So far in our Merakify series, we have shared an introduction to the Meraki Developers Portal and taken a look at some real life examples of how customers #merakify their own networks.
Now you can merakify how you think about your WiFi by learning how to use Cisco Meraki APs with the CMX location API to collect valuable location-based data, analyze visitor behavior, and drive revenue. Meraki location analytics provide value across the entire business, not just the IT department, so it’s a great approach to take if faced with budget objections. This solution is perfect for accounts looking to improve customer engagement strategies, such as loyalty programs and marketing campaigns. Our customer case study with UK-based Ladbrokes demonstrates how Meraki location analytics can be especially effective in retail.
Location analytics can help you:
Reveal physical traffic trends for new and repeat visitors, plus gain insight into dwell time and visitor loyalty.
Compare visitor activity across sites and over time to measure the effects of engagement strategies on customer behaviour.
Analyze visitor traffic to help strategically plan employee hiring and shift scheduling in retail stores.
Data collected by intelligent Meraki APs is automatically reported in the dashboard, and can be exported to third-party applications for further analysis via the CMX location API with no additional cost or complexity.
For more information and full API guides, check out the Developers Portal and share your solutions by tweeting using #merakify and tagging @merakipartners.
Around the world, network deployments come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. In the UK, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is no exception to this rule. The Trust provides emergency and urgent care services, including NHS (National Health Service) non-emergency 111 call-handling and triage, urgent care, patient transport, and emergency 999 care to 20% of mainland England, SWASFT employs over 4,000 employees.
The geographical spread of the ambulance service throughout the southwest of England is enormous, incorporating remote areas like the Forest of Dean, Bodmin Moor, Exmoor, Dartmoor, and the Isles of Sicily, servicing 5.3 million inhabitants and 17.5 million visitors annually.
Picture by Theo Moye/apexnewspix.com 21.04.08 South Western Ambulance Service Trust, Bodmin, Cornwall.
With more than 100 sites, including airbases and clinical hubs, SWASFT was looking for a networking solution that not only linked everyone together, but was also simple to manage. Deploying a few hundred Cisco Meraki cloud-managed switches and access points alongside Cisco on-premise devices achieved this need. This type of hybrid Cisco deployment provided the SWASFT IT team with a powerful, secure, flexible, and easy-to-use network.
“Meraki is an easy, out-of-the-box solution that I can use from anywhere. I have a guy who just took a switch with him. I’ve already preconfigured the device to be up-and-running when it’s plugged in.” – Greg Moyse, Senior Systems Analyst
No matter which sites employees are traveling between, the continuity of cloud-controlled SSIDs at every location provides automatic access to the network and resources. Employees can even connect to care facilities while they’re in the field or via the wireless system at stations to securely share patient medical data. Once the ambulances arrive at hospitals, the patient’s information is already accessible when they are formally handed over to hospital staff.
Not only are users benefitting from an enhanced network and better coverage, but the cloud technology allows the Trust to grow and evolve. Members of the IT and project team can add new devices, update configurations, or implement Meraki technology in new ways.
Cisco Meraki, the makers of cloud managed IT, are proud to present “Webinar the Musical”. Come one, come all — experience the sights and sounds of Meraki in an exhilarating, one-hour extravaganza!
We’ve spent the last few months adapting the lyrics of 4 popular songs to highlight the advantages of Meraki cloud managed wireless, switching, security, and mobility management. Supported by the vocal and instrumental talents of our in-house employees, we think this is a show-stopping webinar you’ll really enjoy.
Debuting on July 19th at 11:00 AM Pacific Time, this will be an Introduction to Cloud Managed IT webinar with musical tributes to each product family (along with our standard demo of the Meraki dashboard). As usual, eligible attendees are will receive a free Meraki Access Point for attending the webinar.
Sign up here.
See you at the theatre! And don’t worry, the musical will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel for folks outside the Pacific Time Zone.
Team Meraki has arrived in a baking hot Las Vegas for four exhilarating days of Cisco Live, the ultimate gathering of all things Cisco with over 26,000 attendees expected this year!
We’ll be involved in all kinds of presentations, labs, demos, breakout sessions, meetings and lunch-and-learns, and of course we have a prominent, spacious presence in the World of Solutions featuring our brand new Meraki MC74 cloud managed phone.
This year we can also be found in the DevNet zone where we’re showcasing our work with the developer community as we extend the capabilities of Meraki technology, and a Systems Manager demo will be running at a special booth focused on Cisco’s partnership with Apple.
In short, it won’t be difficult to find us. See you there!
At Meraki we’re extremely proud of what we call ‘feature velocity’. By having all our engineers working out of one collaborative building in San Francisco we’re able to rapidly innovate new capabilities for our products. Some of these are features we think are cool, others are created in response to the feedback our customers send us every day, often through the ‘make-a-wish’ box.
It’s not even two months since the launch of the MC74, and we’ve already got a few new capabilities and features to share. Let’s get straight to it.
