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Leading the AI Chart: Cisco Engage Greater Bay Area 2025 Focuses on the Next Wave of Transformation Technologies

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New innovations showcase the company’s leading portfolio designed to help customers build, secure and operate AI-ready data centers.Cisco’s Greater Bay Area team empowers businesses with innovative solutions, aiding customers in AI, secured networking, and digital resilience.Latest research by Cisco shows that CEOs worry gaps in their understanding of AI will impact strategic decisions, risking missed opportunities.

HONG KONG, Feb. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today brought together senior leaders and industry experts for a series of insightful discussions on the critical technological advances shaping the vibrant Greater Bay Area (GBA). The event marked the return of Cisco Engage Greater Bay Area following its great success in 2023. This year’s theme, “Go Beyond”, explores new frontiers of innovation, where companies in the GBA harness the transformative possibilities of the AI era to push the limits of what can be achieved.  

The event was attended by Professor Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, Hon. Mr. Duncan Chiu, Legislative Council Member Technology & Innovation Constituency, Carmen Leung, Senior Superintendent of Police, Cyber Security, Forensics and Training, CSTCB, Hong Kong Police,  Dave West, President, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, and Ming Wong, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Cisco Greater China.

Professor Sun Dong, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government said, “Hong Kong has long been recognized as a super connector, bridging the dynamic markets of Mainland China with the rest of the world.  The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is fully committed to creating a robust I&T ecosystem and a business-friendly environment where I&T enterprises and start-ups can grow and thrive here, and make impactful contributions to the local and global economy and society.  To construct a sustainable I&T ecosystem, the close collaboration among government, industry, academia, research and investment sectors is crucial. We welcome more international I&T enterprises like Cisco to set foot in Hong Kong and leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages as an ideal gateway for businesses aiming to tap into the vast markets of Mainland China and the Asia-Pacific region.”

Cisco’s Commitment in Greater Bay Area

In May 2023, Cisco proudly established the Greater Bay Area team, marking a significant step in our commitment to innovation and customer success in the region. Over the past 20 months, our dedicated GBA team has played a pivotal role in helping customers seize growth potential in the GBA and capitalize on synergies across markets. The team has successfully assisted a large number of customers in transitioning to AI-ready data centers, create future-proof workplaces, and enhance digital resilience. These achievements underscore Cisco’s unwavering dedication to empowering businesses with cutting-edge solutions and robust digital infrastructures.

Additionally, Cisco has been actively involved in a range of strategic initiatives across the GBA. These include a Memorandum of Understanding with Cyberport to make join efforts in the establishment of an AI lab; supporting Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in expanding its AI data center; and contributing to the Hong Kong Police Force’s establishment of a Cyber Security Action Task Force to enhance the city’s ability to cope with cyber threats. Cisco also participated in the “US-China Bay to Bay Dialogue”, where discussions focused on the shared economic development of the Bay Area.

A Paradox Between AI’s Potential and Implementation Challenges

Cisco has been leading the chart on providing in-depth analysis of the biggest trends impacting businesses, the latest of which are published in Cisco’s 2025 AI Briefing CEO Edition. This study uncovers a paradox where four in five CEOs recognize AI’s potential benefits and almost all CEOs plan to integrate AI into their operations. Yet at the same time, many fear gaps in their knowledge will hinder decisions in the boardroom (74%) and stifle growth (58%) – risking missed opportunities and falling behind competitors. 

More than 70% of CEOs are concerned about losing ground due to IT and infrastructure gaps, fears that are already translating into real losses. Over half (53%) worry that a lack of investment in technology is costing them competitive advantage, while two-thirds are concerned about the opportunity costs of not investing more in technology.  Without decisive action, CEOs anticipate higher operating costs, lower profits, reduced productivity, and declining market share.

For those who confront their fears, the rewards will go far beyond simply “keeping up”. CEOs are turning to AI for its transformative potential: driving efficiency (69%), spurring innovation (68%), and outpacing competitors (54%). Yet, to realize AI’s full potential, they must first overcome key barriers – including skills shortages, infrastructure limitations, and security risks.

