Key Stats
Founded: December 10, 1984 in San Jose, California
Market Cap: $308 billion (December 2025)
Annual Revenue: $56.65 billion (Fiscal Year 2025)
Employees: 86,200 worldwide
Stock Exchange: NASDAQ (Ticker: CSCO)
Cisco Systems designs, manufactures, and sells networking equipment that powers the internet. The company produces routers, switches, and security products used by businesses and telecommunications providers worldwide.
Headquartered in San Jose, California, Cisco connects people through its extensive portfolio of networking hardware and software solutions. The company serves enterprise customers, service providers, and small businesses across more than 100 countries.
Cisco ranks among the largest technology companies globally and maintains a dominant position in the networking equipment market. The company has transformed from a hardware-focused business into a diversified technology provider offering cloud services, cybersecurity solutions, and collaboration tools like WebEx. Technology giants including Microsoft and IBM compete with Cisco in various enterprise technology segments.
Cisco Systems History
1984
Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner founded Cisco Systems at Stanford University. The name derived from San Francisco, and the logo represents the Golden Gate Bridge towers.
1986
Cisco shipped its first commercial router product. The founders left Stanford after the university contemplated legal action over intellectual property disputes.
1990
Cisco went public on NASDAQ with a market capitalization of $224 million. Co-founders Sandy Lerner and Leonard Bosack departed the company later that year.
1993
Acquired Crescendo Communications, forming the foundation of the Catalyst switching product line. This marked the beginning of Cisco’s aggressive acquisition strategy.
1995
John Chambers became CEO, succeeding John Morgridge. Chambers would lead Cisco through its greatest growth period over the next two decades.
2000
Cisco became the most valuable company in the world with a market cap exceeding $500 billion at the height of the dot-com bubble.
2007
Acquired WebEx Communications for $3.2 billion, entering the collaboration and video conferencing market.
2013
Acquired Sourcefire for $2.7 billion, strengthening cybersecurity capabilities with intrusion detection technology.
2015
Chuck Robbins became CEO, taking over from John Chambers. The company shifted focus toward software and subscription services.
2024
Completed the $28 billion acquisition of Splunk, the largest deal in company history. This transformed Cisco into one of the world’s largest software companies.
Cisco Systems Co-founders
Leonard Bosack
Computer scientist who managed Stanford’s computer science department computers. Developed the multi-protocol router technology that became Cisco’s foundation product.
Sandy Lerner
Managed Stanford’s Graduate School of Business computers. Served as Cisco’s first president before departing in 1990. Later founded the cosmetics company Urban Decay.
Cisco Systems Competitors
Cisco faces competition from several major networking and technology companies. The enterprise networking market continues to evolve with competitors challenging Cisco’s traditional dominance in routing and switching equipment.
Juniper Networks remains Cisco’s primary rival in service provider and enterprise networking. Arista Networks has captured significant market share in data center switching, particularly among cloud providers. Chinese manufacturer Huawei competes globally, though regulatory restrictions limit its presence in North American and European markets.
| Company | Headquarters | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Juniper Networks | Sunnyvale, CA | Enterprise networking, routers, switches |
| Arista Networks | Santa Clara, CA | Cloud networking, data center switches |
| Huawei Technologies | Shenzhen, China | Telecommunications, networking equipment |
| HPE (Aruba) | Houston, TX | Wireless, enterprise networking |
| Dell Technologies | Round Rock, TX | Networking, servers, storage |
| Extreme Networks | Morrisville, NC | Campus networking, cloud management |
| Fortinet | Sunnyvale, CA | Network security, firewalls |
| Palo Alto Networks | Santa Clara, CA | Cybersecurity, network security |
| Nokia | Espoo, Finland | Service provider networks, 5G |
| VMware | Palo Alto, CA | Software-defined networking, virtualization |
Cisco Systems Revenue
Cisco generated $56.65 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2025. The company’s revenue growth accelerated following the Splunk acquisition, which added approximately $4 billion in annual recurring revenue.
Networking products remain the largest revenue contributor, accounting for roughly half of total sales. Security and collaboration services have grown significantly as Cisco transitions toward software and subscription-based offerings. Companies like Seagate Technology and Teradata serve complementary roles in enterprise data infrastructure.
Cisco Systems Market Cap
Cisco’s market capitalization reached $308 billion in December 2025, ranking it among the 40 most valuable companies globally. The stock trades on NASDAQ under ticker symbol CSCO.
The company reached its all-time high market cap of over $500 billion during the dot-com bubble in March 2000. Market value declined significantly after the bubble burst but has recovered steadily over the past decade. Similar to Meta Platforms and other major technology companies, Cisco’s valuation reflects investor confidence in its software transformation strategy.
Cisco Systems Acquisitions
Cisco has completed over 200 acquisitions since its founding, making it one of the most acquisitive technology companies in history. The company uses acquisitions to enter new markets, acquire talent, and strengthen its competitive position across networking, security, and collaboration technologies.
The 2024 acquisition of Splunk for $28 billion represents the largest deal in Cisco’s history. Splunk brings data analytics and observability capabilities that complement Cisco’s networking infrastructure. The transaction positions Cisco as a major player in the growing market for security information and event management software.
Earlier significant acquisitions include WebEx Communications in 2007 for $3.2 billion, which established Cisco’s presence in video conferencing and collaboration tools. Sourcefire’s $2.7 billion acquisition in 2013 added intrusion prevention systems and threat intelligence capabilities. The company also acquired Meraki for cloud-managed networking, Duo Security for identity management, and AppDynamics for application performance monitoring.
Some acquisitions have not succeeded. Cisco shuttered the Flip video camera business just two years after acquiring Pure Digital in 2009. The company also exited the consumer set-top box market after struggling to integrate Scientific Atlanta. These experiences shaped Cisco’s current focus on enterprise-oriented acquisitions with clear integration paths. Many enterprise technology companies including CA Technologies and NEC have followed similar acquisition-driven growth strategies.
FAQs
When was Cisco Systems founded?
Cisco Systems was founded on December 10, 1984, by Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner in San Jose, California. The founders were computer scientists working at Stanford University.
What does Cisco stand for?
Cisco is derived from San Francisco. The founders shortened the city name when naming their company. The logo represents the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Who is the CEO of Cisco?
Chuck Robbins serves as Cisco’s CEO since 2015. He succeeded John Chambers, who led the company for 20 years. Robbins previously served as senior vice president of operations.
What products does Cisco sell?
Cisco sells networking equipment including routers, switches, wireless access points, and security appliances. The company also offers WebEx collaboration tools, Splunk data analytics, and cloud services.
How much is Cisco worth?
Cisco has a market capitalization of approximately $308 billion as of December 2025. The company generates annual revenue exceeding $56 billion from networking and software products.