Cisco Might Kill Linksys Brand

[chris4404]

Cisco's Linksys brand may disappear sooner than expected, according to a top executive for small business at the company.

The company sells networking gear for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) under both the Cisco and Linksys brands, which has created some confusion, vice president of SMB Solutions Marketing Rick Moran acknowledged on Monday. Linksys was a successful vendor of home and SMB networking gear that Cisco acquired in 2003. There are routers, wireless LANs and other products under both brands that are aimed at small businesses.

Chairman and CEO John Chambers said last year at an event in Europe, captured in a YouTube video, that Linksys would disappear under the Cisco brand over time. Linksys followed up by saying its brand wasn't going anywhere in the near term.

Cisco had already moved to allow its SMB channel partners to sell both Cisco and Linksys products, starting about a year ago, but in the process found out most of them didn't want to carry both, Moran said. Those that sold Cisco gear weren't interested in selling the simpler Linksys products because they wanted to sell their customers system integration services, and Linksys resellers were more geared toward selling individual products, he said.

Article

[WyZe]

I think they would be much better off to stick with the Linksys brand name... for consumer sales anyway, for corporate - who gives a ****.

[dflem2003]

I agree with WyZe. I have always bought Linksys brands over others. The fact that Linksys was bought out by Cisco only made me want to buy it more. However, if I start seeing Cisco brand routers and switches for the home, I wouldn't mind that either I guess...

[Espion]

If they're still going to sell the same routers/etc just with a different name on them, I don't care at all

[rupchurc]

Not a good idea, its bad enough people dont even know that linksys is cisco. Take Linksys off the shelves will only confuse consumers who buy linksys products. Not to mention all the advertisment put into the name linksys.

[killermodz]

so long as the merger of the linksys name also doesn't jumpstart the merger of the cisco pricing, then i'm good.

[MrObvious]

I agree with the sentiments of rupchurc and killermodz. In all honesty, we see a lot of people who just shop on brands. For example, if Toyota suddenly changed their name and didn't make commercials about it on TV, and people went to look for dealers, it would cause a lot of confusion. Lots of sales just go because of brand name.

I see that all the time in the cell phone sales arena. Some people love Motorolas because they love the reception, while some people hate them because of the bugs. If the Linksys name goes away and Cisco comes on and we see higher prices, things will only be in trouble.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by killermodz

so long as the merger of the linksys name also doesn't jumpstart the merger of the cisco pricing, then i'm good.

Exactly... As long as they keep the prices and products the same, I don't care what brand they sell it as.

I think it is smarter to keep it separate though. People associate Linksys as the home / small business products. Their site is simple and easy to navigate. One you lump it in with cisco then I think people will start to get confused and probably end up buying some competitors product.

[mirror]

Yeah I agree that dropping the name will confuse the average consumer who is a 'brand' shopper. Personally, now that Cisco owns them it makes me want to look else where even more for my networking equipment.

I have had some Linksys stuff, but always had problems. My parents have a Linksys router that has been great.


^_^_^

[Maniac]

I didn't know linksys was owned by cisco... it'd be pretty dumb for them to get rid of the linksys name... it's pretty popular....

[bftek]

Boy would that be stupid...

But still, how do people not know that Cisco owns Linksys?
Isn't "Cisco" printed right on the Linksys boxes and products?

[Maniac]

Originally Posted by bftek

Boy would that be stupid...

But still, how do people not know that Cisco owns Linksys?
Isn't "Cisco" printed right on the Linksys boxes and products?

does anyone actually look at that stuff? there's so many stinking things printed all over those boxes in 10 different languages that I've stopped bothering.

[Sephious]

Originally Posted by Maniac

does anyone actually look at that stuff? there's so many stinking things printed all over those boxes in 10 different languages that I've stopped bothering.

Well I mean, right on the front of my Linksys WRT54GL there is a lighted button that says Cisco Systems. It's hard to miss.

[Camride]

I'm not sure how smart that is. Alot of people know the Linksys brand, not that many (non-techie people) know what Cisco is. Cisco is more of a corporate name and getting rid of Linksys is going to confuse alot of "regular joe's".

[WyZe]

Originally Posted by bftek

Boy would that be stupid...

But still, how do people not know that Cisco owns Linksys?
Isn't "Cisco" printed right on the Linksys boxes and products?

I don't know about you, but I typically don't read every word on the box. In fact, I purchased a router not to long ago and I only looked at the box for 2 seconds -- Long enough to see the words "Linksys" and "Wireless", that was all the information I needed, I had found what I was looking for and headed to the cashier. And thanks to plug-and-play technology, I didn't even have to look at the box/manual after plugging it in.

I assume most people who are going to purchase a router will have about the same though process if they even have a rough idea of what a router is...

And that just goes to prove how bad of an idea changing the brand name would be, all I knew when I went into the store was I wanted a Wireless router -- knowing Linksys is a popular quality brand, I instantly purchased it without even researching it. If I walked in and seen a Cisco router, I probably would have assumed it was some cheap garbage brand and skipped right over it, as Cisco is a name I haven't heard in so long I couldn't even remember what they sold prior to reading this thread.

[Maniac]

Originally Posted by Sephious

Well I mean, right on the front of my Linksys WRT54GL there is a lighted button that says Cisco Systems. It's hard to miss.

I know there's a button on the front of my WRT54GL, and I know it's to "auto-setup" the wireless, whatever that means. I didn't read the button, didn't care about it... since it doesn't affect how I set up the router as I do it manually.... Now that you mention it I think I vaguely remember something about that, but as I said... whatever the button said wasn't important to me... (especially seeing as it had nothing to do with the function of the button and was just badging).

[bftek]

Originally Posted by WyZe

I don't know about you, but I typically don't read every word on the box. In fact, I purchased a router not to long ago and I only looked at the box for 2 seconds -- Long enough to see the words "Linksys" and "Wireless", that was all the information I needed, I had found what I was looking for and headed to the cashier. And thanks to plug-and-play technology, I didn't even have to look at the box/manual after plugging it in.

I assume most people who are going to purchase a router will have about the same though process if they even have a rough idea of what a router is...

And that just goes to prove how bad of an idea changing the brand name would be, all I knew when I went into the store was I wanted a Wireless router -- knowing Linksys is a popular quality brand, I instantly purchased it without even researching it. If I walked in and seen a Cisco router, I probably would have assumed it was some cheap garbage brand and skipped right over it, as Cisco is a name I haven't heard in so long I couldn't even remember what they sold prior to reading this thread.

Wow I didn't realize I would cause a big fight.
I wasn't trying to pick on anybody...

[WyZe]

There isn't any fight going on... my reply wasn't intended to come off as hostile.

Originally Posted by Sephious

Well I mean, right on the front of my Linksys WRT54GL there is a lighted button that says Cisco Systems. It's hard to miss.

Wow, I certainly missed it. I think I have the same router in question, but just looking at the front of it now I see the Cisco logo. That's just how well designed and intuative routers are, you don't even have to look at the thing in order to set it up.

[daboogas94e]

let them kill it off and see where their business goes......

[bftek]

Originally Posted by WyZe

There isn't any fight going on... my reply wasn't intended to come off as hostile.

Sorry may bad then.
i guess i just inspect my stuff to much.