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5G Network Slicing Operator Survey
Open, Automated & Programmable Transport
The Journey to Cloud Native
Chambers: Hi John. This is John Chambers in Toronto. How are you doing recently?
Roth: Hi John, very nice to receive your call. I am doing just fine. As good as it used to be. What about yourself?
Chambers: I am doing OK. Just living a typical CEO life. Travels, meetings, and so on.
Roth: Let me guess. You are offering something.
Chambers: Not too fast. I just want to say "Hi Buddy, I win, you lose".
Roth (laughter): I will have to admit it. But the game is not entirely over though. I got a new guy called Frank Dunn to carry on. He is a financial guy, probably a good match for you.
Chambers: You are kidding. Financial guys can only count numbers. They can never be put in Executive role. I got Larry carter, a very good financial guy. But I will not give him my post when I retire.
Roth: Seriouly. Now that you called. I would try to measure the possibility of your interest in acquiring Nortel. Not for myself, but for 45,000 lives still hanging there.
Chambers: I appreciate you asking, John. But if I give opportunities to your 45,000 people, I will put 38,000 lives in Cisco at risk. To be honest, your people are so lame. They will ruin our people. Business is business. I would loan you money than acquiring your people. Sorry to say that, John.
Roth: You are right. I know how my people are. Some of them are good, but some are really lame. I keep all these lame people because I don't want them to ruin other companies. (Laughter). Specially, some mid-level management, namely VPs, directors and senior managers. Their inability has brought a group of lame first line managers and engineeers.
Chambers: Wouldn't it be better if you got rid of them a lot earlier?
Roth: John, although I respect you in all aspects, but you are really naive in politics. This is a bureaucratic monster I am steering. A lot of incapable people have been with this company for more than 20 years, same age as me. And even more worse, they all at senior positions and got a whole bunch of same type of people under them. Can I fire 50% of the company? The answer is definitely NO. I have to live with them.
Chambers: I understand. If you really want to save some guys, I can offer to buy your wireless operation. This is a market I have attempted to enter but failed so far. It is a market dominated by you and your old buddies like motorola and ericsson. Really hard to break in.
Roth: I can't do that John. Wireless is our life supply right now and will be in the years to come. Although people in wireless division are just as lame as in other divisions. The products are sort of good. But thanks for the offer, anyway.
Chambers: Let's step away from the business a little bit. Despite the failure of Nortel, your personal fortune is not impacted. If my memory is in order, you sold a large bulk of options at 100 or so.
Roth: Yes. That's the only warm memory I am having now. I hope I have enough for my retired life.
Chambers: Speaking of retire life, I will probably join you in 5 years, 10 years max. We can have a get-together then and play some card games on the beach of Mexico.
Roth: I bet I will win the card game.
Chambers: You got it. Don't feel bad even now, there always ups and downs in life.
Roth: One of the another thing have made me feel guilty all along. I did some personal attack on you once or two. Compared Cisco to Wang. I just want you know that I didn't really want to hurt you personally.
Chambers: Don't worry, buddy. We all know that's part of the game. When you in CEO position, you do whatever it takes to win.
Roth: John, I always have a feeling, if we were not working for rival companies, we would have been very good friends.
Chambers: You are wrong, John. We have always been friends. What do you think friends are? Friends are not somebody you need to talk when you in trouble. Friends are not somebody who always give you help. Friends are people who really understand you in-depth, who can feel your pain and joy, who are equivalent in capability. In this sense, rivals are usually best friends in soul.
Roth: Thanks, John. Having talked retirement, we have very good maple syrup and wines in Canada. Be my guest anytime. We can also yell, shout, talk dirty on Raptor's foor, or Skydome, or maple leaf stadium. As long as you are Ok with the weather here.
Chambers: You are kidding me! I was born and raised in Virginia. I am a northerner. Though years of life in San Jose may make me a littler valnurable to canadian flu, I will do fine.
Roth: It has been a very nice conversation for a long time, John.
Chambers: Keep in touch, have a wonderful retire life.
Roth: Thanks, you take care.
Chambers: You too. Bye.