Cisco Systems Few high-tech companies practice what they preach more heavily than Cisco Systems. Today, more than 80 percent of the Internet equipment company's network traffic is handled by Cisco products, according to Pete Solvik, the company's chief information officer. Cisco has set the standard for business transformation by using Internet technology to integrate its core processes and culture,'' he says. Its Internet infrastructure enabled Cisco to quadruple in size from 1994 to 1999 and helped the company rack up online sales that put it among the Interactive 500 elite. But it's not just sales that Cisco is looking to improve with its network.
Customer service is just one area that has seen drastic operational improvement.
Solvik says 70 percent of support calls are now resolved over the Internet, and customer satisfaction has increased significantly. Cisco has used its own networking technology to build Internet business solutions that have allowed it to redefine how it shares relevant information with key business customers, suppliers, partners and employees. Cisco took its first step in leveraging the Internet and networked applications in 1992, when it established an electronic bulletin board for customers. Later, after browser technology was introduced, Cisco allowed registered users to access limited online support via the Web. The Internet business solutions Cisco has deployed on Cisco Connection Online have played an instrumental role in the com pany's success.