Abstract The paper presents case studies on recent problems at each of these organizations: Ford Motors, Cisco Systems and Apollo Hospital. The author clarifies the situation. The paper includes an executive summary, analysis and recommendations.
From the Paper "Cisco Systems implemented an Oracle ERP system when it made the decision that its existing legacy software program was not reliable enough to handle existing operations and not sophisticated enough to allow Cisco to continue to expand and when management determined that every effort to fix the existing system was in effect putting one bandage on top of another. Ultimately the cost of the project exceeded ... million. The scope of the product expanded dramatically. The implementation team grew to more than ... people."
Abstract This paper reviews and discusses the history and background of Cisco Systems. According to the paper, Cisco Systems is the world leader in the development, design, manufacturing and selling of home, small business and enterprise networking, telecommunications and online security. The paper reports that Cisco is considered to be one of the most ethically astute and well-run companies in the United States today, receiving many awards for their work on social responsibility initiatives and corporate citizenship.
Outline:
Executive Summary
Financial Reports and Analysis
Internship Opportunities
Social Responsibility and Corporate Citizenship
Cisco Charitable Giving Programs
From the Paper "In terms of hiring interns from local colleges and universities, Cisco is one of the few companies to actually post open positions in their open jobs database accessible by anyone on the Internet. Cisco Internship Positions (2006) shows twenty six positions open today, all of them paying jobs, where the interns receive a stipend, and if their performance on the job is strong enough, the chance to come back after they finish their degrees and work for Cisco full-time. Numerous senior managers and directors in the company have completed their internships and come back to work for years at Cisco, progressing through the ranks of the company. It is commonplace to find at least two or three Vice Presidents at Cisco who have had this career progression as well. The company seeks interns in San Jose, California, the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, and at smaller engineering locations throughout the world."
Tags: charitable, giving, global, corporate, citizenship, disadvantaged, assistance, support
Abstract As the leading provider of networking products for the Internet, Cisco Systems uses e-commerce via the internet. Therefore, according to the paper, Cisco Systems adamantly opposes any government regulation, such as taxing internet traffic, that would impinge on the efficiency and growth of e-commerce. This paper looks at the ways in which Cisco Systems is affected by government regulation.
From the Paper "Other laws and proposed laws also have caused concern for both Cisco Systems and the industry. Both the Congress and several states are considering laws to protect individual privacy on the Internet. Both Cisco and the industry oppose such a law, holding that the industry can be more effective through self-regulation. Another law that has been proposed frequently by some members of Congress and by some states would apply taxation to Internet activity. Both Cisco and the industry argue that taxation would cripple e-commerce just as it is beginning to grow. Thus far, the lawmakers have backed down on taxation proposals for the Internet."
Abstract This paper discusses how Cisco has shifted its strategy and has cultivated its internal strengths that it leveraged in order to reclaim its market dominance. The paper outlines four core components that are the pillar of Cisco's strength - organization, finance, marketing and operations. Each component is examined in the paper.
From the Paper "Cisco Systems, the self-proclaimed ?worldwide leader in networking for the Internet,? has dominated similar firms in its industry. As Wall-Streets? beloved stock and an essential stock in any investor's portfolio, with over 35,566 employees worldwide and boasting revenues totaling 22.2 billion in the previous fiscal year the company aims to ensure that networks both public and private operate with maximum performance, security, and flexibility. As a result the competition is left scrambling to keep up. Like many other market leaders, Cisco Systems too, has become a victim of the current economic state that once propelled the company into the limelight. "
A theoretical analysis of recent developments on accounting standards for stock options and a practical application to Cisco Systems, Inc. as an illustration.
Abstract This paper analyzes developments in the accounting field for stock options regulating standards. The writer shows how the accounting technique caused huge controversy among regulators and academics with respect to the treatment of stock options in the financial statements because the primary objective of decision usefulness of financial reporting as well as net income depends on whether or not the company recognises stock options as expenses on a fair value based method in the income statements. It argues that although the recent developments of the accounting standards proceed in the right direction, there are still issues that must be addressed. It shows that in order to solve the remaining issues, it is necessary to improve the qualitative aspects of financial information, such as relevance, reliability and comparability which directly relate to the primary objective of financial reporting.
