Cisco Podcast Network

404 Script Not Found: Business School

Kat enters her MBA era and quickly learns that going back to school with a full-time job is less glow-up and more calendar Tetris, midnight accounting homework, and life choices made over coffee and mild panic. We get into the real reason she chose to go back to school, and the career pivot logic before the conversation turns to time management, burnout, and the very real kitchen-counter study sessions.
Kat shares insights into the cost (financial and other...), tradeoffs, and the networking perks of being in an executive program. Ian does his best to avoid sounding like Michael Scott as he asks questions throughout.
An honest, slightly chaotic look at balancing work, school, and real life—plus why going back to class hits differently when you actually chose to be there.
If you like the show, and want us to keep our jobs, give us a click here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html
Thanks, Kowalski!

SHIFT HAPPENS - EP.25: The Power (and Risk) of How You Tell the Story

What if the real competitive advantage isn’t the technology—but the story you tell about it?
In this episode of Shift Happens, Jeff Edwards sits down with Jason Marks, CEO of Techrategy and LEAD Above, to explore why storytelling—not specs—is what actually wins in tech. From simplifying complex platforms to making AI readiness feel practical (not risky), this conversation breaks down how the One Cisco story drives clarity, trust, and better outcomes when it’s told well.
💡 Why listen:
• 🎯 Outcomes beat features—here’s how that changes buying decisions
• 🧠 The right story de-risks AI and future investments
• 💰 Partners win bigger, more durable deals with a cohesive platform narrative
If you sell, design, or influence technology decisions, this episode shows how to turn complexity into clarity—and stories into results.

404 Script Not Found: Managing Up

We’re talking “managing up” today—yes, that elusive art of keeping your boss in the loop (without sounding like you’re bragging or, you know, a robot). Kat and Ian break down what it really means to make your boss’s life easier, from running those infamous one-on-ones to knowing when to say “no, but here’s a solution.” Along the way, we tackle the big questions: Can a yellow sweater actually help you survive February? Is it possible to be strategic and human? And why is it so hard to talk about your own wins without feeling icky?
Spoiler: We don’t have it all figured out, but we’ve got stories, hacks, and plenty of self-deprecating humor (plus a cameo from Ian’s dogs).
If you haven’t already, and you want to keep these half-baked insights coming, check out Cisco’s solutions for small and medium businesses: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html

The New Realities of Data Sovereignty

Digital information is constantly in motion, crossing borders and jurisdictions. Learn about the current dynamics around data sovereignty and the importance of understanding the path your data takes.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
03:38 Data in Flight
06:52 Consideration Factors for Data Paths
10:17 Failover Considerations
12:13 On Encryption and Quantum Computing
13:57 How AI Adds Complexity to Data Sovereignty
16:17 Key Takeaways
For additional insights, check out The Internet Outage Survival Kit: https://www.thousandeyes.com/resources/the-internet-outage-survival-kit?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fy26q3_internetreport_q3fy26ep131_podcast
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Want to get in touch?
If you have questions, feedback, or guests you would like to see featured on the show, send us a note at InternetReport@thousandeyes.com. Or, follow us on LinkedIn or X:.
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ABOUT THE INTERNET REPORT
This is The Internet Report, a podcast uncovering what’s working and what’s breaking on the Internet—and why.
Tune in to hear ThousandEyes’ Internet experts dig into some of the most interesting outage events from recent weeks, discussing what went awry—was it the Internet, or an application issue?
Plus, learn about the latest trends in ISP outages, cloud network outages, collaboration network outages, and more.
Catch all the episodes on your favorite podcast platform:
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-report/id1506984526
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ADFvqAtgsbYwk4JiZFqHQ?si=00e9c4b53aff4d08&nd=1&dlsi=eab65c9ea39d4773
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ciscopodcastnetwork/sets/the-internet-report
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCewXUwLMfn7Y69C6vGRVwyw

SHIFT HAPPENS - EP.24: Stop Marketing to People. Start Talking to Them w/Bryan Jones

🚀 What if the future of marketing isn’t campaigns—but conversations?
Jeff Edwards sits down with Bryan Jones, SVP of Global Revenue Field & Partner Marketing at Cisco, to unpack a core belief behind The Cisco 360 Partner Program: stop marketing to people and start talking with them. From simplifying how partners go to market, to increasing velocity with less friction, to turning marketing into a true force multiplier, this episode gets real about what actually drives pipeline and long-term customer value.
Why listen:
• How The Cisco 360 Partner Program shifts marketing from campaigns to human connection
• What it really takes to move partner marketing from good to great—with speed and simplicity
• How partners can amplify differentiation, generate pipeline, and prove real business impact
Ready to make Shift Happen?

