NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cisco Systems laid out its mid-term growth strategy on Friday, betting on increased demand for software, services and security as it strives to become the world's leading information technology company.
Cisco, whose business roots in routers and switches that move Internet traffic still generate about 50 percent of its revenue, has been steadily expanding its other offerings including data centers, network security and video conferencing.
In five years Cisco plans to double revenue from software, which is currently at $6 billion, Chief Executive John Chambers said at the company's annual analyst day in New York, saying the growth will be mostly organic but will include some acquisitions.
Chambers is banking on Cisco's expertise in networking, which he says enables developments such as cloud computing, data centers and applications and eventually the concept of the "Internet of things," which foresees the connection of everything from traffic lights to medical devices to the power grid.
Chambers and Cisco's chief financial officer, Frank Calderoni, reiterated the company's target of 5-7 percent compound annual revenue growth in three to five years. Revenue was $46.1 billion in 2012.
ZK Research analyst Zeus Kerravala said Cisco has a "good shot" at becoming a broad IT company, but it hardly offered any surprises, especially in light of the revenue outlook.
"I think it makes them a boring company because the number is easily achievable, but in this macro it's better than what HP or Dell are putting their shareholders through," he said, referring to HP's accounting scandal and Dell's struggles with a declining PC market.
"The big question for Cisco shareholders is can they keep their margins," Kerravala said, but added that "the threat of margins has been out there for several years and they have always managed to weather the storm."
Cisco said its operating margin will remain in the high 20s. In 2012 was 28 percent.
Shares of Cisco were down 1.1 percent at $19.27 near midday.
Calderoni said he expects Cisco's cloud and unified data center business to post 20-26 percent compound annual growth in that time frame. In 2012 revenue was $1 billion.
In mobility he said the compound growth rate will be 14-17 percent. The business in 2012 had revenue of $3 billion.
"Our wireless growth has been significant," Calderoni said, adding that Cisco had benefited from the growing demand for WiFi and small cells that help offload traffic from networks.
In security, Calderoni said, the growth rate will be 5-7 percent in three to five years. Cisco, which has seen rivals take market share in the security business, generated $1 billion in revenue in that division in 2012.
On growth in emerging markets, Chambers said the company has done well in the top five emerging markets but has work to do in others.
"The challenge was the No. 6 through 20," Chambers said.
Its emerging markets business generated $9 billion revenue in 2012. In three to five years that will grow at a 7-13 percent compound annual rate, Calderoni said.
Lastly, Calderoni said, Cisco is aiming for 6-9 percent compound annual growth rate in its video business, which generated $8 billion this year.
(Reporting By Nicola Leske; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Blog List
-
Kaley Cuoco Shows Off Fit Physique In Skin-Revealing Yoga Outfit - By Suzy Byrne Kaley Cuoco leaving yoga class in L.A. on Monday. (X17online.com)Kaley Cuoco gave new meaning to hot yoga on Monday when she emerged from cla...11 years ago
Pageviews
Popular Posts
-
WARSAW, Poland (AP) A statue of Adolf Hitler praying on his knees is on display in the former Warsaw Ghetto, the place where so many Jews ...
-
Set Up Your PSN ID If you're new to the PlayStation ecosystem, you'll need to set up your PlayStation ID and account information. I...
-
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actresses Natalie Portman and Kristen Stewart are Hollywood's most bankable stars and provide studios with the hi...
-
LONDON (AP) The news that Prince William and the former Kate Middleton were expecting their first child joyous news for a couple l...
-
CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a sharp contrast between two of the nation's largest cities, Chicago recorded its 499th murder of 2012...
-
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Prosecutors on Thursday declined to pursue a criminal trespassing charge against a Wisconsin man arrested earlier this...
-
1. Ingress This app literally turns the real world into a video game. You choose one of two sides, "Enlightened" or "Resist...
-
iPad mini A common issue often presents itself when Apple ( AAPL ) launches new products: it can t build them fast enough. We ve seen it ti...
-
ALMA CENTER, Wis. (AP) A Wisconsin couple says fire clucks, not fire trucks, helped them escape a blaze at their home. Alma Center Fire Chie...
-
Nintendo Wii U I remember it still people flipped out about the Nintendo ( NTDOY ) Wii . Yes, its name was mocked for a while, but there wa...