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What is your outlook for the global economy in 2011?
I think the most likely scenario is for steady improvement in the global economy
although there truly remains some risk of uncertainty.
I think Asia's doing very well and the emerging markets are doing very well.
I think North America and Europe face some challenges but most likely will go to them
with very steady improvement. The challenge will be job creation
and when I talked to my CEO counterparts in North America and Europe,
while most of them are a little bit more optimistic than
they were six months ago about the economy job creation
story means a major question mark with most likely high unemployment staying.
When you think about the key to the economy, it's how this business
and government work together on innovation and then executing will to create
the right environment for investment both in capital and in people.
The world is exceedingly complex, interconnected, and unpredictable.
How can organizations better collaborate, work, and connect globally?
I don't think it's a question about how can organizations better work together
in this connected world, I think it's a requirement that corporations,
businesses, governments work together.
I think you'll see a raft of innovation and technology tools but also the
importance by connecting you'll drive a decade long collaboration driven
productivity increase and it will be business changing their business models,
organization structure, government change in the way that they inter phase to their
citizens and provide these services more on a social networking type of environment
but also business and government working together.
And while the risk and probably some hurdles we have to get over in this,
it isn't a question of can we or should we, we must in order to move forward.
How can companies turn sustainability into a competitive advantage?
I think the question here is how we do at the end.
It's an example of how you do innovation, what is right in terms of for the future
of our planet but also how you're sure this could be not a business disadvantage
or incremental cost to the consumer but actually how it could be an advantage
and lower the cost. When you look at concepts like Smart grid
and products from Cisco and our peers like ENERGYWISE and how you partner together
with a local utility, we believe we can reduce the cost to the consumer,
we can dramatically improve the environment from an emissions perspective,
and we can create jobs. And what you're beginning to see is areas
around the world much like Charlotte, North Carolina with Duke Energy,
the finance industry in Cisco, coming together in a way that uses these products
and capabilities to both provide a better environment for our future from
a sustainability point of view but also an environment that actually reduces energy
costs and is good for job creation.