{This is the 4th in a series of posts that explore the impact of the network on our world to mark the 40th anniversary of Cisco, previous chapters can be found here}
By the 2010s, networks weren’t just connecting people – they were collecting, processing, and analysing vast amounts of data. Billions of users and devices ushered in the Big Data era, where information wasn’t just transmitted—it was processed in real-time to power smarter, more efficient systems.
Remote servers like Google Drive and Dropbox became everyday tools, making it easy to store, share, and access data from anywhere. And IoT devices like fitness trackers and smart thermostats depended on networks to make instant, local decisions without centralised delays.
But with faster storage and access to data came higher expectations of network performance. Cisco pioneered ‘fog’ computing to bring the processing closer to the devices generating data, bridging the gap between centralised cloud servers and the edge of the network. This adaptation overcame high latency, mobility, and connectivity losses, making networks more agile and responsive.
Transforming the 21st century:
The early days of Big Data and the cloud came with lofty expectations – businesses were expected to unlock immediate insights, and the cloud was hailed as a cure-all for IT inefficiencies. In reality, many struggled with migrating systems and managing vast data volumes. Yet the long-term impact has been transformative: Big Data would go on to power Netflix recommendations and fraud detection, while the cloud revolutionised collaboration, from backing up photos to developing life-saving vaccines.
Convergence point:
By integrating IoT, cloud and edge computing, and Big Data tools, the network became a decentralised hub for innovation. It absorbed storage and analytics functions, enabling predictive insights, smarter devices, and a more personalised digital world.
Next: Chapter 5: The AI Era (2020-present): Intelligence everywhere
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