Vendor Rating: Cisco Systems

Overall Rating: Positive as of 27 July 2004

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Initiative	Rating	Status
Corporate Viability

Strategy	Positive	--

Financial	Strong Positive	--

Marketing	Strong Positive	--

Organization	Positive	--

Product/Services/Technologies

Product/Service	Positive	--

Enterprise Infrastructure	Stong Positive	--

Enterprise Voice	Positive	--

Optical	Promising	--

Service Provider Voice	Caution	--

Technology	Positive	--

Pricing	Strong Negative	--

Customer Service/Product Support

Sales/Distribution	Positive	--

Service & Support	Strong Positive	--






Market Share: Ethernet Switches, Eastern Europe, 2003 4 August 2004 Severine Real Christian Canales Holzeis User spending fell slightly, to $221 million, and port shipments rose by only 5 percent. 3Com shipped the most ports, overtaking D-Link and Cisco Systems. But Cisco still captured over half the spending in this market. Market Share: Ethernet Switches, Europe, Middle East and Africa, 2003 3 August 2004 Severine Real Christian Canales Holzeis End-user spending for the full year fell 10 percent in 2003, to $3.6 billion. Users spent $1.6 billion on Gigabit Ethernet switches, as port shipments doubled. Cisco Systems took two-thirds of overall sales. Market Share: Optical Transport Systems, North America, 2003 14 July 2004 John S. Mazur Todd Hanson Cisco Systems, Nortel Networks, Tellabs and Fujitsu held most of the market share for the year. Cisco led with 16 percent; Nortel and Tellabs each took 13 percent. Magic Quadrant for SAN Fibre Channel Switches, 1H04 11 June 2004 Nick Allen James E. Opfer Robert E. Passmore In the latest Storage Area Network Fibre Channel Switch Magic Quadrant, Brocade and McDATA still dominate, and Cisco continues to challenge. Rockwell Offers Contact Center for Cisco's VoIP Platform 21 May 2004 Steve Blood Rockwell's FirstPoint Enterprise is now available for Cisco Systems' CallManager voice over IP (VoIP) platform. Businesses migrating to IP communications should consider this product for contact center requirements. Market Share: Premises Switching Equipment, Rest of Western Europe, 2003 12 May 2004 Christopher Lock Isabel Montero Shipments of line extensions grew by just over 9 percent in 2003. Ericsson kept the lead, with shipments up nearly 6 percent. Alcatel took second place from Siemens. More than half of all systems are now IP-enabled. Magic Quadrant for Asia/Pacific Enterprise Telephony, 2004 22 April 2004 Geoff Johnson Avaya, NEC, Nortel and Cisco lead the pan-Asia/Pacific enterprise telephony market overall. Asia/Pacific countries vary in their adoption of voice over IP network infrastructure deployments and IP telephony applications. Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Firewalls, 2H03 20 April 2004 Richard D. Stiennon The enterprise firewall vendor landscape is changing as major network vendors introduce intrusion prevention capabilities. Merger activity will increase, as illustrated by Juniper Networks' acquisition of NetScreen Technologies. Magic Quadrant for Intrusion Detection Systems, 2H03 13 April 2004 Richard D. Stiennon The intrusion detection system market was marked by turmoil in 2003. Acquisitions and innovation have changed the vendor landscape. New technologies, such as intrusion prevention, are challenging traditional IDS products. Magic Quadrant for Web-Enabled Application Delivery, 1H04 2 March 2004 Mark Fabbi The Web optimization market continues to show significant innovation. The market has shifted the emphasis on Web optimization to target business-critical, Web-enabled application delivery functions. Product Support Service Providers in Asia/Pacific 14 Jan 2004 Michele C. Caminos An Asia/Pacific survey finds Hewlett-Packard and IBM the most-mentioned hardware service providers, while Microsoft and IBM were the most-mentioned software service providers. Beware of a Return to Channel Stuffing as IT Spending Rises 15 Dec 2003 Andy Rolfe Ranjit Atwal Vendors of IT and telecom equipment were often tempted to stuff distribution channels with their excess inventory. They must take steps to prevent this counterproductive habit from returning as the market recovers. 