1 Introduction
2 Historical Developments on Accounting for Stock Options
2.1 APB 25: Intrinsic Value
2.2 SFAS 123: Introduction of Fair Value Based Method
2.3 SFAS 148: More Timely and More Prominent Disclosure
3 Theoretical Analysis
3.1 Fundamentals of Financial Reporting
3.1.1 Objective of Financial Reporting
3.1.2 Qualitative Characteristics of Accounting Information
3.2 Recognition of Expense
3.2.1 What Is an Expense?
3.2.2 Assets under SFAC 6
3.2.3 Liabilities under SFAC
3.2.4 Assets under Exit Value Accounting
3.2.5 Liabilities under Exit Value Accounting
3.2.6 Comparison of the Recognitions
3.3 Measurement
3.3.1 Fair Value Method
3.3.2 Intrinsic Value Method
3.4 Summary of Theoretical Analysis
4 Practical Analysis - Cisco Systems, Inc.
4.1 About Cisco Systems, Inc.
4.2 Applications to the Accounting Standards
4.3 Pro Forma Disclosure in the Profit and Loss Statement
4.4 Market Share Price and Employees Stock Option Incentives
4.5 A Need for Change
5 Conclusion
6 Bibliography
Appendix
From the Paper "High-tech companies such as Cisco Systems have developed as major global business players during the last decade. One of the devices that many of these companies often applied in the process of their economic growth was a stock-based compensation plan. Such small venture businesses, which were normally deficient in cash in their initial stages, provided employees with the right to purchase their own stocks instead of cash. As a result, stock options could enormously reduce the amount of cash and wage expenses at the same time. Further, entrepreneurs could effectively retain talented staffs by granting them stock options, and could elevate motivation among the employees. However, the series of frauds and corporate crisis over the past year raised the question of accounting treatment for stock options whether the present standards achieve the principal objective of decision usefulness of financial reporting."
Abstract This paper provides a thorough SWOT analysis of Cisco Systems Inc, focusing on the essential element of human resources. It looks at the company's strengths in the market today and why it is so successful. It also looks at its weaknesses, which are known to management and which can be improved through business strategy. The current market is analyzed by looking at Cisco's opportunities and threats from competitors; also discussed is the quality of the marketing system.
From the Paper "As technology changes business on a day-to-day basis, one thing continues to remain the same; the human component of any business is critical. Although processes and tasks can often be automated, saving valuable man-hours in the process, this automation means that each human employee who is left is just that much more important. For this reason, Human Resources and the functions they provide are critical to a company's success. Without a strong, innovative Human Resources team, with the processes and procedures in place to allow them to work effectively, the best employees cannot be consistently hired or retained. A company can have the best product or service in the world, but if their staff is lacking, sooner or later their company will suffer. In the end, Human Resources has a dramatic effect on a company's bottom line."
Abstract Today, rapid technical developments such as voice over Internet protocol, as opposed to voice delivered via traditional telephony, wireless, and the availability of broad band are prompting, in most cases, incremental improvements in everything from telephone systems to application control and management. One major pioneer in this industry has been Cisco Systems, Inc., which continues to dominate the marketplace with many of its innovative IP telephony products and services. This paper provides an overview and analysis of Cisco System, Inc.'s approach toward IP telephony, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
From the Paper "For example, since 1997, the number of ISP (facilities-based and resellers) in the United States has increased by nearly 40 per cent, points of presence per ISP five fold, Internet hosts quadrupled and Internet traffic six to 10 times; furthermore, there were an estimated 7463 ISP in the spring of 2000, 20 percent of which operated on a national basis. Likewise, suppliers of Internet connectivity (IBP) have expanded their physical presence across the board (Coble-Neal & Madden, 2002). In this setting, companies are seeking innovative ways to make use of the communications infrastructure that is already in place, as well as identifying improved methods for existing applications."
Abstract This paper discusses the company, Cisco Systems, and its unique capabilities in the technology arena. It talks about the company's history and its competitive advantage in its industries.
From the Paper "The search for talented high-tech workers has grown fierce as the numbers of eligible workers that meet this need are few. One company, Cisco Systems, has perfected a way to not only attract these employees, but also to retain them as well. The company went public back in 1994 primarily as a manufacturer of routers for the Internet and communications market. It has blossomed into a communications giant that is involved in some aspect with almost every technology field."
