Cisco hosts Red Nose auction

Networking vendor teams up with Christie's and aims to raise £100,000 by offering staff goodies

Networking giant Cisco is hosting a virtual auction using its Telepresence technology to raise money for Comic Relief this Friday.

All seven of Cisco's premises in the UK and Ireland, in Feltham, London, Reading, Manchester, Edinburgh, Motherwell and Dublin, will take part in the event. The event is being facilitated by auctioneer Christie's and will see staff of the vendor bidding for a range of prizes.

These include box seats to see Beyonce or Britney Spears, signed sporting memorabilia and a tour of the Houses of Parliament. The disparate premises will be linked via Cisco's Telepresence technology and the event will be helmed by Christie's chairman Hugh Edmeades.

Other events planned by the networking titan to support Red Nose Day include a talent contest and a raffle. Cisco will match all employee contributions and is hoping to raise £100,000 for charity.

Edmeades claimed the event's use of technology broke exciting new ground for him.

"This is the first time that I have taken an auction that embraces this ground-breaking video technology," he said. "As a result, everyone will be able to participate and experience the tension and excitement of the event.”

David Meads, Cisco's UK and Ireland director, said: “Cisco has supported Comic Relief since 2000. It is a charity we strongly believe in. We continue to encourage all our staff to ‘do something funny for money’, and they always enthusiastically accept the challenge.”