The shakeup will affect up to 6,000 positions and mean broad changes across the company.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

October 9, 2014

2 Min Read
Report: Cisco Starts Reorg, Layoffs

Cisco has reportedly started its planned reorganization, which will have ramifications across its 75,000-strong workforce.

Business Insider reports that a massive shakeup of the networking giant's router and switching business is ongoing, with two big teams being organized under hardware and software as the end result. BI says top-level "general manager" positions are being targeted as part of the changes.

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Light Reading asked Cisco for a comment on the reorganization. Here's what the company sent us:

  • As announced on our August 13 earnings call, Cisco is conducting a limited restructuring across several segments of our business that will impact up to 6,000 roles or up to 8 percent of our global workforce. Technology disruption has never moved more quickly, requiring all companies to adapt and accelerate through change. We are taking action now to build for the future of cloud, security, virtualization, analytics, data center, IoE and collaboration. We will continue to invest in growth, innovation, and talent, while managing costs and improving efficiencies across our business. We are continuing to hire, especially in the areas that help our customers solve their biggest business problems. Of Cisco’s approximately 25,000 employees in the development organization, many -- but not all -- have new reporting lines as part of our overall effort to align our business to priority areas.

The statement appears to support the rumors of possible top-line changes with its mention of "new reporting lines."

There have also been rumors that CEO John Chambers will retire this fall. (See Is Cisco's Chambers Retiring in the Fall?.)

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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