Cisco Partners With Airbus For Cybersecurity, IoT, Cloud

purchase acquisition handshake agreement business © EDHAR Shutterstock

Cisco makes play in defence, security and satellite communication market with Airbus partnership

The sky is the limit now for Cisco following the signing of a new global partnership deal with Airbus Defence and Space to develop new products and systems after it signed .

The deal will see the two companies develop products and systems in software-defined networking (SDN), cybersecurity, mobility, cloud, data intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Collaboration

airbus defence engineThe partnership will see both companies combining their own respective technologies, specialities and services, in order to create “create innovative products and systems”.

Cisco will provide Airbus Defence and Space with networking, design and engineering expertise, coupled with networking equipment and infrastructure. The agreement also delivers access to sales and technology training, joint go-to-market activities, as well as joint solution and service development.

Airbus and Cisco already have a relationship, but the new deal will also bring onboard Airbus’s industry expertise and solutions that will be combined with Cisco’s IT, networking and communications products.

Airbus Defence and Space will also become a Cisco Global Specialty Integrator, so that it can embed Cisco tech into its own systems and solutions.

“This relationship is a significant step forward for both companies,” said Eric Souleres, Head of Engineering, Operations and Quality of the Communications, Intelligence and Security (CIS) unit within Airbus Defence and Space.

“By utilising both companies’ technology and expertise we will be able to develop and offer superior and ground-breaking products and solutions to our customers, and strengthen our respective strategies as system integrator and IT leader,” he added.

“Cisco and Airbus Defence and Space strongly believe that the network is key in driving innovation and delivering business outcomes to our customers,” said Wendy Mars, VP Enterprise Business Group, Cisco EMEAR. “The diversity of our talent and technology will help enable both companies to better address existing opportunities and create transformational solutions that will deliver competitive advantage in the defense, cyber security and the satellite communication industries.”

Good Innings

Cisco is currently in the midst of a major management shakeup, with long-serving John Chambers being replaced on 26 July by Chuck Robbins, the firm’s current head of global sales and partners.

Chambers had been in charge of Cisco for nearly two decades as he was appointed CEO way back in 1995. This made him one of the longest serving CEO’s in the tech industry.

Chambers will apparently continue to serve Cisco as executive chairman, supporting Robbins in his new position and reaching out to customers and governments around the world, with a particular emphasis on country digitisation.

But Chambers is not the only long-serving CEO to take a back seat recently.

Last year, Oracle chief Larry Ellison ended his 37-year reign to become executive chairman and CTO of the company he helped create, and in 2013 former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed he was retiring.

Do you know the secrets of Cisco? Take our quiz!