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 Only now are most organizations beginning to fully comprehend how their networks can deliver a business advantage. To be competitive and survive in today's marketplace, businesses must leverage their networks. The network can seamlessly link organizations to their customers, prospects, business partners, suppliers, and employees, allowing them to share information and conduct business worldwide with all their constituencies. Both productivity and profitability can substantially improve as companies become truly global networked businesses. Cisco's products and services enable the applications that deliver strategic advantage. From large enterprises, to service providers, to small and medium-sized businesses, a Cisco-based network allows organizations to communicate, collaborate, and compete more effectively. For example, engineers at a large manufacturer can share product information over their network. Schoolchildren can collaborate on projects over the Internet. And a telecommuter can accomplish a productive day of work without ever leaving home. With solutions built on a foundation of reliable products, intelligent software, and industry-leading customer support, Cisco is the right choice. |
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The benefits of becoming a global networked business can be substantial. Cisco itself offers a prime example for other organizations seeking to leverage the power of their networks for business advantage. In the early 1990s, Cisco was a young technology company experiencing high growth and global expansion. Orders were escalating. The operations and support groups were stretched to their limits. As its business grew, Cisco had to find a way to scale its staff and business systems yet still maintain high levels of quality and customer satisfaction. | |
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 Becoming a global networked business was the solution. In 1993, Cisco began aggressively using the network to keep up with customer and market demands. The centerpiece of this strategy is Cisco Connection Online (CCO), a comprehensive, Web-based, online resource for information and networked applications.
With nearly 70,000 active registered users from around the world, CCO is accessed approximately 700,000 times each month, making it the primary vehicle for delivering responsive, around-the-clock customer support. Customers rely on CCO to answer questions, diagnose network problems, provide solutions, and receive expert assistance worldwide. In fact, over 60 percent of Cisco's technical support for customers and resellers is delivered electronically, saving Cisco over $150 million annually and improving customer satisfaction. Over 90 percent of Cisco's software upgrades are delivered via CCO, at much lower cost and in less time than with traditional distribution methods. For its international customers, portions of CCO have been translated into multiple languages with nearly 50 different country pages. | |
By enabling CCO to handle product configuration and order entry, Cisco saves its resellers and customers both time and money. Orders can be placed via the World Wide Web from anywhere in the world. Other applications allow users to instantly check the status of pending orders. During fiscal year 1997, more than $800 million in orders were processed using our Web site. Productivity gains of 60 percent for Cisco and 20 percent for customers and resellers are being realized through online commerce. Cisco also maintains Cisco Employee Connection (CEC), an internal corporate network (or "intranet") that supports instant global communications among its thousands of employees worldwide. Whether an employee wants information about a company event, requires access to health benefit registration, or needs recent expense-tracking reports, CEC streamlines business processes and lowers costs throughout the company. An application called METRO, for example, automates the processes of making travel arrangements and submitting expenses over Cisco's intranet using a standard Web browser. In excess of 1.7 million pages of information are presented to employees, who access CEC thousands of times each day. The need for written memos and printed documents has been sharply reduced.
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