Cisco

Company President John Chambers

The company was founded in 1984 by the spouses Leonard Bosack ( Leonard Bosack ) and Sandra Lerner ( Sandra Lerner ), previously engaged in the maintenance of computer technology at Stanford University . Leonard Bosak adapted many protocol router programs written by , another employee who began work several years before Bosak arrived at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his bachelor 's degree .

Although Cisco was not the first company to develop and market routers - devices that redirect computer traffic from one network to another - it created the first commercially successful multi-protocol router. This device allowed previously incompatible computers to communicate with each other, even if they used different network protocols .

In 1990, Bosak and Lerner left the company, receiving $ 170 million, after venture investors brought professional managers into the board of directors ^[6] , and later Bosak and Lerner divorced.

Title

The name Cisco is an abbreviation for the name of the city of San Francisco , California (San Fran cisco ). Previously, when founders chose a name for a company, they often fell on names that were already taken or used. In the end, someone suggested the name "cisco" with the first small letter "c" (there was already a company with the name "CISCO"). There is also a version according to which the original name of the company sounded and was written exactly like San-Francisco Systems, but during the registration process, the awkward movement of a lawyer (or notary) led to a break in the title page with the company name. Future owners considered this a sign and thus fixed the name cisco Systems with a small letter.

The name ciscoSystems (with a small “c”) continued to be used in the company's engineering community long after the company officially changed its name to Cisco Systems, Inc. You can still find the name “ciscoSystems” in iOS messages and error reports.

The company logo is a stylized image of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Mergers and Acquisitions

In 1996, the acquisition of allowed Cisco to enter the ATM market. Then, using the acquisition of companies, internal development and partnership with other companies, Cisco entered the IP-telephony market with its IP-telephones , corporate IP-PBXs and gateways to the public switched telephone network. In 2003, the corporation acquired Linksys , a manufacturer of equipment for home networks and small office networks.

In December 2009, Cisco was able to acquire more than 90% of the shares of the Norwegian company Tandberg . The deal, which allowed the company to become a world leader in the production of video conferencing equipment, cost NOK 19 billion ( $ 3.4 billion) ^[7] .

In the 2010s, Cisco began to actively absorb various software vendors . On December 10, 2012, the acquisition of , the software company for convergent infrastructure automation ^[8] (such as FlexPod , vBlock ), was completed . In July 2013, Sourcefire , the developer of Snort attack detection system , ClamAV anti-virus package and Razorback threat detection platform, became the property of Cisco. The deal amounted to $ 2.7 billion. In September 2014, Metacloud, a company specializing in the creation and maintenance of cloud systems, was acquired based on the OpenStack open source platform, the deal has become the largest ever OpenStack community.

In January 2017, AppDynamics , a developer of application performance management systems ^{[9] [10]} , was acquired for $ 3.7 billion, and in May 2017, two acquisitions were announced at once: the purchase of a startup for the development of software-defined networks for $ 610 million ^[11] , and the takeover of the developer of analytical tools ^[12] . In August 2017, SpringPath was acquired , which developed a software-defined storage network , which has been the basis of the Cisco HyperFlex hyperconverged system since 2016 ^[13] .

The head of the company is Chuck Robbins .

On May 4, 2015, it was officially announced that John Chambers would step down as CEO and starting July 26, 2015, Cisco will lead Chuck Robbins . And the 65-year-old Chambers, who has been at the helm of the world's largest producer of network equipment for the past 20 years, will retain the post of chairman of the board of directors and will help his successor adapt to his new position ^[14] .

Products

As of the early 2010s, Cisco has been manufacturing a wide variety of devices, for example:

• Routers
• Ethernet switches
• Products for IP-telephony , such as IP-PBX , VoIP-gateways (some of the lines were not originally developed in-house, OEM Polycom )
• Network Security Devices ( Firewalls , VPN , IDS , etc.)
• Wi-Fi Access Points
• Optical switching platforms
• ATM switches
• Cable modems
• DSL equipment
• Universal Gateways and Remote Access Gateways
• Network management software
• CCTV systems
• Storage Network Switches
• Servers ( UCS , supplied since 2009 ^[15] , in particular, as a part of FlexPod complexes manufactured by Cisco together with NetApp and complexes manufactured by VCE - joint venture of VMware , Cisco and EMC )
• Large TelePresence video conferencing systems (based on equipment acquired by Tandberg).

