Partners To Cisco: Time To 'Grow Up'

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Cisco has undergone a number of executive personnel changes this summer.Most notably, Chuck Robbins took over the reins as CEO. When asked by CRN what they expect from the new face of Cisco, partners predicted that little will change, but they hope the company will step up its innovation game.

"They keep talking that they're trying to get back to the midmarket. I'm not sure I believe them," said Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based eDot Holdings' Brent Allen.

"They've got to adapt," said Scottsdale, Ariz.-based iT1 Source's Richard Fly.

"Hopefully there's change. I feel like they've gotten a little stagnant in the past, so hopefully the new regime will bring in a lot of change and a lot of new products that more align with today's technologies," said Eric Silverstein of ISM, based in Tampa, Fla.

"From what I understand, Cisco's changing. I think they're having to grow up," said Reisterstown, Md.-based Raven Data's Mark Johnson. "They've been the industry leader for a long time, but there are a lot of competitors now. So they're going to have to go through a revitalization of their company and products."

McLean, Va.-based Ntiva’s Steven Freidkin disagreed, saying there's little he would change about Cisco.

"They've got a good core business, and I'm not sure what they're looking to achieve with the personnel changes," Freidkin said.

PUBLISHED AUG. 19, 2015