Cisco

Cisco

Cisco is a global networking-and-security platform company that turns enterprise infrastructure into software-defined, cloud-connected systems. [hvq95f] [8tf61m]
Cisco Systems was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in San Jose, California. [hvq95f] It is best known for computer networking products and operates worldwide, with major revenue exposure across the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia/Pacific. [hvq95f] [8tf61m] A consultant tracks Cisco because it remains a bellwether for enterprise networking, security, and infrastructure spending. [hvq95f] [8tf61m]

Identity and Form

  • Type: This organization is a for-profit company. [hvq95f] [8tf61m]
  • Legal form and jurisdiction: Cisco Systems, Inc. is a public company listed on NASDAQ under CSCO. [hvq95f] [3cra6k]
  • Headquarters and presence: The headquarters is in San Jose, California, and its footprint is global. [hvq95f] [8tf61m]
  • Size: Cisco employed 90,400 people in the source snapshot. [8tf61m]
  • Where it lives online: Homepage [8tf61m] ; Investor relations [3cra6k]

Mission and Identity

ℹ️
“Cisco Systems, Inc. is the world leader in designing, developing, and marketing Internet network equipment.” [8tf61m]
Cisco presents itself as the company that powers networking infrastructure, security, and related services for businesses rather than consumers. [hvq95f] [8tf61m] Its identity is tied to enterprise connectivity at global scale, with offerings spanning hardware, software, and technical services. [8tf61m] It foregrounds operational reliability, secure networking, and customer enablement through its products and services. [8tf61m]
  • Stated values / principles: No reliable source found in the returned results for a current public values statement.

What They Do

Cisco sells networking equipment, software, security products, and services to enterprises and other organizations. [hvq95f] [8tf61m] Its revenue mix in the source snapshot is led by network equipment, with services and security also material lines of business. [8tf61m] The company’s day-to-day value creation is helping customers design, run, and secure complex internet and internal networks. [8tf61m]
  • Switches and routers. [8tf61m]
  • Storage, Internet access, and security systems. [8tf61m]
  • Wiring, gateways, connection interfaces, and modules. [8tf61m]
  • Technical assistance. [8tf61m]
  • Network design, execution, and integration services. [8tf61m]
  • Security products. [8tf61m]

Leadership and People

  • Charles H. Robbins — CEO — listed as CEO in the source snapshot and in Cisco’s earnings materials. [hvq95f] [8tf61m] [3cra6k]
  • Leonard Bosack — founder — co-founded Cisco in 1984 with Sandra Lerner. [hvq95f]
  • Sandra Lerner — founder — co-founded Cisco in 1984 with Leonard Bosack. [hvq95f]
  • Thimaya Subaiya — COO — appears on Cisco’s executive committee in the source snapshot. [8tf61m]
  • Deborah Stahlkopf — executive committee member — listed on the executive committee in the source snapshot. [8tf61m]
  • Jeetendra Patel — executive committee member — listed on the executive committee in the source snapshot. [8tf61m]
  • Mark Patterson — executive committee member — listed on the executive committee in the source snapshot. [8tf61m]

History and Origin Story

Cisco was founded in 1984 by Leonard Bosack and Sandra Lerner, who met at Stanford University and later built the company in San Jose, California. [hvq95f] The company name was taken from San Francisco, and Cisco initially emerged around internet networking equipment rather than consumer technology. [hvq95f]
  • 1984 — Leonard Bosack and Sandra Lerner founded Cisco Systems in December. [hvq95f]
  • 1984 — The company name was derived from “the city of San Francisco.” [hvq95f]
  • 2010s — Cisco had become one of the largest U.S. corporations and a globally operating networking vendor. [hvq95f]
  • 2026 — Cisco reported Q3 FY2026 revenue of $15.8 billion, reflecting continued scale in enterprise infrastructure. [3cra6k]

Financials and Funding

  • Market cap: $306.80 billion in the source snapshot. [hvq95f]
  • Latest annual revenue: $59.05 billion in the source snapshot. [hvq95f]
  • Latest net income: No reliable source found in the returned results for a full-year figure.
  • Dividend: No reliable source found in the returned results for a current dividend figure.
  • Ticker / exchange: CSCO / NASDAQ. [hvq95f] [3cra6k]

Milestones and Signature Output

  • Cisco routers and switching systems — foundational product line that made the company a major enterprise networking vendor. [hvq95f] [8tf61m]
  • Enterprise networking portfolio — switches, routers, gateways, and related infrastructure that became the company’s core. [8tf61m]
  • Security products expansion — a major line of business alongside networking hardware. [8tf61m]
  • Services business — technical support and network integration services broadened Cisco beyond hardware sales. [8tf61m]
  • Q3 FY2026 record revenue — $15.8 billion, showing continued scale and demand in enterprise infrastructure. [3cra6k]
  • Workforce reduction announced in 2026 — Cisco said it would reduce its overall workforce by fewer than 4,000 jobs as part of its “Path Forward” actions. [l19zvq]

Ecosystem and Relationships

  • Stanford University — where the founders met. [hvq95f]
  • Competitors in enterprise networking such as other switch, router, and security vendors are implied by Cisco’s market position, but no specific rival was named in the returned sources. [hvq95f] [8tf61m]
  • Public-market shareholders and institutional holders such as Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street appear in the market snapshot. [8tf61m]
  • NASDAQ — the exchange where CSCO trades. [hvq95f] [3cra6k]
  • Cisco’s own investor relations site is the primary disclosure channel for earnings and guidance. [3cra6k]

Recent Developments

As of 2026-05-30,
  • 2026-04-25 — Cisco reported Q3 FY2026 revenue of $15.8 billion, up 12% year over year, with GAAP net income of $3.4 billion. [3cra6k]
  • 2026-04-25 — Cisco issued Q4 FY2026 revenue guidance of $16.7 billion to $16.9 billion and FY2026 revenue guidance of $62.8 billion to $63.0 billion. [3cra6k]
  • 2026-04-25 — Cisco announced “Path Forward” workforce changes that would reduce its overall workforce by fewer than 4,000 jobs. [l19zvq]

Impact

  • Impact on society — Cisco’s networking gear underpins enterprise and institutional connectivity at global scale, affecting how organizations communicate and operate across regions. [hvq95f] [8tf61m]
  • Impact on innovation — Cisco helped normalize the modern enterprise networking stack of routers, switches, gateways, and integrated security, making Platform Ecosystems-style infrastructure a core corporate asset. [hvq95f] [8tf61m]
  • Impact on its industry or domain — Cisco is a reference point in communications equipment and enterprise networking, and its revenue and market capitalization indicate durable category leadership. [hvq95f]
  • Historical significance — Founded in the mid-1980s, Cisco is one of the companies that helped define the commercial internet infrastructure era. [hvq95f]
  • Criticisms and controversies — OpenSecrets reports Cisco made $3.27 million in lobbying in 2024 and $2.30 million in contributions in the 2024 cycle, which is relevant to scrutiny of large tech firms’ policy influence. [o19zuq]

Adjacent Entries

Sources