Cisco's Cloud Strategy

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins is set to rally solution provider partners at the network leader's Cisco Partner Summit this week to take the cloud high road by focusing on multi-cloud and hybrid cloud rather than competing in head-to-head Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) warfare with Amazon Web Services (AWS), sources told CRN.

The Robbins message, according to one Cisco insider: "IaaS is not an end game. It is one piece of the puzzle. The cloud ecosystem is much more complex, and we know where the greatest opportunities lie. And that is where we are playing."

"Fundamentally, cloud is as much about business strategy, including application strategy, as it is about technology," Cisco said in a statement to CRN when asked about its cloud strategy. "Cisco is the only technology leader enabling customers and partners to thrive in a multi- and hybrid cloud world."