Cisco is an American international technology conglomerate corporation that develops and sells networking software, hardware, telecommunications equipment, and other high-technology products and services. The conglomerate specialises in particular technology sectors, including the Internet of Things (IoT), videoconferencing, domain security, and energy management with various renowned products including Webex, OpenDNS, Jabber, and Jasper. Wife and husband duo Sandy Lerner and Leonard Bosack founded the corporation in December 1984, with the corporation’s initial products having roots in Stanford University’s campus technology. In February 1990, the tech corporation went public with a market capitalisation of USD 224 million, and it became listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Cisco was among the first technology corporations to distribute economically successful routers which supported several network protocols. It was able to keep up with the dynamic technology requirements through the CPU-based architecture of its early devices together with the IOS operating system’s flexibility. Over its existence, the corporation acquired various companies to improve its talent and product pool, completing 11 acquisitions between 1995 to 1996, with acquisitions like Stratacom being the most prominent industry acquisition when they occurred. Furthermore, it acquired Cerent Corporation, a start-up outfit in Petaluma, California, for about USD 7 billion during the Internet boom in 1999. Several acquisitions have evolved into USD 1Bn+ business units for the corporation, including Enterprise Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) platform Webex, LAN switching, and home networking. Cisco’s latest acquisitions came in December 2020 when it acquired IMImobile in a USD 730M deal and Slido to enhance polls, Q&A, and engagement in WebEx video conferencing platform. The company’s stock (CSCO) joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average on June 8, 2009, and is also listed in the Russell 1000 and 1000 Growth Stock Index, the S&P 500 Index, and the NASDAQ-100 Index.
With such a rich history, it’s no wonder the company has so many products out there, from new to used. Finding the right documentation can be difficult, especially in the English language. This is the reason why we opened up a section dedicated to Cisco User Manuals, where you can view or download each PDF.