Cisco Systems

RANK63

Cisco Systems has long dominated the markets for the networking gear and switches that companies use to connect to the web. In recent years, that business has been under significant pressure, as more customers buy cloud-computing resources in a pay-as-you-go model from others, rather than buying data-center gear. In December, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins announced one of the company’s boldest efforts yet to reinvigorate itself: selling specialized networking chips. That initiative provides Cisco with a new product that even customers that make their own networking gear may want or need to buy. Widening demand for 5G connectivity is also an opportunity for Cisco: At the end of 2019, the company was reportedly in negotiations with over 100 telecom operators to help them deploy 5G networks.