I first became aware of Cisco around 1991 by doing some testing that involved the Cisco AGS+. Around 1999 I worked for a company that was a Cisco partner in the development of NMS platforms. I believe at some point that year Cisco was the most valuable company in the world. Most of the next 20 years I worked at Cisco as a contractor or as an employee. In the early 2000s I remember how excited I was about the prospect of working at an innovative, cutting-edge company in a relatively new and developing technology. Chambers was running the show at that time and I don't recall any concern about layoffs, as there was routinely at IBM and Nortel. Now, and for several recent years, layoffs are an annual threat at Cisco.
The drive for innovation, cutting-edge technology, and customer service has been replaced by cutting costs, transitioning to H-1Bs, ELT bonuses, and social justice warrioring. One of my last memories of Cisco is Chuck crying on a company wide meeting over the unsubstantiated, media-driven "social injustice" narrative. A pathetic display for the CEO of the world's largest networking technology company and unrelated to a company making networking HW & SW. I took the ER last month and I'm glad I did. I feel like I caught that last lifeboat as the Cisco ship is sinking, but I worry about the friends and coworkers I left behind. Cisco is only 35 years old and it is already on its death bed. Sad.