[c-nsp] New Catalyst 6k chassis

[Dobbins, Roland]

On Jun 27, 2013, at 3:40 AM, Gert Doering wrote:

> But can cisco afford to have three quite similar product lines,
> that are expensive to maintain? 

Cisco isn't really a unitary company, it's a loose confederation of semi-feudal fifedoms, each with its own P&L.   Effectively, they're separate companies utilizing a common branding/marketing framework and shared administrative resources.

So, there is no 'Cisco' per se to afford or not afford to keep separate product lines going.  As long as each makes a profit, and there are no other overriding financial considerations such as an acquisition or somesuch, Cisco will continue to have X number of product lines in various spaces which overlap and even compete with one another.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Roland Dobbins <rdobbins at arbor.net> // <http://www.arbornetworks.com>

	  Luck is the residue of opportunity and design.

		       -- John Milton