Founded in 1935, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is the world's oldest and largest organization of public safetycommunications professionals and supports the largest U.S. membership base of any public safety association. APCO 2016, APCO International's Annual Conference & Expo, will be held next week in Orlando and Cisco is proud to be participating.

Those of us at Cisco share in the common belief that there has never been a better time for technology to solve some of the world's toughest challenges and that Cisco and our partners are at the forefront of developing new approaches to tackle these issues.

Nowhere is this technological evolution more evident than with the accelerating transformation of business and government priorities to leverage digital technologies. Digital transformation is one of the most critical conversations happening with government and public safety leaders today.

For our customers, digital transformation can create new experiences for their employees, enable new (more effective & efficient) work environments, and provide enable enhanced security. At Cisco, we believe that the foundation for digital transformation is the network + security + analytics + automation that we are uniquely positioned to deliver across the data center, cloud, and every endpoint. Cisco is your foundation for digital transformation.

One way we are focused on helping organizations prepare for this digital era is through modernization of their existing networks. A key initiative includes working with our public safety customers to maximize their investment and extend the life of their current equipment by utilizing a next-generation solution from Cisco such as Instant Connect.

Cisco Instant Connect is an IP-based solution which can use any radio, desktop, or mobile device. It delivers highly secure communications with full-featured group collaboration. With Instant Connect, you can enhance productivity by connecting workgroups with robust push-to-talk (PTT) functionality from any device, any network, anywhere. Disconnected radio PPT users can be linked with workgroups for true enterprise collaboration.  You no longer need to deploy and manage expensive radio systems that are isolated from enterprise networks and other forms of communications.  In addition to the money this saves you, integration also enhances service delivery. Your always-connected communications system delivers information immediately, whether it's through voice, video, or data.

If you are in Orlando next week at the APCO 2016, please stop by Booth 439 in the Expo Hall and visit with us. We will be demonstrating Cisco Instant Connect and a number of complimentary solutions from our partners. If not attending APCO 2016, follow up with someone at Cisco to find out how you can benefit from the profound changes of the digital era.

Thank you

Cisco Public Safety and Cisco Instant Connect Teams

www.cisco.com/go/publicsafety

www.cisco.com/go/government

www.cisco.com/go/instantconnect