In December, Philips, a global leader in lighting and Cisco, a worldwide leader in IT Networking, announced a global strategic alliance that will create new energy savings, building efficiency and employee productivity, made possible by the Internet of Things (IoT) in modern offices. This alliance brings together Philips’ LED based connected lighting system with Cisco’s IT network to address a global office market estimated to be worth around €1 billion. While the deal in itself is not particularly large, it is in line with Cisco’s partnering strategies and reflects its firm focus on the IoT domain. Cisco has been partnering with companies that can enhance its reach in different markets, and also provide a better understanding of new industries. Its recent partnership with Ericsson and a six year old alliance with EMC and VMware on cloud computing are indicative of this. Through this alliance with Philips, Cisco is planning to add another element to its […]