Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins on M&A, Brexit, Acquisitions

The video discusses Cisco's strategic transitions, focusing on innovation and adapting to technological changes. It highlights the company's future direction, including a shift towards services and recurring revenue models. The discussion covers Cisco's acquisition strategy, emphasizing smaller, aligned acquisitions in areas like IoT and security. The video also addresses global challenges, such as geopolitical instability and Brexit, and their impact on Cisco's operations. Finally, it touches on the political landscape and its influence on business policies, focusing on inclusion, tax, and immigration reforms.

What is one of the key things Cisco needs to assess for future success?

• Which parts of their past will continue to make them great

• The need for more office locations

• The role of technology in education

• The importance of social media presence

What is Cisco's focus in transitioning their business model?

• Reducing the number of employees

• Aligning with customer expectations for technology delivery

• Increasing the number of physical stores

• Expanding into the fashion industry

What is Cisco's strategy regarding acquisitions?

• Only acquiring companies in the entertainment sector

• Focusing on large, transformative deals

• Prioritizing smaller, aligned acquisitions

• Avoiding acquisitions altogether

Which areas are key focus points for Cisco's future growth?

• IoT, security, cloud, and analytics

• Fashion and design

• Real estate and construction

• Automotive and transportation

How does Cisco view the role of the network in a distributed world?

• As a tool for marketing

• As irrelevant to their strategy

• As a crucial part of security

• As a minor component

What is Cisco's approach to dealing with global instability?

• Investing heavily in unstable markets

• Focusing on controllable factors and moving forward

• Ignoring geopolitical changes

• Relocating all offices to stable regions

How does Cisco plan to navigate the implications of Brexit?

• By lobbying for the UK to rejoin the EU

• By increasing prices in the UK

• By focusing on their existing operations and customer relationships

• By withdrawing from the UK market