Cisco estimates that with willingness from SMEs to conduct business presence online, such enterprises are forecasted to   bring $2.6–$3.1 trillion in GDP across Asia Pacific, suggesting faster economic recovery by 2024.