Cisco improving products to serve consumers better

“We focus on devices that people use in their day-to-day lives,” Mohammad Meraj Hoda, Cisco’s Managing Director for Emerging Markets, told Khaleej Times at GITEX 2010.

“This is the role we play, we want to make the Internet experience better.”

Cisco has gone on a wave of acquisitions in the past decade to boost its portfolio. In 2003, it was able to acquire networking products maker Linksys, a move that boosted its line of offerings. In 2010, Cisco obtained Starent Networks and Moto Development Group.

Hoda added that Cisco’s recent acquisition of Pure Networks, which he said will produce software “to make life easier.”

At GITEX, Cisco is launching three new routing devices, which are faster and are simpler and easier to use, 
Hoda said.

“These are nicely designed products. Cisco spent tonnes of money for these things.”

Hoda said that the future of video – one of Cisco’s key focuses – is an exploding market and that it is expected that in the next three years, 95 per cent of Internet traffic will be composed of video, with its use as a communication tool to be the main point.

“Video is now being used as a means of communication, and not just to capture moments,” he said.

Aside from these, Hoda also believes that the adoption of broadband Internet in the Middle East is growing, and will play a big role in the overall IT 
industry.

He added that the gaming segment is a robust one, which from its $40 billion value will shoot up to $80 billion in two years. — alvin@khaleejtimes.com