Cisco Sports & Entertainment is proud to be celebrating our seven-year anniversary this year as a specialized industry vertical business unit -and it's simply incredible to look back and see how far we, and more importantly the industry, have come in such a short period of time.  The key to success has been working with our customers in defining their needs and tailoring, or engineering, a few solutions while always keeping in mind the "fan trends" and business models.  This infographic sums it up nicely -more than 200 venues, in more than 30 countries around the world flawlessly engaging hundreds of millions of fans, who were previously unconnected to the live action.

While looking back is always valuable, it's looking ahead where we draw so much optimism about the possibilities that are on the horizon. This Tech Republic article by Teena Hammond captures the essence of why teams, venues and leagues are in a "race to digitize," to deliver more engaging experiences AND capture the associated new business opportunities.

Our customers are leading in that race. Cisco has been market makers with each of our solutions -from the Connected Stadium platform, to StadiumVision, to Connected Stadium Wi-Fi, to StadiumVision Mobile. Don't take our word for it. Watch below as George "The Iceman" Gervin, Chip Foley from Barclays Center, and others at the NBA talk about how Cisco is taking the fan experience to another level.

Now we have the opportunity to take it to another level with our Internet of Everything offerings. As more things are connected, the opportunities become limitless. All of us at Cisco are collaboration to develop new business models for our industries that involve complex systems, people, process and clear business benefits. By taking risks, inventing, and partnering with customers, we can solve business problems with real business outcomes -just as Cisco Sports & Entertainment has been doing for the last seven years.  Are you Ready?