While CEOs focus on the bigger picture, their CIOs and CTOs are often grappling with operational hurdles, including the lack of compelling business use cases – a challenge CEOs rank lower. This tension perhaps reflects AI’s exploratory phase, with 82% of CEOs recognizing that AI’s potential benefits call for bold experimentation in the short term to uncover value in the long term.

As they work to meet these challenges, CEOs recognize they cannot deliver on their blueprint alone. 96% are turning to trusted partnerships to future-proof their network for AI.

“As AI continues to evolve, particularly with the rapid growth of agentic AI, companies in the GBA are navigating a pivotal transformation,” said Iris Feng, General Manager of Cisco Hong Kong, Macau, and South China. “Cisco is leading the charge to help businesses not only navigate the AI revolution but also leverage its power for sustainable growth, capitalizing on the region’s growing role as a global powerhouse. Our solutions are designed to help businesses in the GBA seamlessly adapt, stay competitive, and achieve long-term success, all backed by Cisco’s AI-driven innovations.”

Powering AI for the Future: Cisco’s Latest Innovations

To provide GBA customers with the technology needed to embrace AI, Cisco is delivering impactful innovations across its unmatched product portfolio. Its AI infrastructure and data center solutions empower enterprises and service providers to transform their infrastructure for AI workloads:

Cisco N9300 Smart Switches with Hypershield: Cisco’s Smart Switches redefine adaptive and scalable AI data center architectures by embedding services directly into the network. Cisco Hypershield, which will be the first service available, eliminates the gap between security and networking layers by converging them into a single solution.Cisco Hybrid Mesh Firewall: The N9300 Smart Switch and Hypershield integration, along with advances in firewall, management, and licensing, will enable Cisco to deliver Hybrid Mesh Firewall optimized to protect AI applications in the data center and public cloud. Cisco’s Hybrid Mesh Firewall is a highly distributed security fabric managed under a single management console, delivering zero trust segmentation and protect application vulnerabilities in modern and AI applications.Cisco Agile Services Networking: The Cisco Agile Services Networking architecture provides a blueprint for service providers as they look to enable AI connectivity and monetize assured services. The innovations introduced to deliver this architecture include Silicon One-powered platforms, coherent pluggable optics and provider management and assurance software enhancements.Expansion of AI Server Family: New Cisco UCS C845A M8 server, based on the NVIDIA MGX reference architecture, brings flexibility to AI workloads. Its advanced architecture is designed to enable AI innovation, offering the computational power for intensive tasks and the efficiency required for rapid deployment.

Solving AI Challenges

Cisco’s portfolio gives customers and partners solutions to accelerate AI adoption, but challenges remain. Recognizing the need to tackle the energy efficiency challenges imposed by AI workloads, as well as the deepening skills gap that has developed due to the ever-evolving AI landscape, Cisco has introduced new partnerships and programs:

Engineering Alliances: The Cisco Engineering Alliances program is designed to accelerate building new validated solutions to solve some of our customers’ most pressing challenges. Cisco has signed alliances with Vertiv, DeepCoolAI, Green Revolution Cooling, and Asperitas to deliver liquid cooling solutions, addressing the ever-increasing thermal density in AI data centers. Additionally, Cisco has signed alliances with Panduit, MHT Technologies, and ThinLabs to deliver end-to-end direct current microgrid solutions leveraging Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) and Fault Managed Power (FMP) to reduce energy use in smart buildings.  AI Skilling: Cisco continues to enhance its offerings in AI skilling by launching its newest AI Skills Journey program to build critical AI Infrastructure skills from entry to expert—available at u.cisco.com. As a part of this effort, Cisco Learning & Certifications has updated current certifications, including Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), and Internetwork Expert (CCIE). These updated certifications reflect the AI and cybersecurity skills needed to achieve impactful business outcomes. Select programs will be complimentary through March 24.

Download highlights from Cisco’s 2025 AI Briefing CEO Edition here.

For more information about AI Defense, the latest addition to Cisco’s series of AI-driven security innovations, visit cisco.com/go/ai-defense.

For more high-resolution images and video, please visit this link.

