Invested through |
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Asset Classes | Listed equity |
Impact strategy | Impact Equities and Bonds |
Bloomberg ticker | CSCO US |
ISIN code | US17275R1023 |
Industry group | Technology Hardware & Equipment |
Aligned with SDGs |
Cisco is a globally operating communications equipment company. It offers integrated solutions to develop and connect networks around the world. Cisco's customer base is broad and constitutes businesses of all sizes, public institutions, governments and service providers. Cisco’s operations can be divided in two main segments:
- Products (70% sales) which includes sub-segments such as Infrastructure Platforms, Applications, Security and others.
- Services (30% sales), which includes technical support services and advanced services.
Cisco was founded in 1984 by two computer scientists from Stanford University seeking an easier way to connect different types of computer systems.
Investment rationale
Cisco's positive impact is twofold. On the one hand, Cisco helps by fostering innovation for sustainability through its products and services. Cisco's networking equipment and unified communication services (e.g. Webex) facilitate remote collaboration, which significantly reduces the need for business travel and optimises buildings’ occupancy rates. In addition, Cisco is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) provider of cyber security solutions, thus enabling users to access the internet in a safe way. This is especially important in a post COVID-19 world where working from home will become more common.
On the other hand, Cisco contributes to the development of a circular economy through its processes. Cisco aims at reducing its environmental footprint through its circular economy strategy. This strategy focuses on designing products that are circular, on rethinking its operations to consume less, on reusing its equipment for multiple life cycles, and finally on leading the industry towards more circularity. From 2019-2025, the company aims at designing 100% of new Cisco products and packaging to incorporate Circular Design Principles and reduce the foam used in Cisco product packaging by 75%.