As the world enters the intelligent age and Cisco enters its fifth decade, we have an incredible opportunity to drive ethical, responsible, and sustainable leadership—and to bring others with us. The ability to access and use digital technologies is becoming increasingly important with the development of artificial intelligence. Technology is now a fundamental pillar of our society, people, government and environment. It has also become the backbone of resilience, providing the access and capabilities that ecosystems need to not only survive but thrive.
Cisco’s purpose: Ensuring an inclusive future for all
But the hard truth is that much of the world’s population still cannot be described as “resilient,” and the gap is widening as innovation and change accelerate. At Cisco, we have a unique opportunity to responsibly manage impact on a global scale. We know that when we put our purpose into action, we help grow our business, people and communities. Now just before Cisco 40Thursday anniversary, I’m happy to share ours FY24 Purpose Reportdetailing our goals, achievements and opportunities ahead as we work towards Power and an Inclusive Future for All. Here are some highlights of the year:
- Appointed #1 best company to work for in 16 countries from Fortune and a great place to work
- 86% of our employees have had an impact on the community by donating, volunteering, advocating causes and more. That’s our 5Thursday year in a row above 80% employee participation.
- 96% electricity for Cisco devices came from renewable sources
- The Cisco Foundation is committed $35 million to finance climate solutions from FY21
- He observed Cisco Talos 800 billion security events every day, promoting global cyber resilience
- Cisco Crisis Responses responded to 30+ natural disasters and humanitarian crises
- Through the Cisco Networking Academy, we have achieved 4.7 million students in FY24 – and even opened the first floating network academy in the Amazon
- The Cisco Country Digital Acceleration program has 1,600 active, completed or in-progress projects in 50 countries
Partnerships built on trust
Our purpose is woven internally across our company and is also scaled externally through a network of dedicated partners. Our success is driven by the work of many – the many people, companies, communities, governments, partners, customers, institutions and others who strive to change our world for the better. But this critical work can only be done when one key element is present: trust. Trust our customers, government officials, our people and our communities. We know that trust is our most valuable currency. The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer found that businesses are most trusted to integrate innovation into society – more than NGOs, government or the media. Cisco is committed to being a leader in secure and trusted solutions, as we have been for 40 years. It is a privilege to have this trust and a responsibility that Cisco does not take lightly.
For everyone
Artificial intelligence offers a huge opportunity, but we need to bring others with us. Looking at emerging markets around the world, the potential economic impact of AI is huge. Recent estimates suggest that AI could boost the African economy by US$2.9 trillion by 2030 and that India’s AI services could be worth US$17 billion by 2027. However, this incredible potential can only be realized if work is done to close the digital and data divide. . Many developing economies lag far behind in resilience and connectivity, limiting access to education, health care, jobs and more.
In fact, 2.6 billion people around the world are still without Internet access, and even among those who are connected, there are disparities in quality and affordability. The fixed broadband required for data-intensive applications is prohibitively expensive, if available at all. And 3G – not even 4G – remains the predominant mobile technology in less economically developed countries. Connecting populations reliably and safely is the first step to inclusion, and we should all feel compelled to connect the unconnectable and fight this growing divide.
Our next big ambition: 40 communities
40 years ago, Cisco was founded to address a fundamental need – the need to connect. Since then, Cisco has connected communities, countries and continents around the world, accelerating technology and impacting more than one billion lives in the process. As we celebrate 40 years of impact, we are excited to present our next big ambition: 40 communities. Over the next 10 years, we intend to engage, support and invest in 40 communities around the world.
To do so, we plan to expand existing offerings and contributions—including funding, technology, and expertise—in communities where Cisco is currently engaged, as well as in newly identified communities. But most importantly, we connect with our community partners—the experts on the ground who truly understand the community’s greatest needs, goals, and opportunities, and who can help us best determine how we can make the greatest impact.
Looking back while looking forward
I’ve been lucky enough to have had a first-hand look at Cisco’s innovation and growth for nearly 30 of those past 40 years, and found myself thinking about how much our work for purpose—from digital skills to circular design principles—has evolved . in the last four decades. As we showed in this year’s Purpose Report, our progress is accelerating, especially as AI helps us become more human, creative and productive.
And yet there is so much more to us. Looking into the future, we will never be able to anticipate all needs or how our societies will change. But we can commit to being driven by our Purpose and helping communities around the world build a more resilient and inclusive future for all.
We invite you to help Cisco Power an inclusive Future for All: Partnering for Purpose
Additional information:
Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub
Cisco Networking Academy
Cisco Country Digital Acceleration
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