QuickNote - History of CISCO

In the early 1980s

In the early 1980s students and staff at Stanford; including Bosack, used technology on the campus to link all of the school's computer systems to talk to one another, creating a box that functioned as a multiprotocol router called the "Blue Box".

The Blue Box used software that was originally written at Stanford by research engineer William Yeager.

December 1984

Cisco Systems was founded in December 1984 by Sandy Lerner, a director of computer facilities for the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Lerner partnered with her husband, Leonard Bosack, who was in charge of the Stanford University computer science department's computers.

In 1985

In 1985, Bosack and Stanford employee Kirk Lougheed began a project to formally network Stanford's campus. They adapted Yeager's software into what became the foundation for Cisco IOS, despite Yeager's claims that he had been denied permission to sell the Blue Box commercially.

On July 11, 1986

Bosack and Lougheed were forced to resign from Stanford and the university contemplated filing criminal complaints against Cisco and its founders for the theft of its software, hardware designs, and other intellectual properties.

In 1987

Stanford licensed the router software and two computer boards to Cisco.

1987 to 1988

The company's first CEO was Bill Graves, who held the position from 1987 to 1988.

In 1988

John Morgridge was appointed CEO.

On February 16, 1990

Cisco Systems went public with a market capitalization of $224 million, and was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

On August 28, 1990

Lerner was fired. Upon hearing the news, her husband Bosack resigned in protest.

Between 1992 and 1994

Cisco acquired several companies in Ethernet switching, such as Kalpana, Grand Junction and most notably, Mario Mazzola's Crescendo Communications, which together formed the Catalyst business unit.

In 1995

John Morgridge was succeeded by John T. Chambers.

In late March 2000

At the height of the dot-com bubble, Cisco became the most valuable company in the world, with a market capitalization of more than $500 billion.

In 2006

As part of a rebranding campaign in 2006, Cisco Systems adopted the shortened name "Cisco" and created "The Human Network" advertising campaign.

These efforts were meant to make Cisco a "household" brand—a strategy designed to support the low-end Linksys products and future consumer products.

Keywors

yaser rahmati , یاسر رحمتی , CISCO , blue box , Sandy Lerner , William Yeage , Leonard Bosack , Kirk Lougheed , Bill Graves , John Morgridge , NASDAQ stock exchange , John T. Chambers , dot-com bubble