3Q03's LAN Switch Sales Don't Guarantee Recovery in EMEA 5 Dec 2003 Severine Real Sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were surprisingly buoyant in 3Q03, with port shipments and spending up on the previous quarter. But it's too soon to predict a full recovery, as spending remained down on 3Q02. Global DSL Equipment Shipments Hit Record in 3Q03 19 Nov 2003 Gauri Pavate Jouni Forsman 3Q03 worldwide digital subscriber line access multiplexer port shipments surged by a record 32 percent, while customer premises equipment shipments increased 25.8 percent. Local Area Networks Switches: Comparison Columns 17 April 2003 Kimberly Hiller Marilyn Wink LAN switches combine the speed of bridges with the intelligence of routers. It is critical to view the products on an even playing field as vendors mix technical specifications with marketing collateral. Routers: Comparison Columns 10 April 2003 Marilyn Wink Patrick Worms The strength of a router lies in the software used to form an interface between two like or unlike networks. Technical specifications and their cost should be evaluated side-by-side prior to purchasing. Cisco IP Contact Center (IPCC) 28 March 2003 Richard Costello Cisco IPCC Enterprise and IPCC Express Edition are IP-based contact center solutions that offer multichannel capability for the low end of the market too. Cisco's Acquisition of Linksys Could Create Pricing Conflicts 25 March 2003 Rachna Ahlawat Andy Rolfe Cisco will re-enter mass markets for networking equipment with its acquisition of Linksys. But it will have to reconcile vastly different product, distribution and pricing strategies and policies. Enterprise Content Delivery Network Magic Quadrant 1H03 7 March 2003 Lawrence Orans In addition to streaming media, ECDNs are being deployed to address distributed data, security and application performance issues. The market leaders have a broad focus, but other key vendors have chosen to specialize. Ask How Cisco's New Partnerships Can Benefit Your Network Services 28 February 2003 Jay Pultz Several major network service providers (NSPs), including AT&T, have recently extended their relationships with Cisco, and they may result in unique offerings. Enterprises should inquire about how these new relationships might help them. Unified Communications Magic Quadrant 1H03 3 February 2003 Bern Elliot Unified communications is emerging as an enabler for business process improvement. Vendor offerings remain fragmented, and lack the strong communication controls or the required business application integration tools. Cisco Files Suit Against Huawei Over Intellectual Property 28 January 2003 Andrew Chetham Dan Miklovic Bertrand Bidaud Evelyn Goh Mark Fabbi Lawrence Orans Rachna Ahlawat Cisco Systems has announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Huawei and its subsidiaries for unlawful copying of Cisco's intellectual property. Cisco to Buy Okena, Try to Compete in Security Software 28 January 2003 John Pescatore Richard Stiennon Cisco Systems plans to acquire security vendor Okena. Cisco's strength lies in network-based security, not security software. Cisco will try to improve on its past record of dropping security software products. Lucent and Cisco Team to Serve Up Mobile Networking Solutions 23 January 2003 Todd Hanson According to a joint announcement from Lucent Technologies and Cisco Systems, Lucent will integrate and resell select Cisco products as part of its product set for mobile networking. Preliminary Market Statistics: LAN Switches, EMEA 2002 22 January 2003 Severine Real Cisco Systems extended its dominance of the switch market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, gaining 2 percentage points of market share despite a 10 percent fall in its end-user spending. CIO Update: Gartner's Global Campus LAN Magic Quadrant for 2H02 13 November 2002 Mark Fabbi Cisco Systems continues to dominate Gartner's Global Campus LAN Magic Quadrant, but renewed activity from a number of long-standing providers makes for an emerging battle for the long-term No. 2 vendor. Many Niche Players have something new or interesting to offer. IBM-Cisco Alliance Announces Branch Transformation Offering 11 November 2002 Susan Cournoyer Eric Goodness On 5 November, IBM and Cisco jointly introduced a Branch Transformation Networking offering aimed at the needs of banks to replace aging bank branch infrastructure. Global Campus LAN MQ for 2H02 -- The Top Five Vendors 4 November 2002 Mark Fabbi Cisco Systems continues to dominate our global campus LAN Magic Quadrant, but renewed activity from a number of long-standing providers makes for an emerging battle for the long-term No. 2 vendor. Professional Service Needs for Emerging Enterprise Networks 1 November 2002 Mike Harris Eric Goodness Service opportunities for WLAN, IP telephony and VPN technologies abound. Vendors must act now to benefit from established budgets for deployments planned through 2003. Cisco Systems Aironet Wireless LAN Series 24 October 2002 Kimberly Hiller The Aironet 340 series brought Cisco to the wireless LAN market, the Aironet 350 series solidified its leadership position, and the Aironet 1200 takes Cisco to the next level -- adding 802.11a. Cisco Systems Network Management Software 24 October 2002 Sharon Fisher Cisco has added a variety of management products to its offerings. CiscoWorks and Cisco Secure include products that provide management for LAN, WAN, service, security and data centers. Cisco Modules