Cisco's routers pioneered support for multiple protocols or data transmission standards, and could therefore link together different kinds of networks, those having different architectures and those built on different hardware, such as IBM-compatible personal computers, Apple Macintosh computers, UNIX workstations, and IBM mainframes.
Cisco initially marketed its routers to universities, research centers, the aerospace industry, and government facilities by contacting computer scientists and engineers via ARPANET, the precursor to what was later known as the Internet. In , the company began to target its internetworking routers at mainstream corporations with geographically dispersed branches that used different networks.
To that end, Cisco developed routers serving an even greater array of communications protocols and subsequently distinguished its routers by enabling them to support more protocols than those of any other router manufacturer. By the late s, when the commercial market for internetworking began to develop, Cisco's reasonably priced, high-performance routers gave it a head start over the emerging competition.
Although Cisco had a high rate of sales growth, the young company was still short of cash; in Bosack and Lerner were forced to turn to a venture capitalist, Donald T. Valentine of Sequoia Capital, for support. Valentine, however, required that the owners surrender to him a controlling stake in the company. Valentine thus became chairperson and then hired an outsider, John Morgridge, as the company's new president and chief executive officer.
Morgridge, who had an M. Morgridge replaced several Cisco managers, who were friends of Bosack and Lerner, with more qualified and experienced executives. In February , Cisco went public, after which Bosack and Lerner began selling their shares. Under Morgridge, Bosack had been given the title of chief scientist and Lerner was made head of customer service.
However, Lerner reportedly did not get along well with Morgridge and, in August , she was fired, whereupon Bosack also quit. The couple subsequently gave away the majority of their profits to their favorite charities. Meanwhile, Morgridge built up a direct sales force to market the products to corporate clients. At first, Cisco's corporate clients were the scientific departments of companies which already maintained large internal networks.
Later, Cisco was able to market its products to all kinds of major corporations to help them link the computer systems of their headquarters, regional, and branch offices. As Cisco's client base grew, the company's greatest challenge became meeting customer support service needs.
The large size of the network systems for which Cisco supplied products made the user support task especially complex.
The company grew at a tremendous rate as its market rapidly expanded. In the early s, companies of all sizes were installing local area networks LANs of personal computers. As such, the potential market for linking these networks, either with each other or with existing minicomputers and mainframe computers, also grew. In , Fortune magazine rated Cisco as the second fastest growing company in the United States. Application product category consists primarily of software-related offerings that utilize the core networking and data center platforms to provide their functions.
Security product category primarily includes unified threat management products, threat security products and Web security products. Its subsidiary, ThousandEyes, Inc. Communications Equipment. Contact Info. United States.
Executive Leadership. Charles H. Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer. Scott Herren. Maria Martinez. Gerri Elliott. Deborah L. New Stories. Cisco Systems Inc has created a team dedicated to developing its Webex collaboration software for Apple Inc products, the two companies said Tuesday as Cisco rolled out a new version of Webex for iPads. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said Tuesday.
Cisco Systems Inc on Wednesday forecast that within four years, about half its revenue will come from software and other recurring sales, but its chief financial officer told Reuters high chip prices in its hardware business will keep pressuring overall profits. Cisco Systems built the Internet so we know exactly what it takes to get your business online. Take advantage of our experience and knowledge to get the Internet working effectively for your business.
Charles H. Richard Scott Herren. Chairman of APJC. Geraldine T. Pratik S. Jacqueline Guichelaar. Director of Global Investor Relations.
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