Cisco Systems, Inc.

The Basic Story Regarding Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create Internet solutions so that individuals, companies, and countries have easy access to information—regardless of differences in time and place. In addition, the company is recognized as a pioneer in using the Internet for its own business practices. In a relatively short time Cisco has become the world's largest supplier of high-performance computer internetworking systems. Its routers and other communication products allow users to connect different computer networks using different hardware and software across offices, countries, and continents.
Cisco's current mission is to shape the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for customers, employees, investors and ecosystem partners. Its Internetworking Operating System (Cisco IOS) software lets networks running under different standards interoperate,creating a seamless information and communications system. Being in the business that it is, Cisco is also determined to be its own best user of networking systems. It has placed a great deal of emphasis on making its ERP system and the Cisco Connection an outstanding example of network-based information systems.

Cisco Systems

• Cisco Web Page
  
• 2002 Annual Report
  
• Making the Cisco Connection available from Jack Callon
  
• Chamber's Tale of Icarus
  
• What Went Wrong at Cisco?
  
• Internetworking Basics
  
• Cisco Systems: The Internetworking Company of the Future
  
• "Computing’s Next Superpower" Fortune Magazine, May 12, 1997.
• Nortel Networks Web Page
  
• Juniper Networks Web Page
  
• Avici Systems Web Page
  
• Alcatel Web Page
  
• 3Com Web Page
  
• Enterasys Networks Web Page
  
• IBM Networking
  
• Lucent Technologies Web Page
  
• Innovation at Cisco
  
• Cisco Chief: Future May Lie in Virtual Networks
  
• Numbers Start to Add Up for Telecom Sector
  
• Walking Out of the Basement
  
• John Chambers: The Buck Stops Here
  

Industry Publications

• Telecommunications Online
  
• Spread Spectrum Scene
  

Cisco's Use of Information Teckhnology

• Chambers at 2002 World Economic Forum: Prognosis: Productivity, Profitability, and Corporate Citizenship
  
• The IT World Rests in Their Hands
  
• Solvik Discusses His New Role Within Cisco
  

Key People within Cisco Systems

• John Chambers, President and Chief Executive Officer
  
• Douglas C. Allred, Vice President for Customer Advocacy.
• Dennis Powell, Chief Financial Officer
  
• Bradford Boston, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
  
• Pete Solvik, Former CIO (has left Cisco)
  

Some Tips in Doing an Analysis Paper on Cisco Systems

• While the term may not be in any industry code book, it makes sense to identify Cisco's industry as telecommunicaitions network equipment. Computer network equipment is another acceptable definition. Implied by this is both hardware and software. Contrast this to computer peripherals which is too general and not indicative of its business focus.
• Be careful not to confuse Cisco's effort to sell internetwork equipment with its own use of these devices in Section III of the paper.
• As indicated above, Cisco wants to lead the industry as the best provider of end-to-end network solutions to its customers, while also being the best example of how this approach is the best way for it to conduct its business.
• The success of Cisco has hardly gone unnoticed. Are there existing companies that can and will try to challenge Cisco as an internetworking provider?

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