I am a new Cisco hire -Head of Financial Services Solutions & Innovation EMEAR and I just came back from Cisco Live Berlin. This is my first time at the event, having spent 30 years in banking.

My first impression? Firstly, WOW! I have been a Cisco customer in previous banking roles and I thought I knew Cisco. However this has opened my eyes again -the range of solutions, the range of industries we are involved in -even digitizing cities and countries.

Some key themes here:

• Cyber Security -how to mitigate the increased risks that digitization creates
• Customer experience -how digital solutions continue to transform customer experience -for example in banking how collaboration technology enables banks to virtualise their sales forces -reducing costs, increasing revenue and driving up customer satisfaction.

In this era of digitization, expectations are quickly on the rise and the customer is king. Banks must stand out in a big way in order to gain a strategic edge with their customers.

Inside our Digital Bank, we showcased how banks use technology to connect with customers in need of services. For the mobile customers, there is high definition video conferencing allowing them to connect to an expert (i.e mortgage, insurance, wealth), any time, anywhere across the bank's network. For those customers who walk inside a branch, the experts can complete the full end-to-end application process for their customers, delivering everything but their signature.

It's time to embrace digitization and transform your organization. We connect people, places and devices -offering improved security, automation, and data insight. Learn how to enhance the customer experience, stay ahead of customer demands and outperform your competition here.