Home > Articles

This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

Communications Center of Excellence (CCoE)

In 2007, the foundational efforts of the Intranet Strategy Group described in the chapter led to the establishment of the Communications Center of Excellence (CCoE). According to Burns, the cross-functional CCoE initiative was chartered to bring together the resources of the community to provide guidance on the right tools to use to solve specific communications needs. The scope of these communications needs included everything from email to web to rich media.

The underlying CCoE value proposition focused on consolidation and alignment of ongoing Web 2.0 activities, which led to its formation. For example, CCoE

  • Helps drive an enterprise collaboration framework, using collaborative tools.
  • Harnesses energy (and funding!) to create better, broader capabilities, which can be leveraged by all.
  • Avoids spending additional resources and funding on siloed, often redundant activities.

The value of consolidating efforts to drive adoption of collaborative tools more holistically across the company was soon realized as teams began to contribute resources and content toward the effort.

The original CCoE website, shown in Figure 10-14, was created to consolidate this enterprise Web 2.0 technology content in one location.

Figure 10-14

Figure 10-14 Original Communications Center of Excellence website.[11]

Some of the content Burns and team provided on the CCoE site include

  • Web 2.0 technology pages, with info for getting started
  • Technology roadmaps
  • Communications challenges
  • Solutions, best practices, and success stories
  • Discussion forums
  • News blog and project update blog
  • One-minute video overviews
  • Process and policies[11]

Since that time, Cisco’s Web 2.0 initiative has gone through an organizational change, resulting in the establishment of the groups currently leading Cisco’s adoption of Web 2.0 technology, introduced in Chapter 1:

  • Corporate Communications Architecture (CCA), the business organization led by Jim Grubb, vice president of corporate communications, which evolved from the original Intranet Strategy Group, is focused on communication with internal employees as well as external audiences and includes Executive Technical Marketing, Collaboration Business Services, and Collaboration Business Technologies. The fact that the Corporate Communications team is also focused on rich media, such as video, synergizes and accelerates the incorporation of rich media into the people, information, community, and My Cisco pages, which comprise Cisco’s integrated workforce experience.
  • Communications & Collaboration IT (CCIT), the IT organization led by Sheila Jordan, vice president of information technology, communications, and collaboration technology, is building the architecture to enable key business processes including communication, collaboration, delivery of employee services, innovation, and management.[50]
  • Communications & Collaboration Delivery Team (CCDT), the team formed out of these two organizations, is now leading the Web 2.0 technology delivery effort.

These teams now partner to build out the latest version of the CCoE site, shown in Figure 10-15. Today, CCoE provides employees with the information they need to effectively use Web 2.0 technologies to get engaged and increase both internal and external collaboration across the company. For example, the CCoE site provides

  • Vision, Strategy and Initiatives, providing information on plans for the future and strategic imperatives designed to achieve that vision.
  • Technology Roadmap, laying out plans for Cisco, Web 2.0, personalization technologies, and related applications and services for the fiscal year.
  • Communications & Collaboration Guide, tools and quick reference guides designed to help employees understand how and when to use each technology.
  • Communications & Collaboration Learning, providing information on training series and other learning materials.
  • Technologies & Tools, offering information on each of the various Web 2.0 technologies and tools, including availability, quick reference info, overview, and related discussions.
  • Collaboration Across Cisco, showcasing and rewarding initiatives that implement Web 2.0 technologies to enable collaboration with employees, customers, and partners in an exceptional way.
  • Executive Communications, offering tools and templates to enable more consistent, effective executive communications.
  • Governance and Policies, providing links to the Cisco Code of Business Conduct and Social Networking Handbook, which provides policies, procedures, guidelines, and best practices in employee Web 2.0 technology use.
  • Success Stories, focused on bringing stories on the Human Network Effect to light.
  • Discussions, providing a list of discussion forums, organized by categories: General, Executive, Communications & Collaboration Guide, or Technologies & Tools, and ranked by views.
  • CCoE Blog, where team members share thoughts and news on Web 2.0 technology rollouts affecting the company.[51]
Figure 10-15

Figure 10-15 Communications Center of Excellence (CCoE).[51]

Table 10-1 shows how Cisco’s Web 2.0 technology adoption and usage exploded during 2008, thanks to CCoE guidance and support. Wiki pages, for example, have grown five-fold in the last year, to eight times the number of pages of two years ago. TelePresence meetings have doubled in the last year, five times the number of two years ago. And there are now 31 times the number of WebEx Connect users than a year ago.

Table 10-1. Cisco’s Web 2.0 Technology Adoption Metrics[52]

Technology

Adoption Metrics

Increase of bold metrics

Blogs

February 2008

January 2009

Active Blogs

756

1,992

Registered Bloggers

2,870

7,792

3X

Published Blog Entries

3,296

11,457

Total Comments

2,588

8,827

Discussion Forums

January 2008

January 2009

Categories

157

1,270

Forums

312

2,847

Threads

1,059

14,499

12X

Messages

3,058

44,297

Registered Users

2,582

32,666

Groups

41

137

Wikis

January 2007

January 2009

Accounts (15K Editors)

72,020

Spaces (330/Quarter)

3,633

5X

Pages (18K/Quarter)

35,621

187,280

C-Vision

January 2008

January 2009

Video Publishers

130

2,108

16X

Photo Publishers

40

438

Videos Uploaded

300

6,797

Photos Published

100

3,475

23X

Unique Viewers

3,257

46,871

TelePresence

January 2008

January 2009

Meetings

90,000

215,833

2X

WebEx Connect

January 2008

January 2009

Users

1,000

31,047

Spaces

2,500

66,816

31X

Documents

2,000

238,310

CCoE Website

January 2008

January 2009

Unique Users

24,608

57,019

Visits

26,868

63,935

2X

Hits

37,450

89,890

In January 2009, the CCoE site had nearly 90,000 hits, more than double the number measured a year earlier. The most hit pages in January 2009: CCoE Home, WebEx, RSS Publishers, Directory, and Blogs.[23] The next step in our ongoing metrics gathering process will be to identify and measure the business impact of these technologies: reduced search time, improved access to information, reduced email, faster and more effective decision-making, and increased ability to solve the more difficult problems, for Cisco and perhaps the world. In the words of vice president Jim Grubb, known as John Chamber’s product “Demo Guy,” “Collaboration this way helps a world community solve big problems.”[5]

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020