404 Script Not Found: Lying About Microsoft Office Proficiency

Ian and Kat are back and talking things they think they are better at than they actually are...both skiing and the Microsoft Office Suite. From concatenating cells in Excel to creating works of art in PowerPoint, we delve into the products that every single person in the corporate world uses every day and where are our gaps are.
Ian gives tricks to help fake it until you make it in Excel, Kat may be the world's foremost Word user (at least in her own mind), and they both then brag about flex their PowerPoint and OneNote skills. We then talk about how AI is being integrated into everyday tools, AND even talk about how Microsoft Teams runs on Cisco's collaboration endpoints (have to keep the bosses happy with the product pitch)! Also, you should just use Webex. It's the best. And secure.
If you want to learn more about Webex, check it out here: www.webex.com

SHIFT HAPPENS-EP.23: The Economics of Partner Profitability w/John Roger

What if growth isn’t the problem—revenue quality is? This is the moment before the Shift.
Jeff Edwards sat down with John Roger, Founder and Managing Partner of Southern Technology Partners, around the holidays to break down the real economics behind partner success. From recurring revenue and managed services to lifecycle engagement and the Cisco 360 Partner Program – on the heels of its launch, this episode gets straight to what actually drives predictable, durable profitability.
Why listen 👇
• 💰 Why not all revenue is created equal—and what to prioritize instead
• 🔁 How recurring services reduce risk and fuel long-term growth
• 📈 What top partners do differently to scale without chaos
Less theory. More truth. Real-world partner lessons you can act on now to make Shift Happen!

Cisco Tech Stories - ep 31 - Hardening the core with resilient infrastructure

In this episode , Tristan takes us through a tour of what Cisco is doing to make all network devices more secure, not just the new products. Security concerns are not just about security vulnerabilities, your base configuration has the biggest impact actually ...
Resilient Infrastructure overview: ⁠https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/trust-center/resilient-infrastructure.html#~overview⁠ 
Feature Deprecation details: ⁠https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/about/doing_business/trust-center/docs/cisco-resilient-infrastructure-feature-deprecation-and-removal-details.pdf⁠ 
Alternatives:  ⁠https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/about/doing_business/trust-center/docs/cisco-infrastructure-resilience-feature-removal-and-suggested-alternatives.pdf⁠  
Additional links on threat landscape in 2026: ⁠https://blogs.cisco.com/news/doubling-down-on-resilient-infrastructure⁠ 
⁠https://blog.talosintelligence.com/salt-typhoon-analysis/⁠ 
 

404 Script Not Found: Partner Programs

Kat and Ian are back—and this time, they’ve brought in Steve Guillman, Cisco’s US Distribution Partner Sales Leader and the mastermind behind (joking) Cisco's new partner program, Cisco 360. Together, they unpack what partner programs are, why we should care and the buzz around Cisco’s big partner program update, tossing out the jargon and serving up the real story (we think).
Curious why Cisco decided to revamp a 25-year-old program? Wondering if all this change is actually a good thing? Steve lays it all out—from why partners should care, to how Cisco 360 is designed to reward partners for the awesome work they’re already doing (yes, there’s a little math, but we promise it’s worth it).
You’ll get honest takes, a couple of groan-worthy analogies (grocery stores, anyone?), and the kind of channel banter that only comes from years in the trenches. If you’ve ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes with Cisco’s partner programs—or just want to hear someone explain this to Kat “like she's five”—this episode’s for you.
Want to support the show (and keep the analogies coming)? Check out Cisco’s solutions for small and medium businesses: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html

Looking Ahead: 2026’s Biggest Outage Risks

Join us for a look ahead at some of the emerging outage trends for ITOps teams to keep in mind for 2026 and beyond.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
02:30 Monitoring for Component and Interaction Health
05:14 The Rising Scope of Automation
07:20 Real-World Scenarios
09:05 Observability Challenges
11:05 Getting Ahead of Interaction Failures
13:24 Outage Trends: By the Numbers
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For additional insights, check out The Internet Outage Survival Kit: https://www.thousandeyes.com/resources/the-internet-outage-survival-kit?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fy26q2_internetreport_q2fy26ep130_podcast
———
Want to get in touch?
If you have questions, feedback, or guests you would like to see featured on the show, send us a note at InternetReport@thousandeyes.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn or X.
———
ABOUT THE INTERNET REPORT
This is The Internet Report, a podcast uncovering what’s working and what’s breaking on the Internet—and why.
Tune in to hear ThousandEyes’ Internet experts dig into some of the most interesting outage events from recent weeks, discussing what went awry—was it the Internet, or an application issue?
Plus, learn about the latest trends in ISP outages, cloud network outages, collaboration network outages, and more.
Catch all the episodes on your favorite podcast platform:
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-report/id1506984526
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ADFvqAtgsbYwk4JiZFqHQ?si=00e9c4b53aff4d08&nd=1&dlsi=eab65c9ea39d4773
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ciscopodcastnetwork/sets/the-internet-report
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCewXUwLMfn7Y69C6vGRVwyw