思科全球员工总数约为73482人，本周在业务重组中裁减了734名员工，约占其员工总数的约1%。思科业务重组的目的是应对软件定义网络(software-defined networking，以下简称“SDN”)、云计算的发展对传统路由器和交换机业务的严重冲击。
思科发言人今天在一封电子邮件中称，“我们经常对业务进行评估，以根据增长机会对业务进行调整。昨天，思科裁减了数量有限的员工，波及不及1%的全球员工。裁员符合各个地区的法律。”
消息人士称，负责与EMC合作业务以及其他数据中心业务项目的高管受到这次裁员的影响。思科未就此置评。
EMC持有VMware多数股 票，VMware收购网络虚拟公司Nicira使得EMC和思科之间的关系受到影响。但思科重组业务的更重要原因是，业界在评估SDN、云计算对客户IT业务和采购模式，以及网络硬件厂商业务模式的潜在影响。
是不是该变换策略了？
思科公司(Cisco Systems)正处于一个关键的发展时刻。我认为该公司可能已经走到了业务的高峰了，如果不试图改变发展方向的话，可能会从目前在通讯领域的主导地位开始走下坡。
思科目前正为现有的两大趋势所困扰──软件定义网络(SDN)以及物联网(IoT)。我认为该公司并未针对这两大趋势拟定正确的长期发展策略。
p4desmc
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：有一支大军，试图推倒思科建立起来的软件城墙
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一方面，SDN存在各方竞争。长久以来，Google和其它资料中心巨擘，以及思科的核心企业与营运商客户们都期待着一个更简单且成本更低的连网方案。
这些客户开始与思科的一些竞争对手们联合起来，期望共同打击这家网络巨擘。这些供货商和用户们正共同推动主流 x86 服务器上开放C语言程序所控制的虚拟化通讯层。他们就像一支整军经武的大军，试图推倒思科建立起来的 ASIC 和 IOS 软件城墙。
思科建立起的防御行动便是在基础上拥抱 SDN ，但仍继续透过 ASIC 和 IOS 软件，仅在思科专有的 API 上提供更多加值功能。
对于现有厂商而言，这的确是一项合理的策略。爱立信就采取了类似的立场。
然而，长期来看，我认为这注定是一场失败的竞赛。如同免费的 Linux 最终将胜过每套70美元的 Microsoft Windows 。更简单也够好的技术终究胜过加值的专有技术。
惠普(HP)似乎也加入了 SDN 竞赛。如果市场趋向于以服务器管理通讯设备，那么它就赢了。如果交换机与路由器维持原有专有功能，那么它也能加入竞争。
Source:IT168p4desmc
我想最后这场竞赛的赢家将属于最先以及最有效拥抱 SDN 开放前景的公司。然而，思科并未将自己定位成为那样的公司。
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：比起1,800亿美元的网络设备市场，保护IP更具意义
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另一方面，就是未来的市场趋势──物联网(IoT)。思科公司希望将其所熟悉的技术推向这个领域──网际网络协议(IP)以及与其相关的所有传统硬件和软件技术。
思科公司高层经常强调思科在全球网络设备市场约有1,800亿美元的规模。然而，我认为，这也可能成为思科的沉重负担，可能为其带来固守传统与创新求变的两难。
因此，保护IP更具意义。IP是推动当今网络的原动力，但却仍未在刚起步的IoT世界中成为现实。
思科的主要IoT客户──如加拿大BC Hydro电力公司在其智能电表产品中也还未开始使用IP。
思科现正致力于为BC Hydro和其它电力公司推动IP产品应用。如果能够成功的话，或许在年底前就会有近千万IP智能电表的安装量。不过，值得一提的是，目前非IP的智能电表部署已经达到近20亿个了。
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深入探索一下新兴的 IoT 世界，你将会发现英国新兴公司Neul成立了一个Weightless特殊兴趣小组(SIG)，推动在电视领域上的IoT应用，目前已经有617个成员了。而这也只是试图拓展下一代普适运算的十几个IoT计划之一。
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：可以从三星学习经验教训
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在迈向未来的发展中，思科还需要更多的独特性。它可以从三星学习经验教训。
三星已经成为全球最大的IT公司和第二大半导体公司了。在我看来，三星之所以能实现如今的成就，就在于其独特的策略。它只开发人们需要的技术。
思科还必须在 IP 、 IOS 和 ASIC 上面放手。如果思科想在通讯领域继续封王，就必须发展像三星一样独特的策略，只做对现有网络用户以及 IoT有助益的事。
投资公司FBR Capital最近根据这些趋势将思科、Juniper股 票评级下调至“弱于大盘”(Underperform)，高盛将Juniper股 票评级下调至“出售”(Sell)。FBR Capital预计，未来18至36个月内，服务提供商网络中路由器和交换机端口数量将减少逾40%。FBR Capital分析师斯科特·汤姆逊(Scott Thompson)发表报告称，“我们认为未来思科将面临更多挑战，由于交换机和路由器需求低于预期，思科将向以软件和 服务为中心的业务模式转型。”思科去年末披露了软件营收翻番、大幅增加服务业务营收的计划。
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
编译：Susan Hong
参考英文原文：Why Cisco needs a new strategy，by Rick Merritt
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Why Cisco needs a new strategy
Rick Merritt
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Cisco Systems stands at a strategic juncture. I believe it may have hit its peak, and if it does not change direction it could see a slow decline from its leadership in communications.