Ease Addition of Network Security Applications 4 September 2002 Richard Stiennon New network security modules from Cisco Systems will make it easier for Cisco customers to add security applications as they become mission-critical. Cisco Systems and Voice: The Untold Story 30 July 2002 Mark Fabbi Despite Cisco's campaign to migrate to an open, IP-based voice world, the company is attempting to drive its installed base toward its own voice solutions by using Cisco-specific features in its infrastructure solutions. Act Now to Protect Against Cisco Maintenance Price Increases 19 June 2002 Mark Fabbi Lawrence Orans Cisco Systems plans to "adjust" its maintenance pricing. Enterprises can protect themselves against these rising maintenance prices if they act immediately. Cisco Can't Guarantee Upgrades With New Wireless LAN 23 April 2002 Ken Dulaney Mark Fabbi Cisco Systems' new wireless LAN gear promises the ability to incorporate future standards to enhance wireless performance, security and compatibility. However, it likely has a premium price and some potential upgrade risk. Enterprise Content Delivery Network Magic Quadrant 1H02 18 March 2002 Lawrence Orans The emerging ECDN market is rife with product differentiation and varying degrees of vendor viability. No vendor has exhibited enough dominance to occupy a position in the Leaders' quadrant. Global Campus LAN Magic Quadrant for 1H02 20 February 2002 Mark Fabbi The campus switching market is rapidly maturing. Although there are continued innovations, the key for vendor viability will be market share. Despite the market maturity, there are still noteworthy changes in our Magic Quadrant. 1H02 N.A. Magic Quadrants: Voice/Data Convergence 20 February 2002 Kathleen Simpson Strategic positioning and posturing surrounding voice/data converged solutions from North American vendors continues. Avaya joins Nortel Networks and Cisco Systems as Leaders in the more-than-100-lines Magic Quadrant. Web Infrastructure Optimization Magic Quadrant for 2002 8 January 2002 Mark Fabbi Hardware-based devices to optimize communications within the Internet data center continue to be fertile ground for innovation. Our Magic Quadrant provides a first look at the established players and a view of future developments. Will Cisco's Reorganization Affect You? 31 December 2001 Joseph Baylock The unification of Cisco engineering and marketing forces into consolidated groups bodes well for near-term Cisco performance. However, this does not ensure that Cisco will become a marketing-driven company over the long term. Cisco Systems VPN 3000 Concentrators 3 December 2001 Patrick Worms Cisco Systems offers the VPN 3002, 3005, 3015, 3030, 3060, and 3080 Concentrators for the enterprise market. The product support ranges from low-end VPN hardware clients to large-scale VPN concentrators. Cisco Systems Cisco Aironet 350 Wireless LAN Products 28 November 2001 Kimberly Hiller The Cisco Aironet 350 WLAN Series features selectable transmit power, a rugged AP version, World Mode international roaming, 802.1x-based security, and backward compatibility with the Aironet 340 series. Cisco Systems: Can Enterprise Beget Service Provider? 25 October 2001 Mark Fabbi Astute acquisitions and outstanding marketing, service and support have led Cisco to dominate enterprise data and Internet core routing. Success in broad service provider markets will prove more elusive. Cisco Reorganizes to Highlight Products' Profitability 30 August 2001 Jay Pultz Cisco Systems has restructured to focus on products rather than enterprise and service provider markets. Gartner believes the move will benefit customers modestly. Cisco's eAgent Program Allows Channel Partners to Focus on Services 22 August 2001 Michael Haines Cisco Systems recently launched eAgent, a sales program for its channel partners that rewards partners with a fee for securing product orders as part of an overall solution sale, therefore relieving the participating channel partners of the numerous financial burdens associated with hardware resale. Cisco Security Flaw Shows Simple Is More Secure 6 July 2001 John Pescatore A potentially serious security flaw in Cisco Systems' Internetwork Operating System (IOS) software underscores the inadvisability of integrating applications into operating systems. Cisco iSCSI to Fibre Channel Router 19 June 2001 Robert Passmore Cisco's SN 5420 router will enable computers to use NICs and IP networking to access SCSI volumes in Fibre Channel SANs, but price, performance and management complexity limit its range of usefulness. 1H01 Campus LAN Magic Quadrant 11 June 2001 Mark Fabbi A turbulent six months saw many campus LAN vendors decline in execution. However, strategic choices for the enterprise are becoming more clearly defined as the market continues to mature, as illustrated in our Magic Quadrant.

