Cisco Systems: A Report Card On Ubiquitous Mobility

Cisco has long been considered a leader in all segments of networking from the core to the edge, steadily adding voice- and location-based services and solutions on top of its foundational networking products. In the rapidly evolving market for ubiquitous mobility, Cisco has a strong mix of products and solutions but is missing some core elements like dual-mode solutions, multinetwork bridging technology, and a clear approach to 4G services. Cisco needs to better articulate where 4G services like WiMAX will fit — if they will at all — into its product set and also take dual-mode voice solutions more seriously in order to be considered a strategic vendor for ubiquitous mobility. Cisco's name alone will put it onto the shortlists of IT buyers in pursuit of phase 3.0 of mobility infrastructure maturity, but its current gaps will quickly push it off of the list of any enterprise that is serious about mobility.