The very definition of a proper information technology network has expanded to mean not just connecting objects back to a central data center; more and more, it also means connecting things to each other, facilitating the socialization of these objects, and forming “networks of networks.” Within this evolved type of network, how can users work together to co-create value for each other?

“Our mission is to help every company in the world find its relevance … in this very hyperconnected, changing time,” said Christine Heckart (pictured), head of global marketing at Cisco Systems Inc. She explained that as Cisco is transforming its own business, it’s also focused on helping customers innovate theirs.

Heckart spoke with John Furrier (@furrier) and Stu Miniman (@stu), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the Cisco Live event in Orlando, Florida. They discussed the changing world of network computing and what the evolution means to Cisco and its customers. (* Disclosure below.)

Different types of network transformations

Heckart came into the interview wearing a “DevNet Social Club” hat leftover from a party held the night before at Cisco Live. She explained that the party celebrated the milestone of 500,000 Cisco DevNet users.

“The network is becoming an open platform for business innovation,” Heckart said.

While there is much discussion currently going on about digital transformation, Heckart believes the true “first wave” of transformation occurred in the 1990s, when the expansion of the internet moved the world from analog to digital. She believes the transformation occurring now is better thought of as wave two or three; it’s more that organizations are now learning to harness networks in new ways.

This doesn’t mean just technology networks, but also includes networks of customers, partners and developers, allowing them to co-create value for each other. More usage creates more value, which creates more usage; it leads to network effect, she explained.

In order harness this new dynamic, organizations will need a different type of architecture to build their new business model, Heckart concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Cisco Live event. (* Disclosure: Cisco Systems Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither Cisco nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE