So two things:

1. As a customer, who has tried to purchase Cisco (CallManager/UC) equipment and services in the past 90 days, I can tell you that the distribution/sales channel is broken. There is no vision. The sales teams couldn’t tell me where does UC fit in with WebEx as an example, other than to say I need to buy ‘infrastructure’ and ‘WebEx’ to get what WebEX capabilities? That doesn’t even begin to make sense. Why not just buy WebEX services? Yes we can argue that those are new purchases and the ‘literature’ hasn’t made it to the field. We had the same issue with CallManager. What are the new features in 8.x? Cold silence. I thought I was talking to a rock. End result? I have bought nothing, and did a CM upgrade for our basic needs no additional purchases. Not because I wanted to be cheap but no one could tell me what the features were that we could buy. At 70% profit margins you would think you could spend a little on training perhaps?

2. I recently saw your interview on 60 minutes. I have to say I appalled. If I understand it correctly, you are shocked that you need to pay 38% federal tax-so therefore you are hiding profits in Ireland? Ironic isn’t it then that up until recently that the largest customer base comes from the federal government? So follow me here—maybe you could be part of the solution, as your parents taught you, and lower your costs to the government, and maybe just maybe that would help the government lower the taxes that it needs to collect to pay for overpriced switching gear. I realize that alone won’t solve the problem-but how about doing your part? If not maybe show your disgust with the taxes in the US by refusing to sell to them anymore. It only adds to the deficit anyway. Focus in on Ireland. I assume they would would be happy to take up the slack—No?

Give up all of your ancillary ego boosting purchases. Linksys, Flip, etc. You will under the current mindset compete. Cisco doesn’t have it in their blood to compete in the consumer market.

Shore up enterprise core switching. Juniper/HP are only going to get better if they are not there already. Train, Train,Train your partners/sales organization. Ruthlessly. If they can’t understand the product mix and the REAL features to the customers. Make your Customer Service Organization second to none. Then you will be the powerhouse you want to be.

Translation: “I will give myself a huge bonus for laying off a few thousand of you suckers.”