Cisco facts for kids
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Building 10 of the Cisco San Jose Main Campus
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| Founded | December 10, 1984 in San Francisco, California, U.S. |
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U.S.
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Worldwide |
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| Products | List of Cisco products |
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c. 84,900 (2023) |
| Footnotes / references Financials as of July 29, 2023[update]. |
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Cisco Systems, Inc. (often called Cisco) is a big American company based in San Jose, California. It creates, makes, and sells things like networking hardware and software. These products help computers and devices connect and talk to each other. Cisco is a leader in areas like the Internet of things (IoT), which connects everyday objects to the internet, and videoconferencing with products like Webex.
Cisco Systems was started in December 1984 by Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner. They were computer scientists at Stanford University. They came up with a new way to connect computers far apart using a special device called a router. The company became public in 1990. By the year 2000, Cisco was worth over $500 billion, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Cisco's stock (CSCO) is part of important stock market lists like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500.
Contents
How Cisco Started: A Brief History
Early Days: Connecting Computers
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Cisco Systems was founded in December 1984 by Sandy Lerner and her husband Leonard Bosack. They both worked with computers at Stanford University. Sandy managed the computer systems for the business school. Leonard was in charge of the computer science department's computers.
Cisco's first product came from their work at Stanford. In the early 1980s, they helped connect all the computers on campus. They created a device called the "Blue Box" that acted as a router. This device helped different computer systems communicate with each other.
In 1985, Bosack and another Stanford employee, Kirk Lougheed, worked on networking the campus. They used the software from the "Blue Box" as a base for what became Cisco IOS. The name "Cisco" comes from the city of San Francisco. The company's logo is designed to look like the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Growing Big: The Internet Boom
On February 16, 1990, Cisco Systems became a public company. This means its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market. By this time, it was worth $224 million. Later that year, Sandy Lerner left the company, and Leonard Bosack resigned too.
Cisco was one of the first companies to sell successful routers that could connect many different types of networks. Their early devices were flexible and could be updated easily with new software. This helped them keep up with changing technology. Cisco quickly became important for internet service providers.
Between 1992 and 1994, Cisco bought several companies that made Ethernet switching equipment. These acquisitions helped form Cisco's Catalyst business unit. This unit focused on making fast and simple network switches. In 1995, John T. Chambers became the new CEO of Cisco.
New Ideas and Challenges
The Internet Protocol (IP) became very popular in the late 1990s. Cisco made many products for the internet, becoming a major player in the market. In March 2000, Cisco became the most valuable company in the world. It was worth over $500 billion.
Other companies started making similar products, challenging Cisco. To stay ahead, Cisco developed its own special chips and faster processing cards for its routers and switches. In 2004, Cisco also started using new hardware and software for its high-end products.
Cisco Today: Focusing on the Future
In 2006, Cisco started using the shorter name "Cisco" and launched an advertising campaign called "The Human Network." This was to make Cisco a more well-known brand.
Cisco continued to improve its products for businesses, focusing on routing, switching, and security. The company also expanded into new markets by buying other companies. For example, in 2009, they bought Starent Networks, a company specializing in mobile technology.
Cisco faced competition from other companies like Juniper Networks. In 2011, Cisco reduced its costs and cut some jobs to improve its profits. In 2013, Cisco sold its Linksys home-router business. This showed a shift towards selling more to businesses rather than individual customers.
In 2014, Cisco announced it would invest in companies working on the Internet of Things. This is about connecting many everyday devices to the internet. They also laid off more workers as part of a company reorganization.
In 2015, John T. Chambers stepped down as CEO and Chuck Robbins took over. Chambers remained chairman. Cisco also sold its TV set-top-box business. This was part of Cisco's plan to focus on cloud-based products for businesses.
In 2016, Cisco invested in VeloCloud, a company that helps manage networks using software. In 2017, Cisco launched Cisco Umbrella, a cloud-based service for safe internet access. In December 2017, Chuck Robbins also became the executive chairman.
