November 29, 2007

Customer Support Phone Number for Linksys in U.S.: (800) 326-7114

The day after Thanksgiving in the U.S., Linksys offered a special on its Wireless-G Home Router (WRH54G). Because this product is also offered in India, Linksys unintentionally failed to change the tech support number supplied with the product on materials in the box (Quick Install Guide and User Manual). The technical support number is a Toll-Free 1800 number owned by Linksys in India intended for our customers in India. Because of this error, customers who purchased the product in the US have a 1800 technical support number that does not dial into Linksys technical support.

Linksys is aware of the incorrect phone number on the materials in the WRH54G box. We are currently finding a solution to this issue and apologize for any inconvenience or embarrassment this has caused to our customers. In the meantime we are instructing customers who require support on this product to call the correct number at: (800) 326-7114.

Posted by John Earnhardt at 04:37 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

November 27, 2007

Statement on Cisco.com

Cisco has identified the root cause of the service interruption experienced yesterday on Cisco.com and has implemented appropriate changes to help ensure our website continues to serve our customers and partners. Cisco will continue to monitor the situation. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers and partners.

Posted by Cisco PR at 11:26 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

November 26, 2007

Statement Regarding Cisco.com

Earlier this morning, Cisco.com experienced some issues that impacted access to certain applications on the site. Currently, Cisco.com is accessible and we are in the process of conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause and full impact. We thank our customers, partners and other site users for their patience.

Posted by Cisco PR at 10:31 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

November 20, 2007

Cisco Citizenship Report Online Now

The fiscal 2007 Cisco Citizenship Report is now live on Cisco.com. This report, the third, chronicles the many ways in which Cisco’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions are aligned with our business strategy and support our long-term sustainability. CSR is a core Cisco value. We believe our social investments contribute to our long-term value as a business while also helping to build a stronger, healthier global community. This community, in turn, supports and sustains the markets within which our business can thrive.

If this sounds like a commercial, you don't have to believe me...check out the report for yourself and see all the great stuff our company is doing and supporting. See the full report online here...you can also see our 2005 and 2006 Citizenship Reports.

Posted by John Earnhardt at 08:16 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

November 19, 2007

VIDEO: Cisco's Network Emergency Response Vehicle (NERV)

Communications are always vital. During natural and other disasters, however, they become an absolute necessity. Cisco is in the IP communications business and identified a need for a ready-to-go, plug-in solution for command center communications during emergencies. The outcome: The Network Emergency Response Vehicle (NERV). Basically, a mobile communications vehicle that can act as a command center for your on-the-ground disaster management, as well as a central processing center for all the communications going on for that effort. Through Cisco's IPICS technology, which allows disparate radio systems to communicate with each other via IP translation, police, who are on one radio system, can talk with fire professionals who are on another radio system, who can talk with the National Guard, who are on another radio system. The NERV also has TelePresence, video surveillance, Wi-Fi, satellite communications, and IP telephony on-board.

In this short video, Bob Browning, Senior Manager of Tactical Operations Support at Cisco, gives us a tour of the NERV's technology and capabilities. This vehicle just returned from the Harris Fire and is exactly why interoperable communications systems are essential to successful disaster response and recovery.

Browning answers the following questions:
1. What does the Cisco NERV allow emergency response professionals to do during times of disaster?
2. What Cisco technology does the NERV contain?
3. What does the Cisco NERV system do that others cannot?

Posted by John Earnhardt at 09:46 AM Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

November 06, 2007

Video: Impressions of Africa with SVP Tae Yoo

Seems like everyone is talking about Africa lately. And, why not? Cisco's momentum there is as strong as it is virtually anywhere in the entire company. (The Middle East and Africa was the fastest growing region in the Emerging Markets Theater in fiscal 2007, for example.) And there's growing feeling that the best is yet to come.

Not surprisingly, interest in Africa is growing at Cisco's corporate headquarters in San Jose. That's due, in part, to the impressions that several executives have developed of the region after visiting. Take Tae Yoo, for example. The senior vice president of corporate affairs spent three weeks in Africa earlier this year. In this video, she shares some thoughts and impressions of the land, its people and their potential.

Posted by Cisco PR at 12:02 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

VIDEO: New Modular Switches Embrace Collaborative Technologies

Marie Hattar, Senior Director of Network Systems, talks about today's switching announcement (Cisco Catalyst 4500 and Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches) and what it means for the future of your network, collaborative technologies, ongoing innovation, investment protection, network services and applications. She says, "we are readying businesses for future applications."

She answers the following questions:
1. What enhancements to Cisco's modular switching are you announcing today?
2. What challenges are businesses facing today and how does today's announcement help them?
3. What makes the Catalyst product line so successful?

Posted by John Earnhardt at 08:27 AM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

November 02, 2007

Wag More, Bark Less

I was taking my 8-month old son for a walk the other day and saw a bumper sticker that said "Wag More, Bark Less." This is a good philosophy and I think, in large degree, we practice this at Cisco. For us, the customer is always right and we know we don't exist without them.

The next day, a big piece on Cisco was published by Fortune magazine, written by former managing editor Rik Kirkland. The sub-head states, "Cisco fell hard, went through a wrenching period of reinvention, and is now stronger than it has ever been." It is a good piece and worth the read and definitely made me want to wag more than bark, if you will.

It also made me think about the piece I worked on with current managing editor of Fortune, Andy Serwer, back in May of 2000. Entitled, "Two Questions about Cisco: Is John Chambers the Best CEO on Earth? (and) Is It Too Late to Buy His Stock?" We're in the middle of our quiet period as we report earnings for Q108 next week, so I cannot comment on the second question even if I could. As to the first question Andy asked, I'm certainly in the affirmative camp. I've been at Cisco for nearly 9 years and have been working with our CEO for most of that time. He is good. He is smart. He's also a nice guy, which really goes a long way when working with him. He is demanding, but also willing to listen. And, most importantly, he's willing to change with the times and, in most cases, lead those changes.

Case in point is our new video blogging at the company. We've done a couple video blogs with him and after the second one he said, "Every week I'm in the office, I want to do one of these." He recognizes that video and blogs are important ways to communicate and he's willing to invest his time in doing it and not just talking about it. This anecdote is certainly indicative of how he approaches change...he embraces it.

This sounds a bit like a suck-up-to-the-CEO blog entry and it isn't meant to be. It is just a stream of consciousness entry on what I'm feeling as a Cisco employee of late, which, really the Fortune piece brought to the forefront. If you've followed Cisco in the past few years, you know we're doing okay. I think that a "wag more, bark less" approach has contributed to some of our success.

And, because I haven't found a way to make a picture of my aforementioned son relevant to this blog entry, I'll just post it here and let you know that he is definitely a "wag more, bark less" kind of guy as well.
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