Сhallenge for companies

Marketing in today’s tough climate is to achieve sustained and profitable growth; it appeared to be the main goal followed by different enterprises. However, it is far more difficult to keep the leading position in the market. We cannot but claim to be rather obvious and straightforward fact. Cisco Systems, a well-known company that specializes in networking equipment for more than 25 years, is recognized for its ability to stay at the top position in the sphere of high technologies and keep their annual revenue growing steadily. Such success should be attributed to customer-oriented marketing strategy. The fact that it corresponds to reality is beyond any possible doubts, and it is necessary to take it into consideration.Cisco chose a successful growth strategy, which is to add to, but not to detract from its core business. The strategy of the discussed company has proved its appropriateness. John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, stated that “ability to innovate is why customers rely on us as a strategic business partner rather than merely a product technology provider.” (Chambers, 2) Cisco is expanding its customers segment by focusing on core networking capabilities and moving systematically into “market adjacencies”, which include products related to the increased role of virtualization, video, collaboration, and networked Web 2.0 technologies. For instance, in 2010 Cisco completed several acquisitions, including Unified Communications, Cisco Tele Presence, Flip video products, each of which “saw strong revenue growth” (Chambers, 4). The company extends the network to new markets, such as virtual healthcare, education, media solutions, and sports and entertainment, which, correspondingly, gives it access to new customer segments. According to Cisco Annual Report, the total number of its customers has reached over 1,700 in less than year, nearly doubling in the last quarter of fiscal 2010. Thus, the company is expanding its loyal customer base by identifying customers’ demands and providing IT products which will meet them (Chambers).Recently, the company has shaped its image by undertaking green initiatives. This was driven by a variety of strategic goals and outcomes, like enhancing the brand, doing the right thing to the environment, saving money by cutting down on energy consumption, and, most powerfully, the striving for meeting customers’ demands. In December 2008, it commissioned Forrester Consulting to investigate the role of IT systems in improving corporate sustainability, particularly in reducing GHG emissions.To conclude, Cisco’s products create unprecedented value for its customers, employees, investors and ecosystem, they shape the future of wired and wireless communication by making it possible to connect everyone, anywhere, using any device, at any moment. We can see that Cisco is the company having the strategy based on answering customers’ requirements. Product enhancement, great focus on innovation combined with customer-oriented policy will help Cisco not only to maintain its leadership position, but extend its market share.Works CitedJohn T. Chambers, Letter to Shareholders. Cisco Systems, Inc. 2010 Annual Report, …