The CEO study, conducted by Opinion Matters (24 Dec 2024 – 2 Jan 2025), surveyed 2,503 CEOs from companies with 250+ employees worldwide. A companion study with 8,065 senior networking leaders will follow in the coming months, exploring the strategic and operational needs of AI-era networking and security.

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world. With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity, and strengthen digital resilience. With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on The Newsroom.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco’s trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. 

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SOURCE Cisco

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HydraForce, Elevāt, and Bosch Rexroth Announce Enhanced Remote OTA Update Capabilities for Off-Highway Equipment

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SEATTLE, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Building on their strategic collaboration, HydraForce, a global leader in motion control systems and Elevāt, an industrial IoT and applied AI platform provider, announced a significant advancement in remote machine management.

The HydraForce Connected Control Unit (CCU) from Bosch, integrated with Elevāt software, is now capable of providing remote access and performing over-the-air (OTA) updates on Bosch Rexroth BODAS controllers.

This enhanced capability empowers HydraForce and Elevāt customers to streamline operations, reduce downtime, and significantly improve machine performance and serviceability. By leveraging the integrated solution, OEMs can use the Elevāt platform to remotely diagnose issues and deploy critical software updates to the BODAS controllers on their equipment without requiring on-site service personnel.

“The ability to remotely access and update Bosch Rexroth BODAS controllers using the Elevāt platform takes our collaborative vision of bridging hydraulics, electronics, and digital services to the next level,” said Russ Schneidewind, director of business developmentat at HydraForce.  “The cooperation between Elevāt and Bosch Rexroth is directly addressing the industry’s need for complete, future-ready solutions.”

Adam Livesay, co-founder and CEO of Elevāt, commented, “At Elevāt, we believe the future of equipment service is connected, intelligent, and proactive. This collaboration helps OEMs deliver the next generation of service by  accelerating software deployment and enabling faster issue resolution in the field. The addition of remote BODAS controller updates is another key milestone toward a fully integrated ecosystem that simplifies the connection between hardware, software, and digital services—helping manufacturers bring intelligent equipment to market faster while creating new opportunities for recurring customer value.”

HydraForce and Elevāt plan to further their collaboration with additional remote machine management capabilities to be announced in the future.

About HydraForce HydraForce is a global designer and manufacturer of motion control systems, encompassing hydraulic cartridge valves, manifolds and electronic controls for a variety of off-highway industries, including farming, construction, marine, material handling, mining, and forestry. HydraForce was acquired by Bosch Rexroth, becoming a significant part of the Compact Hydraulics Business Unit. Bosch Rexroth and HydraForce combine their presence in complementary regions to provide comprehensive coverage in Europe and North America, while enabling growth in Asia.

About Bosch Rexroth As one of the world’s leading suppliers of drive and control technologies, Bosch Rexroth ensures efficient, powerful and safe movement in machines and systems of any size. The company bundles global application experience in the market segments of Mobile and Industrial Applications as well as Factory Automation. With its intelligent components, customized system solutions, engineering and services, Bosch Rexroth is creating the necessary environment for fully connected applications. Bosch Rexroth offers its customers hydraulics, electric drive and control technology, gear technology and linear motion and assembly technology, including software and interfaces to the Internet of Things. With locations in over 80 countries, around 31,900 associates generated sales revenue of 6.5 billion euros in 2025.  To learn more, please visit www.boschrexroth.com.

About Bosch Having established a presence in North America in 1906, today the Bosch Group employs around 38,000 associates in more than 100 locations in the North American region (as of Dec. 31, 2024). According to preliminary figures, Bosch generated consolidated sales of $18.7 billion in the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 2025. For more information visit www.bosch.us, www.bosch.mx and www.bosch.ca. The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 412,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2025). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 91 billion euros in 2025. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. With its business activities, the company aims to use technology to help shape universal trends such as automation, electrification, digitalization, connectivity, and an orientation to sustainability. In this context, Bosch’s broad diversification across regions and industries strengthens its innovativeness and robustness. Bosch uses its proven expertise in sensor technology, software, and services to offer customers cross-domain solutions from a single source. It also applies its expertise in connectivity and artificial intelligence in order to develop and manufacture user-friendly, sustainable products. With technology that is “Invented for life,” Bosch wants to help improve quality of life and conserve natural resources. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 490 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. Bosch’s innovative strength is key to the company’s further development. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 82,000 associates in research and development. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant upfront investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-four percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a limited liability company with a charitable purpose. The remaining shares are held by Robert Bosch GmbH and by a company owned by the Bosch family. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG. It is entrusted with the task of safeguarding the company’s long-term existence and in particular its financial independence – in line with the mission handed down in the will of the company’s founder, Robert Bosch. Additional information is available online at www.bosch-press.com, www.bosch.com.

