Making the Cisco Connection: They Story Behind the Real Internet Superpower

I bought this book because Vint Cerf says the Internet will go from 3.5M users today to 3.5B users in 10-15 years, and that means that businesses involved in Internet infrastructure--and especially multi-media multi-lingual narrowcasting--have a growth (or implosion) prospect on the order of 1000X. The book tells a helpful story about CISCO's growth in 12 years, and I for one found it both well-written and fascinating. I am especially impressed by the CISCO rules for successful acquisitions, by the CISCO distinctions between core competencies and outsourced manufacturing, and by the CISCO implementation of its enterprise information system and related web sales and service sites. As for the future, I agree with John Chambers that telephone calls will be free in the future. Arthur Clarke said this 20 years ago. Chambers' vision for a global multi-service (voice and data) offering that easily integrates wireless, fiber-optic, and other forms of transmission is inevitable, but CISCO is not necessarily pre-ordained as the dominant enterprise. Corporate and national information strategies must have four components: connectivity, content, coordination of standards and investments, and communications/computing security. CISCO, as described by the book, has a superficial interest in encryption but does not really understand the urgency of establishing "deep encryption" that is embedded in all data (including data in storage) and unencumbered by the retarded US and European policies seeking to give their spies an easy back door to use. CISCO also appears to be overlooking two major opportunities for future expansion: first, in leading a much broader coordination of standards such as transparent and stable Application Program Interfaces (API) that would permit the remote integration of applications and multi-media data; and second, in exploring all aspects of data classification, indexing, and visualization, both in terms of data access and automated filtering, and in terms of pattern analysis across the network. There are so many over-hyped books on the Internet Revolution that I found this book to be a real pleasure. Whether for entertainment or for business lessons or for insights into the future, it is a solid 5.

Bunnell provides a brilliant analysis of Cisco Systems, one of the most successful corporations in history. He organizes the material within nine chapters: The Truth Behind the Cisco Legend (1984-1987), The Morgridge Years (1988-1995), The Inner Chambers (1977-1995), The Benevolent Predator (1996), A Day in the Life, Routing the Industry (1997-1998), The Virtual Corporation (1997-Present), The New Battle (1996-1998), and Giving Cisco a Voice (1998-Present). Note the digressions from the traditional chronological narrative. The reasons for each digression become obvious as Bunnell carefully guides his reader through a wealth of information. Periodically, Bunnell pauses to share his own opinion of a given situation or circumstance. He tells a compelling "story" of the creation and subsequent development of Cisco Systems. There is no shortage of key "characters", notably Sandra Lerner and Leonard Bosack (co-founders), Bill Yeager, Kirk Lougheed, Don Valentine, John Morgridge, John Chambers, Ed Kozel, and Don Listwin. They and others have played a key role but Morgridge and (especially) Chambers receive most of Bunnell's attention because their contributions have proven to be most important to the corporation's success. Chambers remains CEO.Much as I was impressed by the flow of the narrative, I especially enjoyed Bunnell's own comments. Here four brief examples:"Chambers has the characteristics of a Mafia don (at least as popularized by Marlon Brando. He makes no distinction between personal values and corporate ones. He has a team of fantastically loyal people. He recognizes the significance of minor actions as an expression of larger motivations. Although he encourages team play, dissent, and discussion, he is the ultimate decision maker.""For Chambers, there are five keys to selecting the right acquisitions: Share a common vision, be culturally compatible, provide a quick win for shareholders, provide a long-term strategic win for all four constituencies, and be geographically desirable.""Teamwork is paramount in an organization whose size and growth demand it. The more decentralized Cisco's organization becomes, the more any semblance of management depends on empowered individuals working together under the benevolent command if Cisco's corporate leaders.""The world Cisco faces at the turn of the millennium parallels the one that first propelled Cisco to success. It's a world of incompatible protocols, preventing people from communicating. This time, people want their phones, televisions, and computers to talk to each other. Cisco has moved to provide the consumer product equivalent of its original multiprotocol router -- the media gateway, which can connect phone networks of various types to the various data networks."Bunnell has told the Cisco "story" until now...and he has told it well. What we learn about Cisco Systems is almost exactly what we learn about the global marketplace in which this corporatio

There is no free lunch but there could be free voice; and if "Voice of the people is the voice of God", Cisco will soon be handling the bulk of it. John Chambers is working and waiting for this to happen !.The book begins with an excellent foreword from Karen Southwick and when David Bunnell starts with the main story he is at his best. It is amazing to see Cisco's ability to acquire and integrate dozens of companies to its fold, grow at blazing speed and still maintain the core values and retain its people. The chapters of the book are sequenced well and details on technology are explained in a manner that readers not familiar with networking are able to understand and appreciate the business strategy of Cisco.If one believes that the internet is going to change the way we live, read about the company that has contributed so much to make this happen.

I really think the previous reader was being a bit unfair to the book--though I'm not a Cisco insider, so there certainly could be errors. He complained that the book didn't talk about Cisco almost giving away its source code? The biggest mistake he can think of is that Cisco _almost_ did something wrong. I found the book to not be a puff piece at all--it's definitely from an outsider's point of view. "Making the Cisco Connection" clearly delineates the processes and people that have made Cisco successful, and at least mentions their problems. John Chambers, Cisco's poster-boy CEO, comes off as being brilliant but kind of freaky, a benevolent dictator. The book didn't gloss over the fact that the founders were kicked out, or that Cisco workers often live like droids. But it doesn't ignore the fact that most of the workers are very, very rich.I found the Cisco story a lot more interesting than that of all the dot-com startups. After all, Cisco actually makes something. And it's been around a long time (15 years) compared to the Web companies that get glossy books.I really enjoyed this book.

Doing justice to what today is a $452 billion dollar company, is fundamentally a challenge, to do so in such a brief book is outstanding.In the short time since this book was written, Cisco has passed the landmark of a 300 billion dollar Market Capitilization, as mentioned in the book, and raced right through $400 billion and even $450 billion. It is now the 2nd most valuable company in the world, second only to Microsoft, and is seriously being spoken of as a rival to Microsoft for reaching the level of 1 Trillion Dollars of Market Capitalization. If the rates of value increase as they historically have, Cisco wins.This book has technical detail, but is not overly burdened so as to discourage anyone interested in Cisco's Story.The book gives a clear overview of the company's history, the CEO'S who have run the company to date, and the vision of the Current CEO Mr. Chambers. Cisco has an astonishing record of absorbing 61 companies, the last time I saw a number listed, and they do so with more success than any company in History. The retention of top executives and the staff of the companies acquired, exceeds any other industry benchmarks.Even if you have no interest in the technology, the Management of this Company is extraordinary by any measure, and has been recognized as such.This work will give you a great deal of knowledge, in a surprisingly brief book.Truly excellent.