Cisco Systems selects Catalyst Resources for Product Usability Research

Catalyst Resources was selected by Cisco Systems to conduct usability research for existing and in-development projects including the IPICS emergency response communications system and BI Cafe, an internal business intelligence application for Cisco's worldwide operations, finance, and sales staff.

San Mateo, CA (PRWEB) November 6, 2008 -- Catalyst Resources (http://www.catalystresources.com/) was selected by Cisco Systems to conduct usability research for existing and in-development projects including the IPICS emergency response communications system and BI Cafe, an internal business intelligence application for Cisco's worldwide operations, finance, and sales staff.

The Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS) bridges otherwise incompatible communication devices, such as radios, landlines, mobile phones, and VoIP so that emergency responders can exchange information on-demand for better incident management and day-to-day operations across departments, agencies, and jurisdictions.

Catalyst Resources was tasked with conducting qualitative ethnographic research to identify user scenarios for when, where, why and how emergency responders (e.g. police, firefighters, bomb squads, hazmat teams, etc.) need to share information. This field research could then be used to identify product opportunities and design requirements for the next release of IPICS.

Cisco's BI Cafe provides a business intelligence dashboard for Cisco's field sales, as well as operations and finance groups. Cisco understood that BI would only be as useful as the quality of the data it provided and the user interface for accessing and presenting that data. They asked Catalyst Resources to identify how sales and operations managers would use BI to pro-actively improve sales performance and decision making, and then to determine what data and features they would want and need. Catalyst worked with the target users worldwide to determine the unique BI demands across different sales regions, each with different reporting and performance requirements.

At the end of the assessment for each of these projects Catalyst Resources provided Cisco with a comprehensive report and documentation of their findings along with recommendations on how to better address the projects' target audiences.

"Understanding users' work context and goals is fundamental to systematic creation of usable products and services. A deep understanding of users also often leads to innovation." said Ken Chizinsky of Cisco's User Experience Group. "Catalyst Resources ethnographic research enables us to see through the user's eyes rather than the product manager's.

About Catalyst Resources

Since 1994, Catalyst Resources has successfully delivered user interface design for more than 250 software applications to leading global and VC-funded organizations. Catalyst specializes in the unique UI demands of Software as a Service (SaaS), Rapid Application Design, and Rich Internet Application Design. Headquartered in the Silicon Valley, Catalyst Resources employs accomplished UI designers, information architects, developers and business professionals. More information about Catalyst Resources can be found at http://www.CatalystResources.com.

About Cisco

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com.

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