Cisco Atlanta Office: What the New Space Means for Collaboration, Hybrid Work
The company expects to hire 700 employees in the Atlanta area in the next five years.
April 23, 2023
![Cisco Atlanta Office Cisco Atlanta Office](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt86fdc64574558e19/6523fe6b42661e5dcd58efbc/57820ccb-fa12-4ade-bec2-01cb68f95cc7-1-scaled.jpeg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
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At the new Atlanta office, Cisco is capturing about 8,000 data points from technology including Meraki, Webex, Cisco Spaces and Wi-Fi access points. Sixty-four Wi-Fi access points can detect occupancy, temperature, humidity and TVOC. The office’s base architecture is 100% Power over Ethernet (PoE).
As for sustainability goals, Cisco plans to reach net zero by 2040. When it comes to the Atlanta office, the company has already reached green milestones. These include using sustainably sourced materials, re-used furniture and incorporating waste elimination. Cisco has also installed a living wall with native plants.
“We see going to the office as something that should be attractive,” said Cisco spokesperson Andrew Cole. “It’s something that we want to present as a magnet. It pulls people in because of what they can experience, interacting with partners, with colleagues and with customers. Those are really the focus areas for us.”
Regarding Cisco’s Penn 1 in New York Cityh, partners say it’s a showcase for mutual customers as they look to level-up both employee and customer experience as they transform their workplaces.
Sean Wilson is vice president of ePlus, a Cisco partner.
“It’s imperative that we take a fresh look at how we design and more efficiently use our office space for the new era of work. Cisco’s recently transformed Penn 1 smart building is an amazing example of what’s possible when you include information technology leadership in the planning and design phases of any building renovation,” Wilson said. “For Penn 1, Cisco worked with their building architects and partners from the very beginning to integrate their technology into the overall solution. This resulted in reduced operational costs, simplified building management and flexible workspace to support hybrid workers.”
“The pandemic has led to a massive acceleration in the kind of collaboration products that we’ve been developing and innovating on, and also kind of the reexamination of our real estate and how we use that real estate,” Cole said.
Ninety-eight percent of meetings these days have at least one person who is not physically in the office. Cisco officials said the goal is to be as inclusive as possible to make employees feel like they are physically in the room even when they might not be.
Ninety-eight percent of meetings these days have at least one person who is not physically in the office. Cisco officials said the goal is to be as inclusive as possible to make employees feel like they are physically in the room even when they might not be.
Last week the new Cisco Atlanta office, a greenfield project, opened its doors to CEOs, academics and government officials who came to observe how hyper connectivity, cutting-edge design and green tech come together. Dubbed the Cisco Atlanta Collaboration Center, the 62,000 square-foot space has 87 hot desks, 115 collaboration-enabled spaces, and, true to hybrid form, zero personal offices. Additionally, it showcases the latest innovation to come out of Cisco that reinvents the office experience.
CRTKL is the architectural design firm that led the project in partnership with Cisco. The building is LEED-certified Platinum. Cisco will take up floors 18, 20 and 21. The company will dedicate the 20th floor to customer success.
Cisco expects to hire 700 employees in the next five years who will (assuming hybrid work schedules) travel in and out of this office. Cisco will also utilize resources in the Atlanta area, partnering closely with institutions such as Georgia Tech and HBCUs. One goal is to help local students gain important digital skills.
Cisco’s Andrew Cole
“We believe offices are centers for collaboration, offering leaders and individuals choice in the setting for their interactions, and fostering connection and innovation,” said Cisco spokesperson Andrew Cole. “For us, we want to create work environments that support maximum flexibility, productivity and well-being, letting teams decide what works best for their own collaboration.”
Cisco Atlanta Office Not the First Collaboration Center
Cisco has previously rolled out two other collaboration centers in the United States. One exists at the company’s headquarters in San Jose, California. The other, called Cisco Penn 1, is in New York City.
NWN Carousel’s Andrew Gilman
For Andrew Gilman, CMO at NWN Carousel, a longtime Cisco partner, Penn 1 brings together technological capabilities for his customers all in one place.
“It’s important to see how integrated cloud communication technology can provide a better experience overall,” Gilman said, who has visited Penn 1 on several occasions.
He added that in this economic environment, CIOs are trying to do more with less. These collaboration centers show executives how to invest in technologies while conserving resources, he said.
NWN Carousel has even replicated the Cisco model with its own customer innovation and experience center.
To view images and more information about the Cisco Atlanta office, see the slideshow above.
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