Cisco CEO, John Chambers, cut the ribbon at the company’s new and significantly improved Global Risk Management operations center today, January 16, 2007. Chambers was the first Cisco VIP to officially tour the new center, which is located at Cisco headquarters in San Jose, CA and houses the company’s Security Facility Operations Center (SFOC), Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and Risk Technologies Innovation Lab.
The San Jose site is one of four operation centers that the Safety and Security group uses to remotely monitor and respond to events worldwide. The other locations are in Raleigh, NC; Bedfont Lakes, UK; and St. Leonards, Australia.
At Cisco, the Global Risk Technologies group (formerly the Physical Security group) designed and implemented an IP enterprise solution comprising a variety of technologies to manage the company’s physical security and to maintain the safety and security of Cisco employees, visitors, and assets. Using 2,800 cameras and 6,600 badge readers, the Safety and Security group is able to monitor 330 Cisco locations in more than 85 countries worldwide. The Global Risk Technologies group also operates a technology/innovation lab that offers expertise in new product evaluations, R&D, and network management for Cisco’s Worldwide Access Control and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems.
Internally, the team works closely with other Cisco organizations to integrate its security systems with other Cisco functions, while externally the team provides guidance and vision to the security industry.
The remodeled SFOC, now doubled in size, serves as the communications hub for the Cisco Safety and Security organization. The SFOC uses innovative solutions to deliver a variety of emergency management and services, including:
- Monitoring and responding to alarms
- Monitoring and reviewing CCTV systems
- Dispatching emergency services such as police, fire, and ERT
- Dispatching client requests for services such as unlocking doors and computers, or vehicle assistance
The SFOC can accommodate Risk Management, Facility Response Center, Tactical Op’s, InfoSec (CSPO), Global Protector Services employees; database administrators; and security executives.
Should a critical event threaten business continuity, the Theater Crisis Management Team (TCMT) meets in the adjacent Emergency Operations Center, which has also been doubled in size. The team filters pertinent data and forwards it to the appropriate Cisco executives for decision-making. The mission of each EOC is to be capable of globally managing Cisco from one location in the event of a crisis.
As part of the operation center renovation, a brand new Risk Technologies Innovation Lab was designed and built to test and showcase the latest Cisco physical security technologies and products to customers. The Executive Briefing Center (EBC) will arrange customer tours of the new security products inside this new Cisco security operations environment.
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