If I lose the people, I'm in trouble. All of which helps explain how Cisco got here. It took just 10 years for Cisco to go from start-up level to most valuable company in the world. That alone is a commentary on the pace of change in today's economy. But in terms of computers and routers, they can handle any speed.
Chambers likes to talk in terms of dog years.
One human year is equal to seven Internet years. Even the folks at Cisco admit that in this technological revolution they will have to maintain a state of perfect paranoia to stay ahead. Cisco is facing tough competition in the telecom-equipment business, where longtime powerhouses Lucent and Nortel enjoy established expertise and relationships with key customers. Stealing a march on the competition, Cisco on Monday unveiled a new IP telephone that will allow corporations to use their data backbones for voice communication. Wireless networks loom as the next important phase of the Web.