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Every company goes through some ups and downs, and cisco is no different. The worldwide leader in networking equipment has taken quite a beating recently. However, cisco has always managed to emerge even stronger from every crisis.

The name “cisco” is based on its origins as a San Francisco start-up. The company was founded in 1984 by a wife and husband team working together in computer support at Stanford. During the 1980s, they had invented the multiprotocol router, a device critical for early internet. They had to battle the University for the rights over their invention. After going public with the company in 1990, they walked away with a lot of cash, and later divorced.

During the dotcom boom, the company was rightfully seen as the leader of the “new economy”. As a supplier of most of the gear guiding data through the internet, cisco was at one time the most valuable company in the world. Of course, that was not to last, since the company was soon after hit by the dotcom bust, just like all the other tech giants of the era.

cisco is, however, still probably the most important company shaping the future of telecommunications. Today, they develop and sell not only computer networking hardware, but software and services too. Their products, distributed under five brands (cisco, Linksys, WebEx, IronPort, and Scientific Atlanta), are currently number one in thirteen product areas, number two in five, and number three in only one. While they specialize in the enterprise market, they weren’t afraid to branch up into the home networking market too.

It is often said that cisco is a company almost synonymous with high performance, high price tags, and high margins. On their official YouTube channel, they call themselves a “future-ready network” – indeed, cisco is a company that is always looking ahead for future growth. They are known for their acquisitions of other companies to expand their product line. Often listed as one of the best companies in the world to work for, the company highly values team working and what they call “corporate citizenship”.

cisco was the first internet-age company, and one of the most successful and profitable companies of all ages. During the years, they certainly had their share of problems and controversies, including being on the receiving end of some serious criticisms that couldn’t be easily disputed.

No matter what happens in the future, however, this company has already earned its place in history.

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