Abstract This paper investigates the definition of information technology and the manner in which it is used by focusing on several pertinent issues related to the successful implementation of information systems within organizations. The author points out thriving IT implementations at several corporations, including General Electric, Cisco Systems and Apple, as well as the techniques of three CEOs, who have guided the development of IT within their companies. The paper examines current and future information systems trends. The paper includes several long quotations and charts.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Introduction of Computer Systems
Definition of IT
E-mail
Internet
Extranet
Intranet
Local Area Network (LAN)
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Current Usage of IT
Use of Information Technology in Problem Solving
IT and Corporate Strategy
Relation between IT And Corporate Strategy
Current Theory Relating IT and Corporate Strategy
Success of General Electronics, Cisco systems and Apple computer
General Electric (GE)
SWOT Analysis of GE
Cisco Systems
SWOT Analysis of Cisco Apple Computers
SWOT Analysis Apple Computer
Strategy of Jack Welch, Carol Bartz and Steve Jobs
Jack Welch
Carol Bartz
Steve Jobs
Effect of Investments on IT systems
Financial Theories
Probability Theory
Real Options Theory
The Strategic Objectives of an ROI Analysis
The Place of the Proposed IT Investment in the Overall Enterprise
Technology Infrastructure
Business Processes
Organizational Environment
External Relationships
Choosing the Right Type of Analysis
Financial
Effectiveness
How the ROI Analysis Fits into IT Investments
Data Collection of ROI in IT Sector
Application of IT and IT Changes
IT for Internal Operation
IT for Business Units and Synergy Effect
IT for Products
Conclusion
Current Trend
Forecasting Future Trend
Improvements
Types of Security
Cryptography and Encryption
Authentication
Network Architecture and Physical Security
Firewalls and Perimeter Security
Wireless Network Security
Benefits of Accepting Dynamic IT System Rather Than Stable Business Environment
Limitations of Study
From the Paper "The authors explain that there are many different strategies that can be used to integrate IT with the corporate strategy. However the initial step is always to identify the company's business objectives and existing corporate strategy. Therefore SISP is always based on the existing strategy. For instance, a basic tenant of Information Engineering is "if the business objectives do not change then the data the organization needs to use and the functions it needs to carry out will not change . . . therefore we can model the enterprise."' If no strategy is apparent, SIS planners are advised to create one ."
Tags: communication, knowledge, cisco, trends, roi
Financial analysis of Cisco Systems (through 1999). History of company. Ratio analysis including--fixed and total asset turnover ratios; debt ratio; times interest earned; price; earnings, etc.
2,025 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 71.95
From the Paper "Cisco Systems was founded by Leonard Bosack and Sandra Lerner, who were a young husband and wife at Stanford University in 1984. Bosack developed technology to link the network in the computer lab to his wife's network in the business department. Believing the idea was a good one, they took a mortgage on their house, bought a used mainframe, and got friends and relatives to work for deferred pay, selling their first router in 1986.
Turning to Donald Valentine, a venture capitalist at Sequoia Capital who bought a controlling stake, the Cisco team expanded its marketing thrust to include corporations and in 1987, saw sales of $1.5 million that grew to $28 million in 1989."
Abstract This paper examines how the computer hardware industry has been a major force in the American economy and how the products that this industry manufactures have also changed our lives in many ways. It discusses the total industry-wide sales for the year 2002 as well as investigates the top three companies in the industry. It also looks at the trade associations and professional associations.
Outline
Introduction
The Computer Hardware Industry
Top Three Firms
IBM
CISCO Dell
The Trade Association for the Industry
Professional Associations
Issues Facing the Industry
Conclusion
From the Paper "The global services segment creates software and hardware products for professional services. The three hardware segments provide multipurpose computer servers, general purpose computers, and semiconductors. (IBM Full Description) The software segment produces operating systems for E-businesses. IBM's Global financing segment provides financing services for IT. Finally, the enterprise investment segment provides customers with products that are industry specific. (IBM Full Description)
The market capitalization for the corporation is $158.3 billion. (Top 10 Companies for Computer Hardware) The corporation's market share in the industry is about 26%. For the 12 months ending December 31 2002 Gross profit totaled $8,420,000,000. The Chief Executive Officer of IBM is Samuel J. Palmisona. (Biographies) There is no chief operating officer listed on the company's official website."
