back to article Cisco axes up to 5,500 workers in scramble to remain relevant

Cisco will lay off up to 5,500 staff, or seven per cent of its worldwide workforce, from this month – the start of its 2017 financial year. That's someway off earlier rumors of 9,000 to 14,000 redundancies, which would be about a fifth of the networking Borg's global headcount. For what it's worth, Cisco usually trims its …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Contractors?

    Guessing contractors / AWF makes up some of the missing numbers...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    silver lining

    Never good to hear about lay offs but the one positive is at least it was also in IoT which can only be a good thing if that shit for brains concept is not as hot as we are lead to believe. IoT mostly seems to be rich people taking dumb appliances adding data mining technology for the poor unwashed masses and then eventually charging far more to buy the original dumb appliance again that doesn't spy on you (for them of course).

    1. tbijlsma

      Re: silver lining

      I think your views on IoT are very narrow minded. Connecting "things" is very valuable for many businesses and consumers might not even realise the benefits they get. It is very likely that if you recently purchased a new car, it has a permanent connection. Your car is a big expensive IoT "thing" that needs connectivity and it needs it globally.

      It provides you as owner/driver benefits of subscription based services you can choose to consume, it gives you map-updates, it perhaps allows you to stream music, all from the connection your car has. And it provides value to the car manufacturer as they gather much more statistical data of car usage. They also now through their subscription services maintain a relationship with you (something in the past they didn't have, when you walked out of the showroom with the new keys, you were gone for them until you bought a new car.

      And lets not forget that with this connection you also deliver the emerency dial services in case of a crash. In fact, in Europe a decision has been made that all new cars sold after March 2018 MUST HAVE such a system. That implies that very soon not only the higher end cars will have this IoT connectivity need, but every single new car sold in the EU. That's a lot of "things" that need to have connectivity.

      And it is connectivity that "just works", regardless in which country you drive or which border you cross. You don't configure "routers" inside your car with a CLI. This connectivity needs to be pretty zero touch and idiot proof. It takes technology to make that happen.

      I've used cars as an example as everybody has one, and many will have one with this connectivity already built in. They might not have realised it is part of an IoT world. But it is.

      There are many other examples where it really does make sense to connect things. You just have to think about the big things, and look at the big numbers.

      Regards

      TJ

      That is an extremly valuable

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: silver lining

        All those marginal benefits are nullified if it comes bundled with surveillance. And I don't want any subscriptions. I get that our whole economy is based around financialization now. That it's all about tricking people into subscribing to worthless bullshit, and hoping they forget to unsubscribe, but I can confidently say I want none of that.

        Now if you were to say we're "post-privacy", and that giving up personal data helps "improve services", I'd bash your head in with a bone club, and happily go and live in a cave.

        All corporations can fuck right off, because I don't want a "relationship" beyond their legal obligation to support the product. You're creepy, so please just fuck off.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: silver lining

        @tbijlsma, I think you forgot the /sark tag.

      3. Roland6 Silver badge

        Re: silver lining

        Definitely a Silver lining to the car and IoT vendors, but to the customer who has to foot the bill...

        The question I ask is at what cost to reliability and longevity? remember the biggest problem that impacts airplane reliability isn't the mechanical engineering but the IT support systems and sensors...

      4. joed

        Re: silver lining

        @TJ

        none of the "benefits" you listed were "extremly valuable". And mandating certain functionality by government does not make it valuable (unless you meant additional expense) or even just popular with consumers (that are simply taken away the freedom of choice). I have very little appreciation for all-in-one solutions and prefer modularity with open interface. You like your car with kitchen, sink and Internet access? Fine, but don't postulate that everyone else should share your preferences (and I bet that most is fine with single subscription for a mobile phone). IoT appears to serve mostly the vendors and pushes agenda of digital servitude. Business suits will surely swallow the bite - as usual eager to spend before the tax revenue, not so much with paying or hiring employees.

      5. Mark 85
        FAIL

        @TJ -- Re: silver lining

        Take your "relationship", your benefits to business, etc... put them where the sun don't shine. I don't need the shitte you pitched. I certainly don't need IoT lightbulbs, thermostats, doorbells, or any of the other crap being pushed and neither do a lot of us.

        But obviously with this being your first post, you're probably not aware we are onto the IoT game of subscriptions, high prices for marginal benefit, and surviellence issues not to mention the gaping security holes in these devices. And that includes your automobile examples.

        1. asdf

          Re: @TJ -- silver lining

          >And that includes your automobile examples.

          Didn't read all his TL;DR propaganda but I am guessing he forgot to mention that the black box in your car can be used against you in many states (not just by law enforcement but also insurance companies, hell even your employer). Also coincidentally this article came up on the side there about how "rosy" IoT looks and made me smile - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/01/broadcom_divests_to_cypress_semiconductor/

      6. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: silver lining

        @tbijlsma

        So things like light bulbs that can only use the vendors own after a firmware update was forced on the users

        Or the baby monitors that are hacked and spy on people?

        Or how about the door locks that have such poor security you can open them without even touching them?

        Ooo how about the cars speed and steering controls than can be remotely controlled?

