Some Christmas tales begin with a sleigh. This one begins with a display screen.
For 17 years, Cisco’s Related Santa program has been delivering vacation magic to kids in hospitals throughout the U.Okay. and Eire. Powered by Webex expertise, a powerful web connection, and a few sneaky elves (who simply so occur to be Cisco staff), annually Santa nearly visits hospitalized kids who’re unable to spend their holidays at residence.
Related Santa has reached 1000’s of youngsters around the world for the reason that program’s starting, with Related Santa outposts cropping up in the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, South Africa, and past. This vacation season, this system reached over 300 kids throughout 15 hospitals within the U.Okay. and Eire.
Joanne Bugg, Cisco EMEA Associate Enablement Chief, started volunteering for Related Santa 13 years in the past and leads the program within the U.Okay.
“This is my favourite time of the yr – and among the best examples of utilizing our expertise for good,” shared Joanne. “There’s nothing like seeing these kids’s faces mild up by the Webex display screen. Due to Cisco, we’re capable of give them a second of festive cheer throughout such a tough time.”
Behind the vacation magic
What would possibly look like a easy digital Santa go to is definitely a extremely coordinated effort throughout dozens of Cisco volunteers and a whole lot of miles.
The work begins in October, when Joanne places out a name to Cisco Account Managers within the healthcare house, asking if their hospital could be fascinated about a Related Santa go to. The hospitals – all Cisco clients – then join their IT employees with Cisco volunteers, who assist check web connections, set up Webex units in playrooms, and fine-tune lighting and audio.
“We’ll have conversations like, ‘Oh, are you able to hear the jingle bells ringing over there?’” stated Joanne. “If the reply is ‘no,’ our Cisco Resolution Engineers may also help troubleshoot. That is a kind of occasions after we really need to change off our glorious Webex noise cancellation!”
Then the magic begins. On the day of Santa’s virtual go to, kids head to the playroom with hospital employees and onsite Cisco volunteers, dressed, after all, as elves. On the best way, the elves collect particulars just like the baby’s title, age, and Christmas want, and ship that info by way of Webex chat to Santa’s grotto – a room at Cisco’s Bedfont Lakes workplace.
Contained in the grotto, a rotating solid of Santas and volunteer elves stand – nicely, sit – on the prepared. Outfitted with a Internetex machine, a second display screen powered by the grotto elves with every baby’s customized particulars, and a Christmas backdrop (full with a Santa chair, tree, and hearth), a little little bit of film magic helps convey the expertise to life.
By the point every baby seems on the Webex display screen, Santa magically is aware of all the main points for a customized digital dialog. “How’s your canine, Toby?” “I heard you’re on the Good record, Mia!” “A little bit elf informed me you’re hoping for a LEGO set!”
For youngsters who could also be unable to maneuver from their rooms, volunteers are able to take their Webex expertise on the highway. With an iPad and trolley, Santa makes bedside digital visits, with an in-person elf handing out items.
AI within the North Pole
In fact, AI is remodeling each a part of our expertise and world – and the North Pole is not any exception.
This yr, Sebastian Hughes, an Engineering Technical Chief and longtime Related Santa volunteer, noticed an opportunity to optimize the expertise for kids within the hospital.
Typically there have been surprising hiccups – or, let’s name them blizzards – throughout the calls, making it tough for Santa to at all times have a customized dialog. What occurs if two kids entered the room collectively? Or if a baby skipped the road? Or if the grotto elf didn’t have time to maneuver particulars from the Webex chat to the display screen that Santa was studying?
With the assistance of AI, Sebastian designed a template that permits a extra seamless switch of knowledge from Webex chat to Santa’s display screen. Now, elves can rapidly synthesize particulars, order kids who could be ready within the queue, and even ship secret messages to Santa. (The most typical, in keeping with Joanne? “Hold going Santa – we have extra children ready!”)
Connection Throughout Distance and Distinction
Whereas this annual effort is powered by expertise, the true present is human connection.
This yr, throughout the U.Okay. and Eire, 95 Cisco volunteers donned elf hats, delivered greater than 1,000 items, and used Time2Give volunteer hours to convey vacation cheer to kids spending their Christmas in a hospital.
And whereas the Webex name supplies the portal, it’s the Cisco volunteers — elves wearing inexperienced and pink — who energy the connection.
One go to in specific stays with Joanne. Stationed subsequent to Santa in his grotto, she noticed a baby in a wheelchair come on to the display screen.
“The kid was non-verbal and had restricted mobility, however I might see her simply clutching onto the hand of Mrs. Claus, a Cisco volunteer,” stated Joanne. “And when Santa stated her title by the display screen, you could possibly simply see her complete face mild up.”
For Joanne, that’s the magic of Related Santa – and the magic of Cisco.
