With Cisco absorbing Insieme, will their SDN efforts innovate or lag?

Cisco CEO John Chambers recently announced that Cisco would absorb Insieme with a $750 million cap. Insieme is a Cisco-funded start-up that has apparently been developing Cisco's version of a software-defined networking (SDN) system.

A recruiting letter, published on this site earlier in the month, touted that Insieme was "developing a very unique product involving open stack cloud computing and distributed data storage..."

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Cisco, VMware and EMC Offer Training As Trends Evolve

There is no doubt that things in the IT world are evolving rapidly.   It professionals running data centers have to be on their toes and keep up with the changes.

If you missed the announcement, Cisco, VMware and EMC are collaborating to bring training for IT pros in the areas of virtualization, unified communications, networking, big data, cloud computing, and data center infrastructure.

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6 Bullets for the Wireless Gunslinger

In an age where hotspots, BYOD, and mobility are all the rage it's no surprise that often customers and friends alike are looking to implement or improve their wireless networks. Who doesn't want to bring their Netflix, Angry Birds, shopping lists, and calorie counters with them?

The excitement over having information and fun on the fly can make even the most veteran trail blazer lose his bearings and end up in hostile countryside.

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Multi-Vendor versus Single-Vendor Data Centers

There's been feverous debate about single versus multi-vendor data center architectures - particularly when pitting Cisco against its primary competitors, HP and Juniper.

Gartner took a direct shot at Cisco with their pro-multi-vendor approach in "Debunking the Myth of the Single-Vendor Network." Cisco recently countered by commissioning a Deloitte Consulting news report touting the benefits of a single-vendor system. 

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Staying Ahead of the Curve with Cisco

At the Cisco Live event last week, Cisco announced that they are adding 40 Gigabit Ethernet support for the Catalyst 6500 switch series, and 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet capabilities to the Nexus 7000 series. This is really cool news for everyone out there running the 6500 and 7000 series in their data centers.

But what about cabling?

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End-of-Life Cisco Hardware - What Are Your Options?

Has this ever happened to you? Your IT life is good. Your network is running smoothly. Then something or someone jostles something in your gray matter and you realize that some of your Cisco switches and routers are going end-of-life (EOL).  For instance, did you know it was recently announced that a whole bunch of Cisco switches are going end-of-life?  

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2012 Information Technology Trends

Publishing lists of 2012 information technology trends is so cliché that it's almost cliché to write about how cliché it is.

But we can't get enough of them. Why? Because it's far more fun to dream about the year ahead, than look back on 2011. Because while the past 12 months were most likely full of transition, budget restraints and other challenges, 2012 is the "future" - a bright beacon of hope promising to finally bring us the flying cars and robot maids we dreamed of as kids.

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New Versions of the Cisco Cius - Excitement or Shoulder Shrugs?

Cisco recently announced that it will release both smaller and larger versions of its Cius tablets in 2012. While this is potentially exciting news, it also may be met with quite a bit of indifference. This is Cisco's ongoing attempt to get into a highly competitive, highly loyal, consumer market space.

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‘Tis the Season: Cisco Product Engineer Holiday Wishes

Every year my team has a "Secret Santa" holiday party and gift exchange. This week, I was working with a couple of our Cisco engineers and noticed their "Top 10" list of holiday wishes - conveniently taped to their cubicle window for their Secret Santa.

Do any of these match the items on your list this year?

Jim's Wish List:

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Changes to Cisco Jabber and WebEx

It seems Cisco stepped it up again. A few weeks back, Cisco announced that they have invested in the collaboration game with new improvements to Cisco Jabber and WebEx. From what I'm reading, this is cool stuff.  

It opens up new possibilities for Cisco in the area of business communications and processes. 

Here are some highlights:

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How Green are Your Switches?

The Green Initiative has certainly caught on. Pens made of cardboard, the short-lived paper straws at McDonald's, and even bamboo paneled laptops. There have been a number of ideas, both good and bad, on how to save the environment. Some of these ideas come direct from network manufacturers. We can all agree that creating less waste and being more efficient is a good thing, but not every plan survives contact with the enemy.

Enter the Cisco 3560 and 3750 v2 switches.

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Cisco Buries – and Befriends – the Competition

Cisco’s old attitude toward its competitors: “If we can’t see them, they aren’t there.” (Or maybe they were just taking the high road. Who knows?)

Cisco’s new attitude toward its competitors: “I have met the enemy, and it is us.” Cisco finally started to get aggressive, and was naming names.

And now, Cisco’s new new attitude toward its competitors: “Can’t we all just get along?” I was just getting used to Cisco’s hard line approach. And then they get all soft on me and collaborate with HP on the Nexus B22-HP fabric extender.

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Are You Taking Advantage of SMARTnet?

Everyone has heard of Cisco SMARTnet. We all know what it is and what is does, and what resources are available to us, right? Well, not so fast.

Sure, Cisco SMARTnet isn’t exactly rocket science, but the SMARTnet IQ of some isn’t quite as high as they think.

Let’s say you purchase a bunch of Cisco 3750s. You’re thinking realistically. You want to cover your butt in case of unforeseen issues in the future. Things happen. So you purchase SMARTnet.

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What Cisco and Toyota Have in Common

Cisco is the like the Toyota of the networking hardware industry – while not exactly on the lower end of the price scale, these established brands are known for their reliability and ubiquity.

Cisco and Toyota also have one other trait in common – high resale value.

Upgrading your phone system? Don’t trash the Cisco 7940s. Resell them and ease the pain of managing an IT budget that hasn’t been expanded since Bush was president (and we’re not talking Bush Jr.).

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Cisco and the Consumerization of IT

It’s painfully obvious that the consumerization of IT isn’t going away. You hear it in the news, from manufacturers, and the loudest voice of all – your end-users.

Most likely, helpdesk requests about configuring, updating or using consumer devices has eked their way into your top 10 most common calls list. (A personal favorite, though not a top 10: “How do I get that bird game on here?”)

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Give me a home where the wireless roams…

You’re engaged in a high margin deal, Cisco wireless phone in hand, and you’re in the middle of moving between meetings. Just as you leave the conference room, the customer begins cutting out…and then the call drops and goes dead. You’re planner is at your desk, you don’t have the customers phone number, and your boss is expecting you in his office for an update in 30 seconds. Someone in IT is going to get an earful. Years ago, this was the reality in many cases. How has it changed?

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Cisco Nexus, Love Connection or Bad Medicine?

The aptly named Cisco Nexus is all about connections. As the next big thing and the new kid on the block it has certainly garnered a lot of attention. Add to that the powerhouse that is Cisco marketing and voila! You have yourself a product on the minds and hearts of system admins and CIO’s everywhere.
But is it all it’s cracked up to be?

More importantly, Is the Cisco Nexus right for you?

Let’s dabble in some details, shall we?

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Cisco 6500 Series: Retired Veteran or Re-discovered Super Soldier?

Tried and true isn't a descriptor awarded lightly. It's earned only after emerging battle-hardened from the front lines. It doesn't matter if you're the only survivor of the super-soldier program, or the flagship switch in the armada that is Cisco - history speaks for itself. For just a moment let's take a quick look at that history.

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