There is an intrinsic link between the digitisation process, our daily lives and our jobs. How would you explain this mechanism?

I think the mind-set is changing. Technology enables me to work out of the office. The office is just a tool, for when I need to have physical meetings. We can work from anywhere with any device of any kind and I can choose what best works for me. The challenge for people now is that they work too much and they don't know how to disconnect.

We talk a lot about the work-life  balance but this also means that if I want to be successful, I will need some personal time.  The problem today is that it's so easy to keep in touch that a worker wouldn't know how to disconnect.

You speak of the digital revolution. Where do you foresee this technology going?

Difficult, if not impossible to foresee. When I look at my smart phone, it's crazy to believe that it did not exist a couple of years ago. No one would have imagined what would happen today with the smart phone. I look back and say 'what did we do in 2006,' and 2006 is not that far behind us. So how can we imagine what we can achieve in 2025?

You speak a lot about how this digitisation process can help our work-life balance. But how can one enjoy his personal time if the person is constantly connected?

It's a way of looking at the capabilities and modifying your behaviour. For example, while having dinner at home, we leave our phones in a separate room so that we are completely disconnected. Sometimes, we even get some board games out to connect with each other.

A simple phone can disconnect you from contact with your own family. For instance when I'm speaking with my kids and I have the phone in my hand, they know that I'm not really attentive to what they are saying.

There was an article on the New York Times which analysed, very clearly, that if you have a phone in your hand while talking to someone, you are not interested in engaging in serious conversation, or at least, it means that you don't intend to talk long. When I want to speak to someone about something serious, I always ask them to put their phone away. Because although you might not answer, you will still look at the notification popping up on the screen.

It's amazing the level of priority. When I was a child, my mother used to tell me that if the phone rings while we're having lunch, we don't answer it. Back then, a phone hanging on the wall was the technology at the time, but it still could cause distraction. The argument here is, why is the person who wants to reach you on the phone more important than the person sitting next to you on the table? It's all about behaviour and cultural balance.

Does this level of connectivity make us more vulnerable to cyber-attacks and hacking?

 Yes. Security must be a part of our DNA. Everything we do or develop at Cisco is designed at its core with security in mind. Within Cisco, security starts with education. Our employees realise that they are carrying a device in their hand that is as powerful as the mainframe that existed 20 years ago and they have to be responsible, not as IT people, but as normal people who need to be aware of cyber security issues and use their corporate connected devices in a responsible way and with a security aware mindset. When I receive an email from someone I don't know, I have to be  careful not to open the attachment. At Cisco, we test our employees by sending out fake viruses and malware  just to check if they are vigilant enough. So if they open it up, a sign saying 'you lost' will pop up on the  screen.

And I guess there's still a long way when it comes to training.

A long way to go, yes. Technology itself can help you stay safe. Hacking is a very wide-spread and serious issue. Computer hacking is Avery profitable global business and generates $500 billion of business a year. The drug business on the other hand 'only' generates $250 billion. So hacking is a real business and hackers have a very complex and very rewarding business model.

Is the problem getting worse?

Yes. Some years ago, we used to receive a couple of calls regarding hacking each month. Now, we receive a number of phone calls each day. At Cisco for example, using our various security tools we are able to block most attacks even before they get on our network. Actually only 6% of the email received gets through to our servers. The rest is blocked as junk, spam or viruses.

What I liked the most in your presentation was how technology is helping out in the immigration crisis. I never linked the two.

Cisco has its own organisation which focuses on global crisis. What we provided were these communication trucks which provide connectivity primarily for emergency care givers. If we look at the tragedy in Haiti, the entire infrastructure was gone. So the medical teams that joined in the rescue needed connectivity.

Similarly in the current Eurpean refugee crisis, there was a huge issue with language. So in Germany, for example, we got these shipping containers and converted them into mobile offices. We provided full wireless connectivity to the Healthcare givers so that those immigrants who need help can go there and communicate their problems in their own language. In addition we integrated our Telepresence DX80 video conference systems to connect with a human translation service that could translate from 70 languages so that the refugees can comfortably and intuitively interact over HD video with someone in their own language who can then help guide the healthcare giver accordingly. 

Why does the company feel it needs to help out?

Cisco is a company which does not only support its employees who help out, but it encourages them to do so. Cisco's vision is to impact all aspects of our lives and to change the way we live, work, play and learn. Not only to improve your working platform, but also to grow as human beings. If we don't give back, what would the point be?

How do you provide support for your employees to help?

Basically, besides providing the regular vacation days, the company also gives you what we call 'give-back day.' It means that if an employee choses to go and help out in a qualified charity group, the worker is given the day off, and these volunteer 'give back' days are actually tracked. When we have our annual review, the company will ask you how many days have you dedicated for charity. It's a beautiful culture and it makes you want to be a part of Cisco.