Performance Indicators

In late March 2000, at the peak of the dot-com boom , Cisco became the most valued company in the world, with a market capitalization of more than $ 500 billion ^{[16] [17]} . In July 2009, with a capitalization of $ 108.03 billion, ^[18] it remains one of the largest companies ^[19] .

The company's revenue in fiscal 2008-2009 amounted to $ 36.12 billion (decreased by 9% compared with the previous similar period), net profit - $ 6.13 billion (decreased by 24%). ^[20]

The company's revenue in the 2007-2008 financial year was $ 39.5 billion ($ 34.9 billion in 2007, an increase of 13.2%). Net income - $ 8.1 billion ($ 7.3 billion in 2007, an increase of 9.8%). ^[21]

Cisco in Russia, Ukraine, and the CIS

The company has been operating in the CIS market since 1995 and has representative offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg , the CIS countries (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) and Ukraine.

In 2007, Cisco's sales in the CIS (mainly in Russia and Kazakhstan) and Ukraine in the area of ​​“information security” amounted to $ 78 million. The annual growth rate was 33.4% in rubles or 41.8% in dollars. The market share held by Cisco has exceeded 20%. ^[22]

Skolkovo

In June 2010, during a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev , Cisco CEO John Chambers announced his intention to invest $ 100 million in venture projects in Russia in the near future (previously, the company announced its participation in the project to create the Skolkovo innovation center ). Upon completion of the innovation center, Cisco promises to place there a second global headquarters for its advanced technology department. According to Chambers, Cisco’s total investment in the Russian economy will reach $ 1 billion in the coming years. ^{[23] [24]}

In October 2011, Cisco Global Incubation Projects Curator Christopher Thompson said: “In the near future, Cisco is going to become a Skolkovo resident and register a special legal entity for this to open its own development center in it” ^[25] . The center will have one goal: the development of speech and video recognition technology for the purpose of simultaneous translation into any language and the subsequent possibility of contextual search for audio and video files. The system will recognize speakers in person. To develop technology, Cisco plans to initially recruit 30 engineers.

The head of Cisco’s business in the CIS and Georgia, Pavel Betsis, said ^[26] that the company has begun to register its R&D center in Skolkovo, and has also begun to form a development team that will work in it. The center began its work in the spring of 2012 at Skolkovo “real or virtual” depending on the availability of office space ready for use in the innovation city ^[27] .

Trade Union in Russia

In 2011, a trade union was created in the Russian office of Cisco, the organizers of which are three customer service managers ^[28] . After that, he is a member of the All-Russian Union of Telecommunications Workers, whose chairman criticizes Cisco's leadership for persecuting its employees ^[29] . The dismissal of the chairman of the union at the end of 2011 leads to his statement of intent to appeal the dismissal in court. In addition, union members intend to institute criminal proceedings against Cisco based on the hacking of their mailboxes ^[30] .

Partnership with USAID

In October 2011, Cisco and USAID made a deal in the amount of $ 40-50 million, according to which Cisco undertakes to train computer activists and Internet skills of civil activists of non-profit organizations. The project was supposed to be implemented on the basis of Cisco Networking Academies, and it was also planned to open about 500 training centers throughout the Russian Federation. Most of the costs were incurred by the computer corporation. This project aroused concern among some State Duma deputies (Robert Schlegel) and the media as a possible platform for the “Twitter revolution” and the consolidation of the opposition, which has the opportunity to recruit new Internet activists from among those trained by Cisco. ^[31]

In addition to the usual internships for students that take place in the countries where students live , the company has been conducting the Cisco International Internship Program (CIIP) since 2012 . ^{[32] [33]}

The program involves paid ^[34] accommodation and work at Cisco headquarters in San Jose , USA for one year. Students from accredited universities ^[35] who speak English and who demonstrate outstanding success in studies and extracurricular disciplines can take part in the internship. Applicants must use myciip.com to apply . Depending on the needs of hiring managers, interns can hold the positions of software engineers, network engineers, data analysts, project managers and so on ^[34] , thus penetrating into various departments of the company.

After the end of the year, trainees, in accordance with the requirements of the US migration law regarding J-1 visa ^[36] , are required to leave the United States and return to their country for at least three months, after which they have the opportunity to work in their country, to return a maximum of two more times on a J-1 visa, or receive a job offer, depending on the decision of the intern and his manager.

In the United States, Cisco has traditionally been included in the list of 100 best companies for employees according to Fortune magazine. ^[37] .

