Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Basically give the tin away and then charge the earth for services, customisation and support.

Look at what it costs to get a Cisco box not under contract recertified so you can get a software update along with the new recurring charges for "service revenue" and you'll see Cisco is right there with them.

@aibb I agree about Huawei - every customer hates being on the hook to them. They complain long and hard about being screwed over at every turn. They put out an RFP and swear to everybody that they want to get from under the yoke. Then, they select Huawei, again.

They could replace him with a wooden spoon with a face drawn on it. No one would notice.

@9jor - I take issue with your comment that Huawei will kill Cisco.

I see them facing similar challenges unless the Chinese state props them up in a big way (if they are not doing so already). Their operating model is just not sustainable.

If you've been a Huawei customer you'll know how they operate. Basically give the tin away and then charge the earth for services, customisation and support.

I have worked with more than one company where every box had a bespoke configuration and was almost impossible to manage.

Once the assets are depreciated they will not be buying Huawei again.

Whatever cash John Chambers had accumulated for Cisco, that is the play money for Chuck and Kelly Kramer. They will buy their time till the existing cash runs out by squandering it all on ridiculous acquisitions. Challenge will be for the CEO after Chuck (assuming Cisco exists like HPE, unlikely as Huawei WILL KILL Cisco in 3-4 years and Chuck may be the last known CEO) when h/she looks for cash to turn around.

The board should sit and taker notice and investors should run before it is too late. Welcome to capitalism.

@OP3OkVp-4lcu: So true. The future upside for Cisco is purely an exercise in financial engineering, with very little through innovation. Cisco is now IBM. That is our future and that is frightening. Same formula/playbook. They are just a few years ahead.

Take a read at their message board on Layoff.com for a look into the crystal ball; quarter after quarter decline, focus on Wall Street/investor dividends, calls for the head of the out-of-touch CEO, continuing offshoring of work to India, Brazil, Poland, etc., constant layoffs and for whomever is left...no salary growth and infighting among the worthless middle-management level.

I have to get outta here.

The reality is that Cisco got commoditized. Its a trend very hard to stop. Old times are gone. Cisco will decline Q by Q. No exceptions. To float, Cisco will pay each time more dividends to investors and less to employees. That is the strategy! Not a good company to be.

You guys are funny. I can guarantee that is Chuck did go you would moan about his replacement. That's because you are moaners. Those that can, do. Those that can't, moan.

Situation in cisco is too much political was happening inside, managers, directors, vp, spv all doing political each one has own purpose for it , so basically they dont give or deliver correct data about the company and business to ceo, for example , does cisco need more than 3 operating systems?

I don't think so, each operating system need to develop or test by big number of sw engineers , that mostly handle in india, I can predict thousand sw engineers working in 2 or 3 new operating system in india, I'm not sure that will generate billions dollar to cisco. Second it was told by upper management that US will work on new products , actually at same time China and India also working on same new products.

How good is a Cisco ceo will not help the company if too many political still hapenning internally, the only thing cisco need to do due diligence deep internally , and go from there , if cisco do this, I don't thing need more than 10k enginner in India

Yeah, you could replace her with a spreadsheet.

OK, so who would the potential candidates be? It's all very well whining about Chuck but you'd better think about what his replacement will do. A 'tech savvy' leader would probably look at much of Cisco's business and say there is no future for X technology, there is a lack of strategy for Y technology and just shut large chunks down with substantial layoffs. My suspicion is that you think a new leader would take you back to the mythical land of milk and honey, think again sunshine.

Of course, the BIG mistake you are making is thinking that CR is actually running the business. You'd be far better looking at options to replace the CFO. Hmm, a tech savvy CFO, now there's an oxymoron.

Agree-

The Board is useless, full of toothless tigers.

I like the metaphor of Spark as a used car being sold with the exception that the car doesn't actually exist or go anywhere, it's just the vision of a used car.

Look let's be honest this has nothing to do with individuals it has more to do with technology. Just like the PC industry took a hit when laptops became mainstream so have other technologies been affected when it comes to their perspective industries. When is the last time people went shopping for a hub or modem? Cisco has been cleaning up shop it takes time so yes layoffs are going to keep happening. I know it s---s I was let go a few years ago but the technology I was working on is not around as better products have succeeded it.

The board would just hire a used car salesman like RT. Just look at Spark and the IoT space

The cake-to-people ratio is too small ....

Cisco should have a tech CEO? Wow, what a genius thought. Never would have thought of that. Next you’ll be saying a CEO should have ideas of his own and make his own decisions instead of just listening to his minions. He actually admitted he shouldn’t have been CEO - not sure if that’s good or bad.

It's the tech industry...old companies are dying while new companies thrive. As soon as you accept that as a fact it's real easy not to care and treat your job for what it should be, just a job nothing more.

You got a better chance of having the campus move to Gilroy.

The Cisco Board are incompetent. All cronies of the Chairman.

CR, ELT and the board are in cahoot together.