To take the commercial drone industry from infancy to adulthood, there is a lot to be done. The lion's share of that work will involve companies working together to discuss technology, architecture, security, standards, and interoperability. This is where Cisco sees great opportunity, and where we can add great value.

While there is widespread interest in computers that fly, their real utility in IoT applications will come from the commercial data they provide. Drones will be connected to networking platforms that both use and process data, that will inform, empower, and enrich processes that improve our society.

Cisco is a company that is deeply involved with the digital transformation of enterprises. We appreciate that innovation enabled as part of an ecosystem will offer customers confidence in the new technology and allow solutions to scale.

Our Executive Chairman cautioned drone companies on common mistakes to avoid during a recent keynote address at the AUVSI Xponential drone conference in New Orleans. He said that an ecosystem of partnerships is a recipe for success that will encourage commercial drone innovation.

We believe that companies interested in the commercial use of drones have an opportunity to create an ecosystem together. There's never been a better time to develop the commercial use of drones, and we look forward to collaborating with like-minded companies.

We have been asked whether Cisco will play an active role in commercial drone-related lobbying. Although we recognize there is a place for these conversations, we'll leave that to groups like the Commercial Drone Alliance. Rather than join the Alliance, we will focus instead on fostering an ecosystem that can take the industry to new heights.