In 2004, Cisco was rated 100% in the Corporate Equality Index, released by the Human Rights Campaign, one of the largest LGBT organizations in the United States, with the goal of protecting the rights of lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgenders . In the same 2004, the company was named among the top 100 companies for working mothers.

The Cisco Networking Academy Program is a comprehensive e-learning program that provides students with the knowledge of Internet technology needed in a global economy. Программа Сетевой академии включает материалы, доступные через Интернет, инструменты оценки знаний, средства отслеживания академических успехов студентов, практические лабораторные занятия, а также курсы подготовки для получения признанных в отрасли профессиональных сертификатов.

Сетевая академия была основана в октябре 1997 года на базе 64 учебных заведений в семи штатах и к настоящему времени распространилась на более чем 165 стран. С момента основания программы более 1,6 млн студентов поступили в более 10 тыс. Академий, расположенных в школах, техникумах, колледжах, университетах и общественных организациях.

Заинтересованным учебным заведениям присваивается статус Академии Cisco. В настоящее время существует три возможных уровня обучения. Эксперты Cisco обучают тренеров преподавателей в центрах подготовки академии Cisco (CATC). Тренеры, получившие подготовку в CATC, обучают преподавателей региональных академий (Regional Academies), а они, в свою очередь, обучают преподавателей местных академий (Local Academies), которые и преподают студентам. Использование этой трёхуровневой модели обучения позволяет обеспечить необходимый уровень подготовки преподавателей в непосредственной близости от мест их проживания. Учебные заведения могут принимать участие в обучении на одном или нескольких уровнях.

Партнёры Cisco из числа коммерческих, правительственных и общественных организаций формируют экосистему, предоставляющую ряд услуг и поддержку, необходимую для подготовки будущих сотрудников в условиях глобальной экономики. Учебная программа, изначально созданная для подготовки для получения сертификатов «Сертифицированный Cisco сетевой специалист» (CCNA) и «Сертифицированный Cisco сетевой профессионал» (CCNP), значительно расширилась за счёт учебных курсов, поддерживаемых организациями-партнёрами. Дополнительные курсы включают: «Основы ИТ: Оборудование и программное обеспечение ПК» (IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software) и «Основы ИТ: Сетевые операционные системы» (IT Essentials: Network Operating Systems); а также курс «Основы сетевой инфраструктуры Panduit» (Panduit Network Infrastructure Essentials) при поддержке Panduit Corporation.

Использование Интернета позволяет предоставлять равный уровень обучения для всех студентов независимо от их местоположения, социально-экономического статуса, пола или расы. При поддержке программы развития Организации Объединённых Наций, Агентства США по международному развитию и международного союза по телекоммуникациям Cisco обеспечила доступ к программе студентов из наименее развитых стран, чтобы помочь им строить экономики своих стран.

Программа Сетевой академии постоянно повышает стандарты учебного процесса и дистанционного обучения. Благодаря обратной связи и электронным средствам оценки, программа Академии постоянно адаптируется с целью повышения успешности образования и достижений студентов. Инфраструктура Академии позволяет предоставлять богатую, интерактивную и персонализированную программу обучения студентам во всём мире.

Сертификации Cisco

Cisco обеспечивает сертификацию для профессионалов в области сетей:

• CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician) — сертифицированный техник по сетевым технологиям;
• CCNA Routing and Switching (Cisco Certified Network Associate) — сертифицированный специалист по маршрутизации и коммутации;
• CCNA Security — сертифицированный специалист по сетевой безопасности;
• CCNA VoIP — сертифицированный специалист по IP-телефонии;
• CCNA Wi-Fi — сертифицированный специалист по беспроводным сетям;
• CCDA (Cisco Certified Design Associate) — сертифицированный специалист по проектированию сетей;
• CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) — сертифицированный профессионал по маршрутизации и коммутации;
• CCDP (Cisco Certified Design Professional) — сертифицированный профессионал по проектированию сетей;
• CCIP (Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional) — сертифицированный профессионал по объединённым сетям;
• CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional) — сертифицированный профессионал по безопасности;
• CCVP (Cisco Certified Voice Professional) — сертифицированный профессионал по технологиям VoIP ;
• CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) — сертифицированный эксперт объединённых сетей;
• CCDE (Cisco Certified Design Expert) — сертифицированный эксперт по проектированию сетей.

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