Cisco
The company that makes much of the network gear connecting offices to the internet.
Cisco Systems was founded in 1984 by Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner, who worked on Stanford University's computer networks, and is based in San Jose, California. Its first products were routers, the boxes that pass data between different networks, and it grew with the internet itself in the 1990s. Today much of the equipment inside corporate offices, universities, internet providers and data centers carries its name.
Its main business is networking hardware: routers, switches (which connect the computers, phones and printers inside a building), Wi-Fi access points and firewalls. Around that it sells software and services: tools to manage thousands of devices from the cloud (its Meraki line), security products, the Webex video-conferencing service and, since buying Splunk, software for collecting and searching logs and security events.
It makes money from selling equipment and, more and more, from software licenses, subscriptions and support contracts. Cisco has also shaped the profession: its certifications, such as the CCNA, are a common first step for network engineers, and its Networking Academy teaches networking in schools and universities around the world.
Keep in mind
- Founded in 1984 by Stanford network engineers; grew with the internet.
- Makes routers, switches, Wi-Fi access points and firewalls for businesses and providers.
- Also sells security software, Webex and, through Splunk, log analytics.
- Its CCNA certification is a classic entry point for network engineers.
