Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Put the blame where it belongs

Years back Cisco acquired 2 service provider video companies - Scientific-Atlanta and later NDS. Both were industry leaders in their own right, billions in combined revenue, though some products had their issues. That was years ago. Fast forward to 2018, and Cisco has systematically gutted both organizations, offering no industry insight nor industry leadership. Poor management decisions, major blunders, product missteps and constant LRs have decimated morale among those who remain. Product innovation and has been ceded to others in the industry and it shows in dismal sales numbers. And at the same time there are those within Cisco who insist on blaming those who are left in SP video, as if the poor management decisions at the board level within Cisco were somehow the fault of the front-line employees in SP video.

Truer words have not been spoken on this subject. Posted in another thread by @S7QGFRi-6agl.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @OP+SeohnlF
Comment! It's anonymous!

6 replies (most recent on top)

This is true. But there was a lot of inertia as well at both places. Both terrible leadership choices and legacy product inertia ruined both.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @1gso+SeohnlF

In non_sjc location also , lot of director exits and few who were still technical took transition to principal engr

Earlier pe used to be parking space for favoured candidates until director position would open up, now it has reversed

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @1qkt+SeohnlF

@SeohnlF-qxi. Spot on! Can confirm that Cisco actively prevented development of new areas of business and then starved the legacy business of resource.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @eda+SeohnlF

NDS might have gone into decline on their own - but I think they would have at least tried to develop new areas of business. When Cisco bought them you immediately felt they were there for the quarterly sales ride - to pay the never ending list of useless execs in the core of the business.

Cisco had no patience in developing a customer relationship or helping them grow their business. If the numbers didn't add up they were off. I can only imagine that made the existing customers only do business if absolutely necessary.

It's often said large take overs rarely work well - as people have said before they could teach this one (and probably the SA one) in business schools. As John Chambers said he saw "synergy everywhere" on this one.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @qxi+SeohnlF

True principle engineer, job for life. Wish I had one

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @wub+SeohnlF

Cisco is a company which is purely driven by sales and acquisition. They have a rare in-house build product, but they have a ware house of acquired products. Problem is executive do not know how to utilize it. But, in today's world, companies like Amazon is directly providing the streaming services changing the whole world of entertainment.

Cisco executives are completely dumb on the technical side on how to compete with Amazon like companies with these products.

It is wise for any Technology/Engineering person to stay away from companies like Cisco, lest, you have aptitude for salesman's job. Recently, the Ericsson-Cisco JV also got suspended and its Ericsson Head for JV has left the company. I have seen many directors taking transition to Principal Engineers which is actually a position to safeguard Managers from these layoffs.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @aav+SeohnlF

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