Lead Analyst Mark Fabbi


27 July 2004	Overall Rating: Positive
Christian Canales Holzeis Annual port shipments of Layer 4 to 7 switches rose 17 percent, to 585,000. Revenue increased by 13 percent to $479 million. Cisco Systems remained the clear market leader, taking 41 percent of total revenue. Market Share: Ethernet Layer 4 to 7 Switches, Worldwide, 2003 21 July 2004


25 May2004	Overall Rating: Positive
John Pescatore The apparent theft of Cisco Systems source code probably will not cause an upsurge in malicious-code attacks. But enterprises using Cisco products should ensure that their systems are not compromised. Cisco Source Code Exposure Presents Potential Risks 19 May 2004


19 May2004	Overall Rating: Positive
Rachna Ahlawat Cisco Systems has expanded its wireless LAN (WLAN) portfolio by introducing an Ethernet-switch-based wireless service module. The product provides central control over WLAN access points, but primarily targets network-core-based installations. Cisco's Entry Into Centralized WLAN Market Is a Good First Step 12 May 2004


12 May2004	Overall Rating: Positive
Bhawani Shankar Ericsson and Cisco will come together to help telecom carriers migrate to packet-based networks. But this nonexclusive agreement could lead to confusion. Ericsson and Cisco Team Up to Target Fixed-Line Carriers 5 May 2004


5 May2004	Overall Rating: Positive
Steve Blood Cisco Systems has worked hard to develop its IP telephony platform, now known as Call Manager. Cisco's product dominates this market, but competition has exposed gaps in functionality and weak distribution channels. Management Update: Cisco Faces Challenges to Its Lead in IP Telephony 28 April 2004


20 April 2004	Overall Rating: Positive
Steve Blood Cisco Systems has worked hard to develop its IP telephony platform, now known as Call Manager. Cisco's product dominates this market, but competition has exposed gaps in functionality and weak distribution channels. Cisco Faces Challenges to Its Lead in IP Telephony 16 April 2004


7 April 2004	Overall Rating: Positive
John Pescatore A "toolkit" that bundles malicious-code exploits for 10 separate Cisco Systems security flaws is now available on the Internet. Take this as a wake-up call — and a reminder that effective security goes well beyond software. Hacker's 'Toolkit' Shows Security Flaws Not Just in Software 2 April 2004


23 March 2004	Overall Rating: Positive
John Girard The planned acquisition of Twingo Systems will strengthen Cisco Systems' competitive position in multiple security markets. Cisco to Extend Security Offerings With Twingo Acquisition 17 March 2004 Michael Haines Announcements made at the recent Cisco Partner Conference show that Cisco has made massive positive changes to its channel program and strategy over the past three years and hopes to build on this momentum. Cisco Enhances Channel Programs to Improve Market Position 17 March 2004


