Cisco to keep Linksys brand for a little longer

However, Irvine, Calif.-based Linksys, a division of San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco and a unit that ultimately must take its orders from Chambers and the Cisco board of directors, didn't sound like it wanted to part with the name anytime soon when queried by eWEEK.

Media relations officer Karen Sohl on July 30 released the following statement from Linksys and Charles Giancarlo, president of Cisco/Linksys:

"Linksys consumer and SMB products will continue to be marketed under the Linksys brand and co-exist in the market with Cisco-branded connected home products over the near term. We will continue to examine our branding strategy going forward (as we have to date) and make changes if and when these changes add value to our customers' decision-making processes and our channel partners."

"If you watch the video, John never says that the Linksys brand is going away or that we're killing it," Sohl told eWEEK. "What John was saying is that Cisco is moving to a single Cisco branding strategy. That's a plan that has always been in place, ever since Cisco acquired Linksys.

"Cisco's brand is extremely strong, as we know. The Linksys division is here in Irvine, we're going to continue to exist as the Linksys division, and we will continue to sell home networking products with the Linksys brand on them."

Cisco and Linksys products are going to continue to co-exist over time, Sohl said.