I see Cisco pinched between two trends—software-defined networking (SDN) and the Internet of Things (IoT). I believe it currently has the wrong long-term strategy for both.
On one side are all the hungry forces of SDN. The Googles and other data center giants along with Cisco’s core enterprise and carrier customers long for a path to simpler, less costly networking.
These customers are allied with some of Cisco’s competitors who want to disrupt the networking giant. Together these vendors and users are pushing for a virtualized comms layer controlled by open C-language programs runs on mainstream x86 servers. They are like a rebel hoard with a thousand spears trying to bring down the mighty castle Cisco has built out of its ASICs and IOS software.
Cisco has defensively erected its ONE initiative. The idea is to embrace SDN at a rudimentary level but continue to deliver value-added features through ASICs and IOS, only accessible through its proprietary APIs.
It’s a reasonable strategy for an incumbent. Ericsson has adopted a similar position.
Long term, I think it’s a losing game. Ultimately free Linux overwhelms $70-a-copy Microsoft Windows. Simpler, good enough technology wins out over value-added proprietary bits.
Hewlett-Packard appears to be with the SDN crowd, and it should be. If the market moves toward managing comms through its servers, it wins. If proprietary features on switches and routers maintain a hold, it can play there too.
I think in the end the game goes to the company that is the first and best to embrace the openness of the SDN vision. Cisco is not poised to be that vendor.
Time to change direction.
IP, but not on everything anymore
On the other side is tomorrow’s market, the Internet of Things. Cisco wants to drive its familiar technology into this space--Internet Protocol and all the legacy hardware and software expertise Cisco has built around it.
Corporate execs often cite the $180 billion of installed Cisco infrastructure around the world. I contend that badge of honor can also be an albatross around its neck, the heavy legacy crown of the innovator’s dilemma.
So defending IP makes sense. IP is the electricity that drives the Internet today. But it just isn’t the reality of the fledgling IoT world.
You wouldn’t know it from listening to Cisco’s presentations, but even its key IoT customers such as Canada’s BC Hydro utility do not yet use IP in their smart meters.
Cisco is working on BC Hydro and a handful of other utilities to adopt IP. If it is wildly successful perhaps it will have ten million IP smart meters installed at the end of the year. But it’s worth noting there are already nearly 2 billion non-IP smart meters deployed today.
A couple decades ago, Internet pioneer Vint Cerf became a tech folk legend for his T-shirt that said “IP everywhere.” It was funny and it was right then. Today Cerf works for Google, a company that uses a lot of IP, but isn’t wedded to it—anywhere.
Explore the emerging IoT world a bit and you will find a little startup company in England called Neul that started the Weightless Special Interest Group to promote IoT on TV white spaces. It does not use IP and it already has 617 members. It is just one of dozens of IoT efforts trying to pioneer the next big thing--ubiquitous computing.
Cisco needs to be more agnostic if it is to navigate its way into the future. It could learn a lesson from Samsung.
Samsung has become the world’s largest IT company and the second largest semiconductor company. In my opinion, one reason it has risen to such heights (besides a lot of good government nurturing you won’t find outside Asia) is due to the fact it is agnostic. It doesn’t need technology to be red or blue or green, it just makes what people want.
Cisco needs to let go of IP and IOS and ASICs. If it is to continue to be a communications king, Cisco needs to become as agnostic as Samsung and just do what is right for its current networking users and the IoT networks to come.
Or it can hang on to what it owns until it is overrun by the hoards. Interestingly, when I drive through the giant Cisco village along San Jose’s Tasman Avenue I have always been struck by the resemblance of its austere stone buildings, one after another, to a kind of modern Roman Empire.
Good luck, Caesar.
责编：Quentin
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