Some Christmas stories start with a sleigh. This one starts with a screen.
For 17 years, Cisco’s Connected Santa program has been delivering holiday magic to children in hospitals across the U.K. and Ireland. Powered by Webex technology, a strong internet connection, and some sneaky elves (who just so happen to be Cisco employees), each year Santa virtually visits hospitalized children who are unable to spend their holidays at home.
Connected Santa has reached thousands of children around the world since the program’s beginning, with Connected Santa outposts cropping up in the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, South Africa, and beyond. This holiday season, the program reached over 300 children across 15 hospitals in the U.K. and Ireland.
Joanne Bugg, Cisco EMEA Partner Enablement Leader, began volunteering for Connected Santa 13 years ago and leads the program in the U.K.
“This is my favorite time of the year – and one of the best examples of using our technology for good,” shared Joanne. “There’s nothing like seeing these children’s faces light up through the Webex screen. Thanks to Cisco, we’re able to give them a moment of festive cheer during such a difficult time.”
Behind the holiday magic
What might seem like a simple virtual Santa visit is actually a highly coordinated effort across dozens of Cisco volunteers and hundreds of miles.
The work begins in October, when Joanne puts out a call to Cisco Account Managers in the healthcare space, asking if their hospital would be interested in a Connected Santa visit. The hospitals – all Cisco customers – then connect their IT staff with Cisco volunteers, who help test internet connections, set up Webex devices in playrooms, and fine-tune lighting and audio.
“We’ll have conversations like, ‘Oh, can you hear the jingle bells ringing over there?’” said Joanne. “If the answer is ‘no,’ our Cisco Solution Engineers can help troubleshoot. This is one of those times when we actually want to switch off our excellent Webex noise cancellation!”
Then the magic begins. On the day of Santa’s virtual visit, children head to the playroom with hospital staff and onsite Cisco volunteers, dressed, of course, as elves. On the way, the elves gather details like the child’s name, age, and Christmas wish, and send that information via Webex chat to Santa’s grotto – a room at Cisco’s Bedfont Lakes office.
Inside the grotto, a rotating cast of Santas and volunteer elves stand – well, sit – at the ready. Equipped with a Webex device, a second screen powered by the grotto elves with each child’s personalized details, and a Christmas backdrop (complete with a Santa chair, tree, and fireplace), a little bit of movie magic helps bring the experience to life.
By the time each child appears on the Webex screen, Santa magically knows all the details for a personalized virtual conversation. “How’s your dog, Toby?” “I heard you’re on the Nice list, Mia!” “A little elf told me you’re hoping for a LEGO set!”
For children who may be unable to move from their rooms, volunteers are ready to take their Webex technology on the road. With an iPad and trolley, Santa makes bedside virtual visits, with an in-person elf handing out gifts.
AI in the North Pole
Of course, AI is transforming every part of our technology and world – and the North Pole is no exception.
This year, Sebastian Hughes, an Engineering Technical Leader and longtime Connected Santa volunteer, saw an opportunity to optimize the experience for children in the hospital.
Sometimes there were unexpected hiccups – or, let’s call them blizzards – during the calls, making it difficult for Santa to always have a personalized conversation. What happens if two children entered the room together? Or if a child skipped the line? Or if the grotto elf didn’t have time to move details from the Webex chat to the screen that Santa was reading?
With the help of AI, Sebastian designed a template that allows a more seamless transfer of information from Webex chat to Santa’s screen. Now, elves can quickly synthesize details, order children who might be waiting in the queue, and even send secret messages to Santa. (The most common, according to Joanne? “Keep going Santa – we have more kids waiting!”)
Connection Across Distance and Difference
While this annual effort is powered by technology, the true gift is human connection.
This year, across the U.K. and Ireland, 95 Cisco volunteers donned elf hats, delivered more than 1,000 gifts, and used Time2Give volunteer hours to bring holiday cheer to children spending their Christmas in a hospital.
And while the Webex call provides the portal, it’s the Cisco volunteers — elves dressed in green and red — who power the connection.
One visit in particular stays with Joanne. Stationed next to Santa in his grotto, she saw a child in a wheelchair come on to the screen.
“The child was non-verbal and had limited mobility, but I could see her just clutching onto the hand of Mrs. Claus, a Cisco volunteer,” said Joanne. “And when Santa said her name through the screen, you could just see her entire face light up.”
For Joanne, that’s the magic of Connected Santa – and the magic of Cisco.
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