The Next Era Of Cisco

Cisco's new CEO, Chuck Robbins, has his hands full preparing the world's networking leader for the digital age while at the same time driving enablement and profitability for its 70,000 worldwide channel partners.

Robbins is on a quest to make the San Jose, Calif.-based networking giant into a faster, flatter and more nimble company. Since the announcement of his new role in May, Cisco has undergone some big changes including new executive leaders, the consolidation of key organizations such as Internet of Things and cloud, and the formation of a strategic partnership with Apple.

Robbins Tuesday spoke with CRN Executive Editor Jennifer Follett and Associate Editor Mark Haranas about his channel philosophy, his new leadership team, the impact of the Dell-EMC acquisition on partners and the perks of being CEO.