This past week, the Republican National Convention took place in Cleveland and on Monday, the Democratic National Convention will kick off in Philadelphia. During this time, both cities are transformed, with thousands of political leaders and eager participants flying in from around the country to converge on both the Quicken Loans Arena and the Wells Fargo Center.

From the outside in, most don't realize these are more than just mere events. To make these conventions successful, the Quicken Loans Arena and the Wells Fargo Center are transformed into mini cities in and of themselves. Just like in an actual city or community, in order for things to run smoothly, everything needs to be connected. Cisco is helping make that happen.

The 2016 national conventions are shaping up to be the most connected conventions ever -the technology advancements that have been made just since the last convention in 2012 are incredible -and Cisco is playing a major role. For the fifth consecutive U.S. presidential election cycle, Cisco is the official Network Technology Provider for both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. We're responsible for the core network infrastructure for the RNC and DNC, which means we're providing the backbone for the network. Need to look up where your next event is on your phone? Need to show a video clip during your speech? Need to file a story from a press lounge? Cisco's got you covered.

We know attendees are rushing around trying to see and hear everything, so we're providing wireless mobility services to help people stay connected while they're on the go. We also know that it's important to secure the information are sharing over the network, which is why we're providing our world-class network security for both wireless and wired solutions. Both conventions will also use Cisco's IP phone system to stay connected on the convention floor and at surrounding official venues.

Stay tuned in the coming week for more information on how Cisco is making the Q and the Wells Fargo Center into mini-smart cities for the conventions both here on the blog and on social media using the hashtag#ConnectedConventions. Also, be sure to check out the We Are Cisco feature on Larry Hutchins, a Cisco network consulting engineer who is leading the#ConnectedConventions effort.