2022 Year in Review

With all these challenges, it reminds us of the analogy from Geoffrey Moore, consultant and author of Zone To Win, that speaks to how companies should incubate innovation within their walls through a specific approach typically used by venture capitalists - the horse, the rider, and the trail. The horse represents the product, the rider is the leader of the team building the product, and the trail represents the customer opportunity and guiding strategy. This analogy speaks to how companies must evaluate how to build and deliver innovation to the market, plus the guiding strategy around it. When I think of this analogy, another element should be added to it: the weather. The weather represents the macro-level challenges - including geopolitical and economic uncertainty - impacting the other elements. For Cisco, the weather has become even more influential in our approach to investments and M&A activities.

While we’ve been more deliberate as strategic investors and acquirers, that has not stopped us from sharing our perspectives and experiences with trends dominating the enterprise technology and investment ecosystems. In 2022, we wanted to share our insights with diverse audiences and partners. Over the past twelve months, you might have attended one of our events, such as Magnetic Collaboration, where we discussed the future of collaboration with software and investments, or Magnetic Aspire, a virtual summit focused on how diversity and inclusion are critical components of businesses growth and innovation.

Perhaps you’ve read our annual CISO Survival Guide report, a leading report on innovation and investment trends dominating the cybersecurity landscape. Or, possibly, you’ve had a chance to read our ITOps report, which highlighted the growing Full Stack Observability market and its significance for IT operations. Furthermore, you may have seen Cisco and our portfolio companies in the press over the past year.

2022 provided us with many learning opportunities and sharpened our strategic investment and acquisition skills. Looking forward to 2023, we are excited to see how the enterprise technology landscape will evolve, its impact on businesses of all sizes, and what Cisco’s role will be in addressing our customers' most pressing needs.