About Elevāt Elevāt is a leading industrial IoT and applied AI platform purpose-built for off-highway OEMs. Elevāt enables manufacturers to connect machines, unlock actionable intelligence, and deliver next-generation digital services across the entire equipment lifecycle. Additional information is available online at www.getelevat.com

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SOURCE Elevat, Inc

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FutureSports launches as new index provider transforming sports statistics into tradable financial instruments

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Backed by leading financial and sports institutions, firm will leverage partnerships to bring critical new hedging vehicles to sports ecosystem

CHICAGO, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FutureSports, the new independent index administrator transforming professional and college sports statistics into rules-based, benchmark financial indexes, today announced its emergence from stealth. Backed by a broad range of leading financial and sports institutions, FutureSports in the coming months will announce a series of partnerships, collaborations and products that will bring significant new risk management and trading opportunities to the massive ecosystem supporting the most popular sports.

FutureSports previously raised a seed investment round co-led by Marquee Ventures, spun out of the ownership group of the Chicago Cubs. Major financial industry leaders joined the round, including CME Ventures (the corporate venture capital division of CME Group), Robinhood Markets, Inc., WEDBUSH and DRW Special Investments (an investment arm of DRW). Other investors include Motivate VC, Phoenix Capital Ventures, and John and Linda Henry (Fenway Sports Group).

The company also announced the addition of industry experts to its board of directors, including Chairman Mark Wassersug, longtime Chief Operating & Information Officer of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE); Tim McCourt, Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Equity, FX, and Alternative Products at CME Group, and Erik Hammer, Managing Partner at Marquee Ventures.

The firm will soon unveil its first series of exclusive partnerships with major sports leagues, paving the way for institutional investors and companies in and around the sports industry to manage their risk in an unprecedented fashion and participate in regulated, tradable, broad-based index futures contracts based on team and athlete statistical performance. FutureSports creates rules-based financial indexes, known as FutureSports Performance Indexes (FSPI), that accurately represent the performance of teams and athletes in prominent sports leagues. By utilizing transparent, rules-based methodologies based on officially reported statistical outcomes, the company creates continuous values designed to underpin tradable financial products, such as listed derivatives, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and over-the-counter (OTC) swaps.

Potential market participants will include league broadcasting partners, team and athlete sponsors and endorsers, insurers, stadium owners and operators, private equity investors, lenders, and apparel manufacturers. Asset managers, pension funds and professional trading firms are expected to participate in the contracts and contribute to liquidity in this new uncorrelated asset class. Retail investors will also be able to participate in the first-of-their-kind trading vehicles, which the company expects to capture the interest of sophisticated traders looking for more traditional financial trading instruments

Leigh Taylforth, FutureSports Co-Founder, said: “The global sporting industry generates $650 billion a year, yet there has been no liquid, robust opportunity to hedge the extensive and varied industry risks that range from weather events, to injuries, to unanticipated behavior issues and more. That is about to change. We’ve been truly gratified to see the interest our business has generated within the sports and sports-adjacent industries and the quality of investors we have attracted already.”

Rhett Dinsdale, FutureSports Co-Founder, said: “Up until today, we have been operating in stealth mode while developing our products and establishing key relationships that we expect to be fundamental to our success as we move forward. The recent rise in popularity of prediction markets has only reinforced the concept we created several years ago, that sports as an asset class has huge utility within the sports and entertainment industries, with indexes serving as key institutional instruments to manage risk. What is sorely needed is the type of reliable data and financial instruments that institutional investors have leveraged for so long within the regulated derivatives industry, and we’re excited to bring these to market.”

