As we navigate these waters, we really need to know the strategy. Focusing on AI and cybersecurity isn’t a strategy, it’s a tactic. What’s our mission? What’s the vision of Cisco? “Building an inclusive future for all” in fact isn’t a vision, strategy or mission for a networking company who provides the infrastructure to build the networks companies need. It sounds too “fantasy-minded” with no grip on reality, or what is the core provider we do. I get it, the ELT is evil in this forum, but thinking logically I don’t think we’ve heard a coherent plan to drive growth. Pivoting to AI and CS seems reactionary. If it is, okay, build a vision where we can see that turn into growth. Wall Street has been saying to Cisco, “okay you have the nice words, where is the results?”. It’s what keeping us from breaching $50-55 in the stocks. Results. Our networking rebounded and what does the ELT do? Layoffs. Pivoting towards AI. Why? Reaction. Why? People still have an appetite for Cisco hardware. By doubt digit measures as well. ELT, you can’t call FY23 an anomaly year because of clearing backlog brought on by the pandemic, then base our models and decisions comparing ourselves to an anomaly. It’s illogical. I can go on but those are my thoughts. Thoughts anyone else?
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Cisco buys back stock every quarter and then hands out millions of shares to Chuck and Fran rewarding them for a decade of declining revenue, stupid acquisitions, and massive layoffs
There is no strategy, thats the problem.
The only thing ELT knows how to disrupt is the lives of us poor sods working under them.
The strategy is brutally simple: drive the stock down over the year. Via the employee share purchase plan buy the stock at the lowest value over the last 6 months. At the end "pivot" toward the next thing your company is going to miss, fire some cattle and pump the stock up. Cash your bonus and sell the stocks you acquired. Rinse and repeat with every technology cycle.
glossary: "pivot" -create an insane amount of slides and induce a general hysteria whin the company, pretend you are going to make a big change. In the mean time the old good things your company is good at will keep the stock and the company afloat while gradually losing the market. Continue the trend for another 10Y and retire happily.
The strategy is to cut costs. We sell legacy network equipment, and shareholders are trying to get every last penny out of it.
What is Kodaks strategy?
What is Xeroxs strategy?
It's called a managed decline.
The fact is that there is no strategy. A strategy would require a detailed execution plan with specific actions being taken by groups within the company and investments to support those actions.
The underlying reason that there is no strategy is that there isn't anyone in a senior leadership role at Cisco that actually understands our customers' business challenges and how technology can be utilized to alleviate them. They couldn't put together a detailed execution plan if their lives depended upon it.
Chuck and the ELT are simply trying to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. That's all there is behind the curtain.