In 2019, Cisco bought CloudCherry, a company that helps manage customer experiences, and Voicea, an artificial intelligence company. Cisco also introduced a new powerful chip called "Silicon One" for faster network speeds.
In 2022, Cisco stopped selling its equipment in Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine. In 2023, Cisco announced plans to start making equipment in India. In February 2024, Cisco announced it would lay off some employees due to economic challenges. In April 2024, Cisco's CEO Chuck Robbins met with Pope Francis and signed an agreement about ethical AI use.
What Products and Services Does Cisco Offer?
Helping Businesses and Homes
Cisco makes products and services for different types of customers. These include large companies, internet service providers, and small businesses.
Cisco's products cover five main technology areas:
- Networking: This includes things like Ethernet, wireless, and mobile connections.
- Security: Protecting networks and data from cyber threats.
- Collaboration: Tools for working together, like voice calls, video meetings, and sharing data.
- Data Center: Equipment for storing and managing large amounts of information.
- Internet of Things (IoT): Connecting everyday objects to the internet.
Cisco is very popular in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in Australia. It is a leading provider of networking products there.
Learning with Cisco: Certifications
Cisco also offers special certifications for people who want to work with computer networks. These certifications show that someone has certain skills with Cisco products. There are different levels, from entry-level to expert.
Cisco provides training for these certifications through a program called the Cisco Networking Academy. Schools can become members of this academy and offer courses to students. Cisco is involved in technical education in many countries around the world.
Cisco Around the World
Where Cisco Works
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Cisco's main headquarters is in San Jose, California. Many thousands of employees work there. Cisco also has a large campus in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.
In 2020, Cisco announced a new headquarters in Chicago. Cisco has over 200 offices in more than 80 countries around the world. In 2021, Cisco announced that its employees could choose to work remotely permanently.
Buying Other Companies
Cisco has bought many other companies over the years. This helps them get new products, technologies, and talented people. For example, in 1999, Cisco bought Cerent Corporation for about $7 billion. This was one of their biggest purchases at the time.
Some of these acquisitions have grown into very successful parts of Cisco. These include their LAN switching business, the Webex video conferencing platform, and their home networking products (like when they bought Linksys in 2003).
Cisco bought Airespace in 2005 to improve its wireless products. In 2007, they bought IronPort, which was known for its email security products. In 2010, they bought Starent Networks, a mobile technology company.
In 2012, Cisco acquired NDS Group, a TV software developer. In 2013, they bought Intucell, a software maker, and Cognitive Security, a company focused on cyber threat protection. They also acquired cybersecurity firm Sourcefire in 2013.
Cisco continues to acquire companies to expand its offerings. In 2023, they bought several cybersecurity companies like Valtix, Lightspin, and Armorblox. In September 2023, Cisco announced its biggest acquisition yet: the cybersecurity firm Splunk for $28 billion.
Fun Facts and Achievements
Cisco's products, like their IP phones and Telepresence systems, have appeared in movies and TV shows. The company was also featured in the 2011 documentary film Something Ventured.
Cisco received the Ron Brown Award in 2002–03. This is a U.S. presidential award that recognizes companies for how well they treat their employees and communities. In 2019, Cisco was ranked number one on Great Place to Work's list of the World's Best Workplaces. In 2020, Fortune magazine ranked Cisco Systems as the fourth best company to work for.
Cisco is also known for having many patents related to network security. This means they have many unique inventions in this area.
Sponsorship
In 2021, Webex (a Cisco product) partnered with McLaren Racing, a famous racing team. The partnership grew, and Cisco became the Official Technology Partner of the team. In 2023, Cisco became a main partner for the McLaren F1 Academy program, which supports young female racing drivers.
Images for kids
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Cisco SG300-28 Rackmount switch
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Cisco EPC-3010 modem
- Mass surveillance in the United States
- Cisco certifications
- Cisco IOS
- Packet Tracer
- Cisco Catalyst
- Cisco DevNet
- Cisco Express Forwarding
- Cisco Discovery Protocol
- Cisco Security Agent
- Cisco Systems VPN Client
- Cisco WebEx
- Cisco Field
