There is a lot of important information about Cisco Systems, Inc. Cisco is the world leader in networking. They transform the way people are able to communicate, collaborate and connect. Headquartered out of San Jose, California, Cisco manufactures, sells and designs networking equipment. They are the leading computer networking and communication supplier in the world.
Cisco Systems was founded by two staff members from Stanford University computer technician support, Sandy Lerner and Leonard Bosack. Even though they founded Cisco, they continued to work at Stanford as they pursued projects. Initially Cisco targeted Universities, the aerospace industry and research centers as their buyers.
The Rise of the Internet: 1996 to 2009
In the late 90’s, the Internet grew at a phenomenal rate which changed the landscape of the telecom industry. IP, known as Internet Protocol, became widely adopted. Cisco caught the Internet wave adding new products such as core GSR routers and modem access shelves. These products became essential to Internet service providers. In this segment, Cisco Systems became a monopoly. The primary product was a hardware device that incorporated software allowing automatic selection of the most effective route for data flow between networks. These routers support multiple data transmission standards and multiple protocols allowing a link between different hardware including IBM compatible PC’s, Apple Macintosh computers, IBM mainframes and UNIX workstations.
In the height of the dot com boom, Cisco Systems became the most valuable corporation in the world worth more than $500 billion. Currently, they are still one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Internet bandwidth requirements continued to challenge software based packet procession architectures. Cisco faced this challenge head on with the introduction of ASICs and fast processing cards used for Catalyst 6500 switches and GSR routers. They also began migrating to a newer high-end hardware.
“The Human Network”: 2006 to 2012
In 2006, Cisco Systems shortened their name to “Cisco” and commenced a new advertising campaign knows as “The Human Network”. The new advertising campaign was directed at making Cisco a well-known household brand. The products that these efforts supported included the home use Linksys line of products and other future products.
Cisco continued developing their extensive line of enterprise focused switching, routing and their security portfolio. The use of the Ethernet became very important and began influencing the products.
During the mid 2000’s, Cisco worked on building a significant presence in India. They were challenged by domestic companies such as Juniper Networks and Alcatel-Lucent. They also had overseas competitors that were reducing their business. In 2011, the company had to reduce their expenses by approximately $1 billion annually.
“TOMORROW Starts Here”: 2013 to Present
Currently, Cisco has launched their first rebranding advertising campaigns “Internet of Everything” and “TOMORROW starts here”. These campaigns were created to position them for the next 10 years as a global leader. Cisco wants to help connect everyone to the Internet. They want to connect those who are unconnected and use IP address connecting through cloud computing services and applications.
Even though there is so much information about Cisco Systems, it is important to remember that Cisco Systems dominates the world market for Internet protocol based networking equipment. They provide routers and switches used to direct voice, video traffic and, of course, data. Other products available from Cisco include IP telephony equipment, remote access servers, Internet conference systems, optical network components, network service, security and set top boxes. The primary purchaser of their products is telecommunication service providers and large enterprises; however, they also market to small businesses and for personal use. Currently, almost 60% of Cisco’s total sales comes from the United States.