SmartBiz Omaha, Powered by Cox, Showcases Business Technology of the Future

OMAHA, Neb., May 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Pete Ricketts today proclaimed May 1 as "SmartBiz Omaha Day, powered by Cox," kicking off a first of its kind event showcasing cutting edge technology that is advancing organizations across industries.

In partnership with The Startup Collaborative, a program of the Greater Omaha Chamber, SmartBiz Omaha, powered by Cox, allowed attendees to see, touch and feel the future in five smart, immersive, interactive hubs: connected healthcare, connected retail, connected city, connected education and connected workplace. 

SmartBiz Omaha, powered by Cox, was an engaging and immersive event where attendees examined and explored new ways to build smart businesses and organizations to become better connected with the demands of a growing community.

SmartBiz Omaha, powered by Cox, was also an experiential event, where attendees interacted with technology to understand how a smart city supports smart businesses who are improving economic development, efficiency, sustainability, and enhancing quality of life.

The event demonstrated Omaha's commitment to technology investment, business innovation and career creation; raised awareness of Omaha's position in the Silicon Prairie and how businesses are using technology and 'smart' integrations to deliver next-level citizen engagement and satisfaction; and highlighted the cutting-edge Cox infrastructure currently in Omaha as civic leaders plan to further develop a smarter community ecosystem to support residents and to help businesses drive customer satisfaction, operational efficiencies and growth opportunities.

"Businesses and entrepreneurs want to be in Nebraska because the state is on the move.  We have tech giants building new data centers; a startup community continually churning out fresh, novel technology companies; and a diverse set of industries and municipalities harnessing advancements such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and autonomous vehicles, to better serve their customers," Governor Ricketts said. "This technology infrastructure is underpinned by a powerful, gigabit network, which is continually being upgraded to serve Nebraska residents and businesses."

"The Greater Omaha Chamber shares the ideals of SmartBiz Omaha – using once aspirational, but now real technology and connectivity, to help achieve our vision: ensuring our community is a vibrant place to do business, work and live," said David G. Brown, Greater Omaha Chamber CEO.

"As a leading technology provider in greater Omaha, Cox proudly serves more than 15,000 local businesses as well as hundreds of thousands of homes," said Ashley Perkins, vice president of Cox Business Omaha. "Our role as an innovation leader extends beyond providing broadband connectivity and into creating meaningful connections. At SmartBiz Omaha, we fostered intriguing dialogue to help industries identify solutions to advance their unique businesses."

In addition to Gov. Ricketts, SmartBiz Omaha, powered by Cox, attendees heard from a panel of distinguished panelists, moderated by Ken Kraft, SVP marketing of Cox Business, who discussed how Omaha is powering the Silicon Prairie which included an insightful discussion on what makes Omaha the epicenter of the Silicon Prairie.

Panelists included Dee Baird, SVP of economic development, Greater Omaha Chamber; Marcus 'djWHEAT' Graham, Director of Creator Development, Twitch; Cathy Lang, State Director, Nebraska Business Development Center; and Victoria Novak, Director of Workforce & IT Innovation, Metropolitan Community College, Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology.

Organizations at SmartBiz Omaha, powered by Cox, offered high-touch experiences demonstrating how technology advancements help various industries prosper included:

• The University of Nebraska Medical Center, which showcased a hologram, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) that are part of its visionary iExcel learning program.
• RetailAware, which demonstrated solutions that count people, track action and trigger alerts. Guests saw how a smart end-cap display uses sensors and artificial intelligence to monitor customer activity and gather real-time data.
• All Makes, which offers the latest in innovative office equipment like ergonomic stools and stand up desks, alongside Cox Business, which showcased smart phone integration, voice activated office technology, and WiFi management systems to enhance customer experiences.
• Cox2M and Smart City development in the areas of transportation, public safety, connected resources and smart agriculture. This powerful data allows community leaders and business owners to make better decisions.
• Trapollo, a connected health provider supporting healthcare systems and physicians and revolutionizing healthcare delivery through virtual house calls to patients with chronic or complex medical issues.

For more information, visit the Cox Business website.  

About Cox Business
The commercial division of Cox Communications, Cox Business provides voice, data and video services for more than 355,000 small and regional businesses nationwide, including health care providers; K−12 and higher education; financial institutions; and federal, state and local government organizations. The organization also serves most of the top-tier wireless and wireline telecommunications carriers in the U.S. through its wholesale division. For more information, please visit www.coxbusiness.com.

About Cox Communications
Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through broadband applications and services. The largest private telecom company in America, we proudly serve six million homes and businesses across 18 states. We're dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities and the characteristics that makes each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.

SOURCE Cox Communications