Welcome to 2017! Cloud permeates everything we do, powering digital transformation. The impact on customer experiences, business processes and models, and workforce innovations is undeniable. Our customers are looking to Cisco and our partners for a complete cloud approach, regardless of where they are on the journey. The new year promises to be an exciting time for our customers in cloud. And we are here to help them navigate a multicloud world.

In December, we made some internal changes that generated some questions, and I want to take this opportunity to answer some of those and level set on our cloud strategy.

What is Cisco's Cloud Strategy?

Cisco takes a complete approach to cloud with solutions that simplify, secure, and transform how customers work in a multicloud world to maximize business benefits. Whether it's moving workloads across private and multiple public clouds, consuming software as a service, or writing modern applications that can run on any hybrid cloud, Cisco Cloud helps customers securely navigate their cloud journey. This strategy addresses applications and data everywhere-regardless of cloud technology or deployment model-and applies to headquarters, data centers, branch offices, remote users, devices and "things," as well as  hosting/colocation and public cloud providers.

Cisco enables simple, intelligent, automated, and secure clouds. Foundational is security everywhere, designed to help customers securely adopt cloud.  And all this is accomplished in collaboration with our global partner ecosystem, spanning both technology partners (in software, tools, and infrastructure) and go-to-market partners (including builders, providers, and resellers).

The pillars of our strategy include:

• Multicloud Infrastructureto help customers create and manage secure hybrid environments with cloud infrastructure and multicloud orchestration
• Cisco Cloud Offers,like WebEx, Spark, and security services, help customers advance their business with enterprise-class Software as a service (SaaS) solutions to achieve business outcomes
• Cisco Powered Serviceswhich are partner-delivered cloud and managed services based on Cisco validated designs and include more than 600 services from over 250 providers worldwide
• DNA (Digital Network Architecture) for the Cloudto optimize the network for cloud, reinventing networking in a cloud era to provide the secure application performance required in a multicloud world
• Cloud Professional Servicesfrom Cisco and our partners to help our customers develop their cloud strategy, extend existing capabilities, and implement and deploy a digital transformation plan

What happened to Cisco Intercloud?

Cisco Intercloud was a strategy launched in early 2014. Customer requirements have evolved since then, and we are moving to align to market and customer needs. We've pivoted our cloud strategy from federating clouds (Intercloud), to helping customers build and deliver secure hybrid multicloud infrastructures, platforms, and services. This gives customers the freedom to choose the best environments and consumption models for their traditional and cloud-native applications.

Is Cisco supporting private cloud?

Yes. We have multiple offerings to enable our customers and partners to build private clouds. Those include our core offerings of data center hardware and software, security, networking and routing-important infrastructure needed to run clouds. We also offer private cloud as a managed service with Metacloud. We are always refining and expanding elements of our private cloud offerings as new market opportunities arise.

What are Cisco's plans for OpenStack?

Cisco is fully committed to OpenStack as an integral part of our multicloud strategy and as a foundational element of our Network Function Virtualization infrastructure (NFVi). We are OpenStack Foundation Gold Members and serve the community in a variety of ways including upstream plug-in code contributions and serving on the board of directors.

What's next for Metacloud?

Cisco is committed to Metacloud as a standalone private cloud-as-a-service offering. We continue to make investments in Metacloud specifically and more broadly in overall private cloud infrastructure and software.

How do the Cisco Powered cloud offers fit in?

Cisco Powered cloud offers are essential to helping our partners succeed in cloud. We remain committed to the partner cloud programs like Cisco Powered that we have in place.

I look forward to sharing more on our progress, new use cases, insights, and new solutions in the coming months! 2017 will be an exciting time for our customers, and partners, and Cisco. Together we will tap into the power that cloud delivers.

For more info on Cisco Cloud:

• Cisco Cloud Solutions
• Cisco Powered Cloud Services
• Cisco Digital Network Architecture for the Cloud
• Cloud Professional Services