Cisco generates 10.000 patents in the United States thanks to the work of its 21 R&D centers

The networking multinational allocated to R&D 5.500 million dollars (he 12% of global income) in your fiscal year 2012, for your 21 centers spread around the world, in which they work more than 25.000 engineers in the development of new technologies.

When the past 2 July Cisco patented a technology developed by engineers Kathleen McMurry, David Butt, Steve Levy and Dave Novice that allows the network to accurately and easily indicate the presence of a user to facilitate communication with others regardless of the device used, the company reached its patent number 10.000.

It was in 1988 when Cisco filed its first patent, and in 1992 when the first patent on an innovative routing protocol was published (Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) to facilitate communication between computers, the same year in which people began to talk about something called the World Wide Web.

From then until more than 13.000 company patents approved today worldwide, Cisco's history of innovation has been forging the main technological transitions of the last 30 years: from multiple routing patents, switching and networks to support the evolution of the Internet, to unified voice communications, data and video and security and mobility technologies or Data Center/Cloud, keys to help organizations take advantage of the advantages of the new era of the Internet of Everything.

Strategic differentiator

Cisco is one of the companies that allocates the most funds to innovation on a global scale according to the IEEE organization, becoming an important strategic differentiator that has allowed it to maintain leadership in the majority of technological sectors in which it competes.

In the fiscal year 2012, Cisco allocated a total of 5.500 million dollars (he 12 percent of global revenue), more than any of its competitors. This innovation strategy, endorsed by 21 R&D centers spread around the world and more than 25.000 engineers developing new solutions and technologies, rests on three pillars.

On the one hand, organic innovation through a broad ecosystem open to ideas, including internal programs (Tech Radar, iZone), external competitions (iPrize) and collaboration with clients, universities and entrepreneurs from around the world.

Besides, Cisco has implemented a culture that encourages and rewards innovation, through dedicated funds (Technology Fund) and prestigious competitions (Pioneer Awards). Besides, the different acquisitions, investments in other companies and collaboration agreements have accelerated the design of innovative solutions and services for end customers (Cisco has acquired more than 150 companies that have contributed close to 2.500 patents).

This is how near the 75 percent of Cisco patents have been generated internally, and more than 2.300 current employees of the company are responsible for one or more in different categories (routing, switching, wireless, security, collaboration, video, Data Center/Cloud, energy management, etc.). of them, ten inventors are under 30 years (the youngest has 27 years) and other more veteran engineers such as Dave Ward or JP Vasseur are part of the 'Elite 100' (those who exceed the 100 approved patents).

Pankaj Patel, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Cisco, has highlighted that “the ability to anticipate and lead market transitions through a constant commitment to innovation is the DNA of our success and that of our clients.”. Although we are proud to exceed the goal of 10.000 patents in the United States, the important thing is not your number, but the benefits they generate for customers by forming the basis of truly innovative designs such as Catalyst switches, los routers ISR, telepresence solutions, UCS servers or collaboration tools like WebEx”.