        "Your car is a big expensive IoT "thing" that needs connectivity and it needs it globally."

        Your right, for the last 100+ years it's been completely impossible to travel to another country without the car being completely rebuilt. That trip to France was a nightmare, the engine was stripped down, the wheels had to be replaced and a whole new interior was fitted, just so it would work. And then I had to do all the same, just to come back. Nightmare!

        Oh wait, no it worked absolutely fine.

        And prat tell, what will be the resale value on the car when it no longer works because it's running Android version and google dropped all support for it in 2018. Your SatNav no longer works, the in car entertainment refuses to play and the remote start doesn't work with any phone made after 2017.

        Welcome to pointless tat.

      7. Alan Bourke

        Re: silver lining

        We can't even keep the "internet of things that are supposed to be on the internet" secure from hackers and governments, why do people think connecting cars and fridges to it is a good idea?

      8. Down not across

        Re: silver lining

        t is very likely that if you recently purchased a new car, it has a permanent connection. Your car is a big expensive IoT "thing" that needs connectivity and it needs it globally.

        Bollocks. My car (no its not new) does all its supposed to do without any connection. A car does not need need any connectivity.

        They also now through their subscription services maintain a relationship with you (something in the past they didn't have, when you walked out of the showroom with the new keys, you were gone for them until you bought a new car.

        Ah, you mean they can nag you constantly to spend more with them, rather than the traditional crap in the snail mail?

        And lets not forget that with this connection you also deliver the emerency dial services in case of a crash.

        That does not need IoT or always on connectivity. All that needs is a mobile phone that auto dials when sensors in the car think you have crashed.

        That is an extremly valuable

        To who? The greedy vendor of course, not the hapless end user who is being pestered to spend more.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: silver lining

      You may have more knowledge than me but the quote...

      "and further invest in key priority areas such as security, IoT, collaboration"

      Kind of show they are not culling the IoT shite.

      1. Yes Me Silver badge
        Unhappy

        Re: silver lining

        And they *are* getting rid of some of their core experts on their core business, so I think this will turn out to be a serious mistake. Sad to say they are probably confused about the future if they think they can make it as a software/services company. The same silly delusion as IBM and HP.

    3. Linker3000

      Re: silver lining

      "IoT mostly seems to be rich people taking dumb appliances adding data mining technology for the poor unwashed masses and then eventually charging far more to buy the original dumb appliance again that doesn't spy on you (for them of course)."

      I call this "The bacon strategy":

      * Once upon a time, bacon was just cured/smoked pork with nothing added; it tasted fine and cooked well.

      * Then some bright spark worked out how to inject water into the process and sell a crappier version of bacon for greater profit.

      * Over time, this crappy, water-laden bacon became the norm and everyone just accepted the state of play because they grew up with the shitty stuff.

      * Next, the bacon companies started to sell 'traditional' bacon again with no added water, but because it was now 'special', they charged extra for a now-considered-premium product.

      1. Triggerfish

        Re: silver lining @tbijlsma

        Would that be like the fantastic new totally beneficial onstar service? Where they send your data to marketers, who can then mark on maps, and pop up targetted ads on your sat nav for stores they think you may like.

        I believe if you try and turn it off it still tracks you anyway for data to sell.

        Your car is not an IOT thing, it's several grands worth of marketing booth, selling your life to some corporation.

        when you walked out of the showroom with the new keys, you were gone for them until you bought a new car.

        I believe thats a very satisfactory transaction. I don't want to hear from them, I don't want leaflets telling me of offers. I don't want fake birthday cards, I like trees lets keep them as trees. I don't want to hear saleman bob is missing me, or that I should introduce him to my friends and family. I want them to bugger off unless they have to fix something under warranty.

        Seriously why do I want to have a relationship with my car manufacturer? I mean unless they're Scarlet Johanssen slumming it I can't see the benefit for me.

  3. Frank N. Stein

    Really??

    So, Cisco actually made money and needs to layoff and restructure, why? To hide bonuses paid to useless managers who are just guarding their own wallets? Typical...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Really??

      I'm not saying they don't have useless managers, if every company I've ever worked for in my 37 years of full time employment is any guide, then they probably do.

      But, if they sense a shift in the business model then maybe they are right to make changes?

      Only time will tell, but maybe some managers do know what they are doing and are making sensible decisions? Only time will tell...

      Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

      I bet Juniper are watching closely!

  4. Omar Smith
    Terminator

    Cisco the networking Borg

    "That's someway off earlier rumors of 9,000 to 14,000 redundancies, which would be about a fifth of the networking Borg's global headcount."

    There is only the one technological BORG and we all know just who that is. You used to even have one such on here as an ICON, what ever happened to that? image

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Has some body been believing the hype again?

    "security, IoT, collaboration, next generation data center and cloud"

    Security - Nobody buys Cisco for security.

    IoT - Internet of Tat.

    Next Gen DC - you mean switches in customers racks

    Cloud - you mean switches in other people's racks

    What a bunch of clowns.

  6. Strahd Ivarius Silver badge

    Huge layoffs and a share price that goes down?

    Shocking!

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