网络硬件巨头思科爱上软件

    思科系统公司（Cisco Systems）正在“转化”为一家更多以软件和服务为重心的公司，然而这一进程还远未完成。未来五年中，这家位于加州圣何塞的网络设备巨头计划使软件收入翻倍，从60亿美元增至120亿美元。为了实现这一目标，它宣布已并购一批软件企业，包括网络服务管理工具开发公司SolveDirect，以及为移动运营商开发软件的以色列公司Intucell等。

    2011至2012年间，思科的合作业务仅增长了3%。为此，思科也将推动这一领域加速发展。现在，它正致力于通过云为各类屏幕提供视频会议服务——而不再局限于昂贵的网真系统（TelePresence）——同时还允许与WebEx这类协作办公工具实现更好地兼容。上周，思科宣布，客户将可以通过网络浏览器的WebEx服务邀请公司外部的用户参加网真会议。而《财富》杂志（Fortune）近期正好采访了思科开发与销售总裁罗伯特•劳埃德（他同时也是现任首席执行官约翰•钱伯斯的候选继任者），进一步了解了该公司改革合作业务的计划，也获知他也准备接受加入近期由雅虎公司（Yahoo）首席执行官玛丽莎•梅耶尔发起的“在家办公”的辩论。

    《财富》杂志：思科的协作业务目前的情况如何，它似乎增长乏力？

    劳埃德：我认为现在协作业务正处在一个转折点上，正处于过渡时期。我是在思科刚启动IP电话业务时加入公司的。一路走来，我们已成为市场领导者。然后我们继续引领变革，开创了仿真视频市场，也就是我们称之为网真的产品。我们向市场展示这项技术在公司业务中的应用前景，从而开辟了这个市场。之后发生了经济衰退，用户需要省钱，所以纷纷开始采用这项技术。而现在的情况是，市场不再仅仅把这类技术作为终端利用。我们发现，现在更多软件开始进入这个领域，市场开始把各类设备都作为终端，比如iPad、三星（Samsung）Galaxy 3手机，以及电视屏幕。所以，在增加终端及基于云的企业级通讯应用数量的同时，我们的发展模式开始更多地转向软件。另一个转变就是云，以及人们开始以购买服务的形式购买产品。这样一来，我们的总收入下降了，但在多数这类领域，我们的市场份额却在上升，这恰恰意味着市场正在发生转变。凭借我们的市场份额地位和丰富的产品组合，我们将有力地推动这个变革，同时开发出整合度更高的应用方案。

    您预计这种情况何时会出现？

    我想这需要几个季度的时间。现在我们发现，用户对我们基于云的整合通讯方案需求不断增加。这会为思科带来更多的经常性收入——它跟卖设备和电话不同，这种收入会随着时间而递增。这也正是我们的战略规划的一部分，即获得更多经常性的收入。

    Cisco Systems' "transformation" into a more software- and services-centric company is far from complete. Over the next five years, the San Jose-based networking equipment giant plans to double the amount of revenues that come from software from $6 billion to $12 billion. To that end, it's announced a string of software-related acquisitions, including SolveDirect, a maker of network services management tools, and Israel-based Intucell, which sells software for mobile operators, among others.

    It's also shifted gears in its collaboration business, which grew just 3% from 2011 to 2012. Cisco (CSCO) is now focusing on delivering videoconferencing services over the cloud to any screen -- not just pricey TelePresence rooms -- and allowing more interoperability with other collaboration tools like WebEx. Last week, the company announced that customers will be able to invite users outside of their company to participate in TelePresence meetings via the WebEx service on their web browser. Fortune recently caught up with Robert Lloyd, president of Cisco development and sales (and possible successor to CEO John Chambers) to hear more about the company's plans to revamp its collaboration business, and to get his take on the recent "working from home" debate sparked by Yahoo (YHOO) CEO Marissa Mayer.

    Fortune: What's the status of Cisco's collaboration business, which seems to have dipped in growth?

    Lloyd: I think that the collaboration business is at a turning point, it's in transition. I was with Cisco when we started the world of IP telephony. Along that journey we became market leader. Then we led the transition and created a market for immersive video, which we call TelePresence. We made that market occur by demonstrating how the technology could apply to company processes. Then we hit a recession, and people deployed the technology because they needed to save money. What's happening now is I think the market's moving away from taking advantage of those technologies only as endpoints. We're seeing a lot more software coming into that environment, and the market is turning towards endpoints being any devices -- my iPad, my Samsung Galaxy S3, my TV screen. So our model will turn more to software as well as increasing the number of endpoints and the cloud-based delivery of enterprise communications. The other transition is the cloud and people buying things as a service. As a result our gross numbers are down, but in most of these categories our market share is up, which means the market's kind of shifting. And with our market share position and the breadth of our portfolio we will power through that transition and I think come up with a much more integrated approach.

    When do you expect that to happen?

    I think it will take a couple of quarters. We are seeing increased demand for our cloud-based unified communications portfolio. And naturally this then leads to more recurring revenue for Cisco -- unlike selling equipment and phones, it's spread over time. This is actually part of our strategic plan, to build more recurring revenue.