We are turning 25! We’ve come a long way, can’t thank everyone enough for making this a positive & dynamic space over the years. In the spirit of celebration, let’s look back on the many faces our online community and knowledge hub has had over the years. Check out our favorite 25 trivia facts below and let us know if you remember them too!
Did you know?
1. We were established in the year 2000 initially only in English, as a forum named as Networking Professionals Connection (NetPro).
2. We rebranded to Cisco Support Community (CSC) in 2010; then Cisco Community in 2018 | community.cisco.com.
3. We launched the Japanese language community in 2010. 
*BONUS* Check out the valuable TAC SRC (Service Request Collection) よくある質問と解決方法—the up-to-date troubleshooting solutions of the commonly reported technical cases, compiled by the Japanese Cisco TAC team.
4. The Spanish language community was launched in 2011.
*BONUS* Check out the 130+ replays (195+ hours) and post-event resources of the Community Live technical sessions, led by Cisco and industry experts were available to access or attend live (free!).
5. Our Portuguese language community was also launched in 2011.
6. The Chinese language community was launched in 2014.
7. We created the French language community in 2019.
8. Most recently, the Korean language community was launched in 2021.
9. The Collaboration User Group was originally launched in 2009, then rebranded to Customer Connection Program in 2014 which saw it expanded to all architectures. The Cisco Insider User Group as most know it today went live in 2022.
10. We integrated our Business hubs into the following communities subsequently:
* DevNet Hub in 2018,
* Partner Hub in 2018,
* Webex in 2020,
* DUO Security in 2023,
* Umbrella Announcements & Software Release Notes in 2024,
* Secure Access Announcements & Software Release Notes in 2024,
* Open DNS in 2024.
11. Guided Resources launched in 2022. These self-paced, step-by-step online adoption guides offer product use cases and are free to use!
12. Ask the Experts (ATXs) events were brought to the community in 2022 & 2023: English | Japanese | Spanish | Portuguese | Chinese | Korean. They are 60-min sessions led by Cisco product experts with demo and Q&A to help you maximize utilization of your Cisco technologies.
13. Cisco Designated VIP and Hall of Fame programs were launched in 2011. They recognize the top non-Cisco contributors in Cisco's online communities.
14. Spotlight Awards launched in 2012. This recognition program celebrates customer, partner and Cisco contributors nominated by community members (across 7 categories).
15. Events Top Contributors was launched in 2013. It recognizes the community experts that host technical events and webinars.
16. Our Community Helping Community program was developed in 2009 as a way for us to give back to those in need through an eligible charity. To-date our members have helped us donate USD $99,000 to a variety of organizations:
* American Red Cross Haiti fund in 2009
* Teachers Without Borders in 2011
* Kiva Financial loans in 2014
* Teachers Without Borders in 2017
* Doctors Without Borders in 2019
* UNICEF in 2020
* Save the Children in 2021
* SOS Children's Villages and Nova Ukraine in 2022
* WWF-Australia at Cisco Live Melbourne in 2023
* Fairfood at Cisco Live Amsterdam in 2024
17. We reached 1M members in 2021! That year also saw us break personal bests with more than 39M online visits, 911K discussions started. You were all very chatty!
18. Cisco Community is more than just a Q&A forum, you can also find:
* Guided Resources to learn at your own pace.
* Technology & support event and webinars including Ask the Experts, Ask Me Anything, Community Live (in local languages).
* Knowledge articles, blogs and videos; created by the industry practitioners and Cisco specialists.
* Project Gallery to showcase your project(s), big or small!
* Women in Tech group hub to connect, share, celebrate, advocate.
19. On average, you can expect a post to receive a response quickly. The median time to a first response is around 1.5 hours!
20. You can register, log in, create profile to personalize your experience and get recognized for your contribution! Access Community Help (FAQ) to get started!
21. You can use the ‘Subscribe’ option to stay informed on relevant new content, questions and replies at the individual conversation-level or by broader board-topic. Both ‘Subscribe’ and ‘Bookmark’ features can be found next to the Options menu.
22. We have our own language and dos & don’ts. Have a look at our Community best practices to find answers quicker and stay engaged, with tips like:
* Refining your search,
* Posting in the right board and using labels,
* Saying ‘thank you’ by giving ‘Helpful’ votes,
* Marking the best answer as an ‘Accepted Solution’,
* Completing your profile so others can get to know you.
23. We introduced a new gamification system in 2024. This included a renaming of all ranks, as well as the existing badge suite to keep your achievements looking fresh!
24. We maintain 5 different social channels so you never need to miss an update from us, and won’t need to leave your media of choice! Follow us on: LinkedIn | Facebook | X/Twitter | Instagram | YouTube.
25. There’s an entire team of people whose job is ‘Community’ here at Cisco! We wouldn't be where we are without their tireless work behind the scenes to support you in building what we consider the best community around. Thanks for all you do Community Team!
Connect. Engage. Collaborate.
#CiscoCommunity25
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