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Cisco: The Apple of Networking?

  • Written by The VAR Guy 1
  • April 28, 2010
At the Cisco Partner Summit this morning, top executives spent roughly two hours sharing their vision for Cisco Systems working in a collaborative world. But the session's most telling comment came at the very end -- when executives indirectly compared Cisco's future direction to Apple's heritage. In some ways, Cisco's statement was a jab at Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard.

At the Cisco Partner Summit this morning, top executives spent roughly two hours sharing their vision for Cisco Systems working in a collaborative world. But the session’s most telling comment came at the very end — when executives indirectly compared Cisco’s future direction to Apple’s heritage. In some ways, Cisco’s statement was a jab at Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. Here’s the scoop.

The last slide of this morning’s keynote presentation contained the following quote:

“People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware” – Alan Kay.

Kay is a Xerox PARC, Apple and MIT veteran. The quote is a thinly veiled reference to Cisco’s ambitions: Focus on both hardware and software to beat Microsoft in the unified communications market and Hewlett-Packard in the hardware market.

Can that strategy succeed? Hmmm… It already has over at Apple.

No doubt, Cisco has a lot of software experience. Still, nobody would ever accuse Cisco of designing truly elegant user interfaces. Is that about to change? Hmmm… Perhaps The VAR Guy is looking a bit too far into this.

Instead of focusing on traditional user interfaces, Cisco seems intent on collaboration software tied to video. No doubt, you’ve heard that Cisco is moving some of its applications — like WebEx — to the iPad.

Can Cisco really become the Apple of networking? Hmmm… It’s always nice to have stretch goals.

Sign up for The VAR Guy’s Newsletter; Webcasts and Resource Center; and via RSS; Facebook; Identi.ca; Twitter and VARtweet.


Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Channel Programs Mobility Networking

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7 comments

  1. Avatar Phobos April 28, 2010 @ 10:06 pm
    Reply

    Interesting remarks, they seem to be focusing their message the same way Oracle did.

    As Apple once said, Software sells Hardware.

  2. Avatar The VAR Guy April 28, 2010 @ 10:40 pm
    Reply

    Phobos: The VAR Guy got a preview of some next-gen Cisco applications today. Interesting. Apparently, you can teach hardware veterans to focus on software and user interface design. More details from The VAR Guy in the next few hours.
    -TVG

  3. Avatar Ian April 28, 2010 @ 11:51 pm
    Reply

    Somehow I don’t think the next supervisor module for the catalyst 6500 will get as much fanfare as the next iphone…unless you’re a network geek of course!

  4. Avatar The VAR Guy April 29, 2010 @ 2:39 am
    Reply

    Ian: Does the catalyst 6500 have a touch screen? 😉
    -TVG

  5. Avatar Ivan April 29, 2010 @ 3:30 am
    Reply

    I think the next 6500 is the Nexus 7000.. And the UCS has a brilliant GUI! Nothing like Cisco’s old SDM(urgh!).

  6. Avatar Mark Golden April 29, 2010 @ 5:13 am
    Reply

    Dumbest thing ever… go directly into the most competitive market out there.. smartphones. (HP really does want to dominate all you do..) Can’t they just be happy sucking us dry of ink????

    Palm, lost technology, low margin business, crowded space, dominaant leaders.. Same logic drove them to 3COM. Just wait, they may buy a fledgling boat anchor company as well.

    This company is thinking with it’s EGO, not with a solid business mind any longer.

    Congrats to Cisco for taking the high road this week.. and shame on HP for continuing to show it’s insecurities by bashing Cisco and the entire Virtualization Cloud Computing Market (CIO magazine’s top technology on the minds of CIO’s is …. Virtualization and Cloud Computing)

    -A Cisco and HP Partner

    PS Great coverage of BOTH conferences by the VAR GUY.. Thanks!!

  7. Avatar The VAR Guy April 29, 2010 @ 12:03 pm
    Reply

    Mark: The VAR Guy appreciates your comment. Our resident blogger assumes you’re referring to HP buying Palm? Love it or hate it, The VAR Guy thinks the deal shows just how badly HP wants to break away from Microsoft in the mobile market…

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