The Executive team includes Co-Founders Taylforth and Dinsdale, who each have more than 20 years of experience in derivatives trading for market makers, investment banks and hedge funds, along with:

Dave Abbott, Chief Technology Officer – formerly Managing Director at Sportradar;Steve Byrd, Head of Partnerships – formerly Chief Operating Officer (COO) at STATS LLC & Chief Commercial Officer at Sportradar US;Jodie Gunzberg, Head of Index Services – formerly Managing Director at S&P Dow Jones Indices, Morgan Stanley & CoinDesk;Tom Jenkins, Head of Business Development – formerly Head of Index Partnerships & Strategy at FTSE Russell;Josh Kravitt, Head of Operations – formerly Director at CME Ventures;Sunny Modi, Head of Product – formerly Head of BI at Ardent Leisure Group;Mike Philipp, Chief Legal & Strategy Officer – formerly partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP;Charlie Thornton, Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer – formerly Chief of Staff and COO at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

About FutureSports

Under development since 2022 and launched in 2026, Chicago-based FutureSports has created a proprietary index methodology for measuring on-field, on-ice and on-court performance for a range of professional sporting teams and athletes. Partnering with many of the most recognizable sports leagues and financial market participants, FutureSports transforms live, play-by-play statistical data into rules-based, benchmark indexes that may be referenced by exchange-listed financial products. The indexes are designed to serve the same benchmarking function as the leading equity, commodity and fixed income indexes utilized every day across major global exchanges to track performance and hedge risk in the financial markets. For more information, visit www.futuresports.com.

 

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SOURCE FutureSports

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Capital Group Canada Launches Three Active Equity ETFs on TSX

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The ETF suite now includes five active equity ETFs and two active fixed income ETFs designed to sit at the core of investment portfolios

TORONTO, July 23, 2026 /CNW/ — Capital International Asset Management (Canada), Inc. (“Capital Group Canada”) has launched three new active exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) today. The three equity strategies are designed to give options for investors looking to diversify their portfolios with non-domestic exposures including U.S., international and developed market securities.  

The new active ETFs are:

CAPU – Capital Group U.S. Equity Select ETF (Canada): Seeks long-term growth of capital and income through investments primarily in common stocks of U.S. issuers.CAPN – Capital Group International Developed Equity Select ETF (Canada): Seeks to provide prudent growth of capital through investments primarily in equity securities of issuers in developed markets outside North America. CAPQ – Capital Group Global Developed Equity Select ETF (Canada): Seeks to provide prudent growth of capital through investments primarily in equity securities of issuers in developed markets.

“As demand for ETFs continues to grow, our expanded lineup gives investors more ways to access Capital Group’s distinctive active investment approach, including our deep research capabilities and multiple portfolio manager system,” said Rick Headrick, president of Capital Group Canada. “As one of the world’s largest active investment managers with over 90 years of experience, we are able to share the benefits of our global scale and offer competitively priced active ETFs designed to sit at the core of an investor’s portfolio.”

“Clients tell us they are looking beyond borders for opportunities to build diversified portfolios,” said Angela Shim, head of product and development at Capital Group Canada. “The three equity strategies expand Capital Group Canada’s core offerings in U.S., international, and global equities, giving investors flexible solutions that can help them navigate global markets and stay focused on their long-term investment goals.”

The three ETFs closed their initial offering of units on July 22, 2026.

The additions expand Capital Group Canada’s ETF lineup to seven, building on a prior launch of two equity and two fixed income ETFs. Details of Capital Group Canada’s full suite of active ETFs can be found here.

About Capital Group

Capital International Asset Management (Canada), Inc. is part of Capital Group, a global investment management firm originating in Los Angeles, California. As Capital Group approaches its 100th anniversary in 2031, its long-term strategy remains firmly rooted in its mission to improve people’s lives through successful investing. With over 9,000 associates and 34 offices around the world, Capital Group manages US$3.6 trillion in assets for millions of wealth management and institutional clients around the world*.

*As of June 30, 2026.

For more information, visit: www.capitalgroup.com/ca/en

SOURCE Capital Group Canada

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