Dashboard
First, to really underscore the concept of ‘single pane of glass’ management, network admins will now see Phones listed alongside their Meraki wireless, switching, security appliances and MDM. This is nothing short of the promised land of network management, and we’re not done yet!
Voicemail to email
Once an email address has been configured on the phone for User Portal access, this email address will also receive notice of new voicemails. These can then be conveniently listened to right in the browser, with no need for special software and without having to call a voicemail service.
Voice VLAN
We now support a data and voice VLAN on MC74. This means that when a PC is connected to the 1GbE passthrough port on the back of the phone its traffic can be logically segregated into a separate VLAN from the voice traffic generated by the phone. While not a requirement from a performance perspective, separating voice and data traffic is common practice and now available on Meraki MC.
Meraki Cloud Connectivity
In the early days of telephony, a dial tone indicated a connection to the rest of the world and readiness to place a call. With modern IP based voice this is no longer a requirement, so like a smartphone, MC does not use a dialtone. Instead, to demonstrate that the phone is connected to the cloud and ready to place calls we’ve added a small indicator on the phone display. Green is good.
Missed Call and Voicemail LED Indication
As well as receiving notifications for missed calls and voicemails on both the phone display and in the User Portal, we now make use of the multicolor LED on the phone to indicate a missed call or voicemail. Pulsing red for a missed call. Pulsing green for voicemail. This means that when the phone is in its standby state, showing the date and time, there is still a clear visual indication that a call came in.
We’ve been truly delighted with the response the Meraki phone has been having in the less than two months it’s been available. MC provides the same simple management experience as the rest of the network, so it’s no surprise that customers all over the world are asking when they will be able to get their hands on one. Rest assured we’re working on that just as fast as we can.
In the meantime, these new capabilities are early evidence of our intent for Meraki MC: innovate, and innovate rapidly. It’s the Meraki way. Stay tuned for more, coming soon.
At Meraki, we recognize that being able to provide technology solutions for your network is a top priority. In order to help better meet these needs, we’re introducing the newest resource to help merakify networks event more —the Meraki Developers Portal!
This portal allows customers to extend the core features of the Meraki dashboard, providing solutions that are fine-tuned to customer needs. Check out the Meraki Developers Portal to see ready-made, merakified solutions such as Guest Access WiFi, Facebook Check-ins, proximity-based marketing, and more.
Start developing today
Can’t find a ready-made solution that fits your problem? Join our community of developers! Meraki Developers receive access to free gear, support, and marketing opportunities. Meraki API guides with sample code are available publicly through the Meraki Developers Portal to help you get started — apply now to become a featured developer.
Keep tweeting @meraki using #merakify to share how Meraki technology is helping you drive your business and improve networks.
Also, if you’re attending Cisco Live! In July, come say hi! We’ll be at the DevNet Hackathon and other Meraki specific events on 7/11, 7/12 and 7/14.
Meraki will be in full force at Cisco Live! Las Vegas next week from July 10th – 14th at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. From celebrity keynote speakers like Kevin Spacey to one-on-one demos, breakout sessions, theater presentations, and whisper suites with Meraki experts, this annual conference is packed with excitement!
We will be hosting a booth inside the World of Solutions, featuring 8 tailored Dashboard demos, our newest networking hardware on display, and a fully customized phone experience showcasing our brand new MC74, the first product of Meraki’s Communication product family. Come meet the team, learn about our new features and grab an awesome Meraki hat!
Beyond our booth, we are hosting a variety of speaking sessions for all levels. If you’re going to Cisco Live, you can sign up for any of these presentations by logging in to your Cisco Live online account and going to the Session Catalog. Below are all of our awesome presentations hosted by our very own Meraki experts:
WORLD OF SOLUTIONS THEATER SESSIONS: These short 10 minute sessions are designed to give a high-level overview on Cisco solutions, including Meraki. Sessions take place in the Cisco World of Solutions exhibit hall.
WORLD OF SOLUTIONS LEARNING LABS: Meraki is hosting two 30-minute labs inside the Security Booth in the World of Solutions.
“AMP for Meraki” – presented by Joe Aronow Monday, July 11, 1:00 p.m. | Location: Security Booth Tuesday, July 12, 3:30 p.m. | Location: Security Booth
TECHNICAL TRAINING SESSIONS: These sessions focus on technologies, architecture strategies, applications, and troubleshooting details for Cisco solutions or technologies.
And for the first time ever, Meraki will be participating in the DevNet Zone at Cisco Live! See Hackers code with Meraki technology at the 24-hour Hackathon on July 9-10, or learn more about our APIs from Meraki experts by stopping by our demo or attending one of our speaking sessions below:
DEVNET THEATER PRESENTATIONS Theater presentations give high level overviews of different technologies within DevNet. These sessions take place in the DevNet Zone.
DEVNET TECHNICAL CLASSROOMS Classroom sessions are typically more advanced and feature a deep-dive on a particular topic or API. Space is limited so sign up today in the Session Catalog if you’re interested in attending!
Meraki is truly taking over Cisco Live! this year, and we cannot wait to show you all of our new updates and features. Come say hello and we look forward to seeing you in Vegas next week!