4 March 2004	Overall Rating: Positive
Steve Blood Cisco has enhanced its software for controlling IP-based telephony and introduced desktop video facilities. But its proprietary approach will limit widespread adoption. Cisco Adds Video to Its Telephony Systems 25 February 2004


29 Jan 2004	Overall Rating: Positive
John Pescatore Cisco's Network Admission Control (CNAC) solution will limit network access from unprotected PCs, but enterprises using it may get locked into a Cisco infrastructure. They should urge vendors to work toward an open standard. Cisco's New Program Is a Good Start to More Secure Networks 24 Nov 2003

15 Oct 2003	Overall Rating: Positive
Steve Blood Cisco's CallManager Express provides IP telephony for small offices. The product will appeal most to large firms that want to upgrade branch-office networks and plan to standardize on Cisco for voice enterprisewide. Companies Should Consider Cisco's IP Telephony for Branch Offices 7 Oct 2003

Neil Rickard Andy Rolfe Cisco now faces yet more competition for its routers. In early years, Cisco built its dominance with the breadth of protocols it supported. Now enterprises do not look for a long list of supported protocols but for features to support virtual private networks. Here Cisco faces stronger competition. Huawei Routers Offer More Opportunities in Market Dominated by Cisco 7 Oct 2003


16 July 2003	Overall Rating: Positive
Kristen Noakes-Fry Cisco Private Internet Exchange Security Appliances integrate firewall functions with virtual private networks, intrusion prevention and multimedia/voice security. Integrating acquired technologies remains a challenge. Cisco Systems Cisco PIX Security Appliance Firewall 3 June 2003


24 February 2003	Overall Rating: Positive
Mark Fabbi Over the past 18 months, we have observed an upward trend in the premium that Cisco is able to charge customers, compared to the average market prices. Best practices for network equipment procurement can help stall the increase. Cisco Price Premiums: Best Practices Breakdown 10 December 2002


19 November 2002	Overall Rating: Positive
Mark Fabbi Cisco's sound finances make it attractive in a struggling market. But if you choose Cisco by default, you risk paying too much. Gartner recommends paying no more than a 20 percent premium for Cisco equipment. Don't Pay Excessive Premiums for Cisco Network Equipment 14 November 2002


29 October 2002	Overall Rating: Positive
Mark Fabbi Customers of Cisco System's Catalyst 4000 Series of intelligent switches should prepare to change over to the Catalyst 4500, which costs about the same and offers improved features. Cisco's Catalyst 4500 Adds Features But Costs the Same 24 September 2002


10 October 2002	Overall Rating: Positive
Mark Fabbi Gartner sees Cisco attempting to extract more money from the stagnant market. Enterprises that award default business to Cisco will pay an increasing premium for Cisco equipment.

6 August 2002	Overall Rating: Positive
Mark Fabbi Enterprises must challenge Cisco to support open standards with its new IP voice capabilities and not purchase features that only support "Cisco telephony" before making decisions on next-generation voice solutions. Cisco Systems and Voice: The Untold Story 30 July 2002

31 July 2002	Overall Rating: Positive
Mark Fabbi Overall, we rate Cisco's products a "positive" due to its clear leadership in the enterprise network infrastructure market and its expanded support for the enterprise voice market. Vendor Rating: Cisco Systems - Product Details 31 July, 2002
Mark Fabbi Tremendous brand recognition, and top-notch service and support have led Cisco Systems to a dominant position in today�s corporate networks. However, the often-onerous financial premiums that Cisco demands have the potential to be its Achilles' heel. Vendor Rating: Cisco Systems -- Preparing for the Future 31 July, 2002

11 July 2002	Overall Rating: Positive
Lawrence Orans Mark Fabbi Enterprises can protect themselves against Cisco's rising maintenance prices if they act immediately. Act Now to Protect Against Cisco Maintenance Price Increases 19 June 2002

22 Oct 2001	Overall Rating: Positive
Mark Fabbi Tremendous marketing, strong brand recognition, and top-notch service and support have led Cisco Systems to a dominant position in today's corporate networks. The challenge for Cisco is to transform this influence into opportunities and revenue in other market areas. Read the presentation below for more details.

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