Cisco

Cisco Systems, Inc. is a US networking and security technology company headquartered in San Jose, California. Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner founded it in 1984. It is known for enterprise networking hardware such as routers, switches and wireless equipment, and it also sells a large portfolio of software and subscription services.

For Indian businesses, its most relevant product lines are Webex (video meetings, calling, messaging and contact centre), Meraki cloud-managed networking, Catalyst switching and wireless, Cisco Secure (firewalls, zero-trust access, Duo multi-factor authentication), Splunk (security and observability, acquired in 2024), ThousandEyes network monitoring and AppDynamics application monitoring. The company has built much of its portfolio through acquisitions, including Webex, Meraki, Duo, ThousandEyes and Splunk.

In India, Cisco sells mainly through a channel of distributors, systems integrators and resellers, and it also sells directly to large enterprises, telecom operators and government. Webex publishes online plans with a free tier and paid per-user subscriptions, while networking and security products are quoted through partners. Cisco also offers financing through Cisco Capital. Enterprise agreements bundle software subscriptions across its portfolio.

Cisco trades on Nasdaq. Chuck Robbins became CEO in July 2015 and Chair of the Board in December 2017. Cisco has a large India presence, including a major engineering campus in Bengaluru and offices in other cities, and India is one of its biggest development centres outside the United States. The company files annual 10-K reports with the SEC covering its revenue, workforce and properties, and its fiscal year ends in late July. It also runs the Cisco Networking Academy, which trains students in networking and cybersecurity, including in partnership with Indian institutions.