Cisco Becomes Official Partner of the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games and Team USA
Cisco --
the worldwide leader in secure networking technology –announced a partnership
with the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA to serve as the
Official Network Equipment Partner. As the next four years promise to bring
incredible growth and transformation that will impact all aspects of the
Olympic and Paralympic Games, Cisco will deliver on its long-standing history
with the Olympic and Paralympic Movement to not only provide secure
connectivity through its industry-leading networking infrastructure, but also
positively impact the city of Los Angeles and people in the region.
Since
2012, Cisco has served as an Official Partner of several editions of the
Olympic and Paralympic Games, connecting and protecting athletes, fans and
stakeholders in London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016), Tokyo (2020) and Paris
(2024). Cisco’s networking solutions will be deployed across numerous venues
throughout the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area to ensure secure and reliable
connectivity for all involved in the LA28 Games.
As
the Olympic Games return to Los Angeles for the third time overall and first
since 1984, and the city prepares to host its first Paralympic Games, Cisco
will build upon its existing relationships within the city and region to
leverage networking technology to benefit residents and visitors to the area in
both 2028 and beyond.
"We
are thrilled to bring Cisco’s networking technology, powered by AI, to the LA28
Olympics and Paralympics. The Games have become a powerful symbol of
representation for the world, embodying the principle that everyone deserves an
equal opportunity to compete. We can't wait to use our expertise to securely
connect these globally beloved events, leave a lasting positive impact on Los
Angeles, and amplify the ideals of organizations like Cisco who seek to foster
an inclusive future for all," said Francine Katsoudas, Chief People,
Policy & Purpose Officer at Cisco.
“Connectivity
is going to be integral as we plan to deliver the Olympic and Paralympic Games
all throughout Los Angeles,” said LA28 Chairperson and President, Casey
Wasserman. “Cisco’s leadership in the industry and experience will enable us to
provide the best and most seamless experience for our athletes, fans, partners
and community at large.”
Cisco
will also use the platform of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to deliver on
the company’s purpose to power an inclusive future for all by creating
opportunities for people in Los Angeles through both new and existing social
impact programming, including the Cisco Networking Academy, which was founded
in 1997 and provides networking and network security training and educational
courses to more than 20 million students worldwide. Cisco currently has 35
active academies in the Los Angeles area and has supported 34,000 students in
the region since the program’s inception.
This
commitment builds on Cisco's legacy work surrounding prior Games, including in
2016 with the development of a bespoke program that provided young people from
Rio de Janeiro’s most impoverished communities with the tools and skills needed
to work alongside Cisco and other Rio 2016 technology partners to support the
network during the Games and set them up for future success and employability.
Similarly, ahead of the Tokyo Games, Cisco launched a program designed to
provide youth with technical knowledge and skills and to enhance Japan's
networking security expertise, educating more than 6,000 students in total to
fill local human resources gaps in this critical field.
In
addition to serving as a long-time trusted partner of the Olympic and
Paralympic Games, Cisco’s sports and entertainment solutions and expertise have
also been relied upon by hundreds of industry-leading venues, teams, events and
organizations around the world over the past decade.
Leave A Comment