Tech firms dump cubicles for more open space

When told to abandon her cubicle with its soothing Zen fountain and flourishing ficus tree, Cisco program manager Cynthia Pham was hardly enthusiastic.

How could anyone function in the "workplace of the future" without a cube you could call your own?

Pham's attitude changed in February, after she started working in a newly designed, cube-less floor in Cisco's Building 14. Suddenly, her 30-member team was interacting better and getting more work done.

Like other valley stalwarts, including Intel and Sun Microsystems, Cisco is casting aside the cubicle culture that has thrived in the United States since the late 1960s. In its place, the company is embracing a new workplace design that saves space and money, and encourages collaboration among co-workers.

Cisco is not the first to forsake the cube. Younger companies such as Google and VMware have created open office spaces that still retain assigned seating. But as the valley's largest employer - and with 6 million square feet of South Bay real estate - Cisco's decision reflects a push for efficiency and a trend that emphasizes the bottom line.