Fergie's Tech Blog

BusinessWeek: "Cisco Steps Up"

Peter Burrows writes in the BusinessWeek "The Tech Beat" blog:

For years, Cisco Systems chief executive John Chambers has been vocal about pointing out trends he believes will threaten the United State's future competitiveness. There's the paucity of broadband infrastructure relative to many other developed nations, options expensing requirements that he feels will make it harder to motivate the best workers, and the sad state of America's education system, particularly when it comes to churning out engineers.

But earlier this year, I asked Chambers if it was enough to just point out the problems. Wasn't it time for Americas business leaders to start coming up with some real solutions--say, by hiring US workers in lower-cost areas of the country rather than by outsourcing jobs to India and elsewhere? No, he shot back: some things were beyond Cisco's control. "You have to recognize major market transitions. And if countries don't adjust, they get left behind. We've been very clear about the need to create an environment that keeps job growth in the US. But so far, the country hasn't stepped up."

posted by Fergie @ 10/25/2005 07:50:00 PM