47 VIEWPOINT Technology can dissolve the barriers between people, ideas and outcomes; it’s what we at Cisco refer to as ‘Distance Zero’. Achieving Distance Zero requires more than just connecting screens. It demands a new model of collaboration, one where intelligence isn’t isolated to devices or the cloud, but flows seamlessly throughout the entire work experience. ‘Connected Intelligence’ is the fusion of human expertise and AI-driven support, where every interaction, workflow and decision is amplified by technology designed to be intuitive, secure and deeply human-centric. Today’s organisations need more than tools – they need orchestration. They need AI that proactively supports employees by automating tasks, capturing knowledge and anticipating needs. They need environments where insights are surfaced in the moment, actions are taken without friction, and every connection is resilient and secure. RoomOS 26 is the latest version of our purpose-built operating system for our video collaboration devices, including those for Microsoft Teams Rooms. Cisco always runs Webex natively on our devices, ensuring seamless and powerful collaboration experiences. RoomOS 26 includes a number of new agentic AI innovations, such as an automatic ‘AI director’ that automatically chooses the right view of a meeting with no user intervention required, a new ‘AI notetaker’ that can create a meeting summary and key actions, even when not in a video call, and a ‘workspace advisor’ that will create a digital twin of your workspace and make recommendations to enhance the experience. Cisco devices also support Microsoft’s Facilitator, too. Also, bringing the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP) to Cisco collaboration devices means that enterprise customers can continue to get the best edge AI experiences powered by Cisco’s devices with Nvidia AI engines – with best AI capabilities from Microsoft – on a platform that combines Microsoft and Cisco’s complementary strengths in enterprise grade management and security. Importantly, Cisco manageability through Control Hub also works with MDEP, providing consistent and centralised management across environments. The future of work will be defined by those who can bring people, places, and platforms together with intention and intelligence. At Cisco, we are committed to making ‘Distance Zero’ a reality, with ‘Connected Intelligence’ as the engine powering every breakthrough. The journey is just beginning, and together with our partners and customers, we are building workplaces where technology disappears and human potential comes forward, no matter where you are. Snorre Kjesbu is senior vice president and general manager of collaboration at Cisco As organisations adapt to a world where teams are distributed and work happens everywhere, leaders face a question: how do we create a sense of closeness, creativity and productivity, regardless of distance? SNORRE KJESBU: CISCO Smarter collaboration through Distance Zero “Today’s organisations need more than tools – they need orchestration”
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