Abstract This paper explains that firewalls have the basic task of controlling traffic between different zones of trusts such as the Internet and an internal network; the goal of a firewall is to control the connectivity between these differing levels of trust zones. The author points out several considerations that need to be considered when choosing a personal firewall for the enterprise environment: (1) Is complete protection offered? (2) Can the firewall protect itself? (3) Does it offer compliance tools to enforce policy compliance? (4) Can it be integrated with all leading gateway vendors and centralized enforcement reporting? The paper reviews three firewall manufacturers who offer software or hardware solutions and their products as applied to specific situations: Symantec, Zone Labs and Cisco Systems.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Firewall Overview
Major Software and Hardware Firewall Manufacturers
Best Product for
1. Small LAN Without Publicly Accessible Resources
2. Small LAN With One Publicly Accessible Web Site
3. Large Organization with E-Commerce Web Site and Internal Resources Accessed by Strategic Partners
From the Paper "Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall 2005 offers a variety of features. It allows the user to block confidential information, yet still send out personal data to trusted sites. It automatically turns the firewall back on after a pre-determined amount of time, should it need to be turned off temporarily. It automatically blocks suspicious incoming traffic and prevents data being sent without the users' knowledge. The Norton Personal Firewall only allows authorized programs to connect to the Internet. And, LiveUpdate automatically checks for the newest protection updates, when the user is online."
Abstract This paper examines high tech companies such as Cisco and seeks to determine the extent to which turnover rates help or hinder such organizations and what challenges employee turnover rates present. Generally speaking, high turnover rate is not a good thing and organizations with an eye to the future will not attempt to make high employee fluidity in and out of the organization an enduring feature, assuming it can be helped at all.
From the Paper "High-tech organizations such as Cisco are most likely to recruit their employees from either a) other high-tech organizations or b) from university departments. The reason for this seems fairly simple: what these organizations seek (and what relatively few job aspirants can provide) are people with highly-developed technical skills and strong interpersonal skills, as well. Naturally enough, the company prizes technical expertise and adaptability among its employees, but Cisco also values employees who have strong interpersonal and leadership skills, as well (Points of Light Foundation, 2005, para.5). In terms of alternative staffing strategies that might maximize return on investment, it seems clear that creating an incentive-laden environment for workers is the best way to go."
Abstract Many mergers fail to integrate cultural differences successfully in today's global economy. This paper examines what can be done to help them succeed. It shows that one of the most neglected aspects of planning mergers and acquisitions, and one of the leading causes of their failure or success is the performance or neglect of cultural due diligence. The paper shows that Microsoft and Great Plains Software, and Cisco's merger with Cerent are examples of what to do right when merging two companies. It discusses how successful mergers employ specific and detailed approaches for pre-merger planning, which include methods for communication of vision, changes and purpose, involvement of employees, establishment of strategy, leadership, due diligence and potential process and system conflict.
Paper Outline:
Executive Summary; Introduction; Microsoft Acquires Great Plains Software; About Microsoft; About Great Plains Software; Combined Strategy; Culture Integration; Communication; About AOL and Time Warner; Recommendations; Cisco Corporation Acquires Cerent Communication; The Cisco strategy; Due Diligence ? Pre Merger Phase; Culture Perspective; Communication; Leadership; System Conflicts; Process Conflicts and Staffing Issues; Quality and Continuous Improvement; Recommendations and Observations; Future Acquisitions; Hewlett Packard and Compaq Merger; The Values of the New HP; Due Diligence Phase; Recommendations and Observations; What HP/Compaq could have done differently; Conclusion; References
From the Paper "Companies who have experienced successful mergers have found that integration of corporate cultures in an M & A environment includes the establishment of the strategic direction of the merged entities, developing a shared vision, careful scrutiny of management styles, communication to employees, suppliers, customers and shareholders, and identifying and resolving important cultural differences early and having a plan to integrate the cultures (Miller, 2002). The communication of the rationale behind the decisions, future goals and objectives, new roles and responsibilities, and managerial expectations through constructive dialogue and feedback, are vital to build trust and ensure credible leadership. In fact, this communication is more important in the period leading up to and following closure of a deal. The more dissimilar the cultures, the greater the cultural shock, particularly if the M & A was not voluntarily chosen."
Abstract This paper looks at the Opens Systems Interconnection connecting open systems of communication. The author explains the structure and system of layers representing the packaging of information and its journey from one machine to another on a network.
From the Paper "Today's modern computer networks are designed in an extremely structured manner. To reduce their design complexity, most networks are organized in a series of layers. Each one of these layers is built upon the one that came before it. The OSI Reference Model is based on a proposal developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO). The model is called OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Reference Model because it deals with connecting open systems - that is, systems that are open for communication with other systems."
Tags:cisco, layer, mcse, computer, network, system
