It wasn't that long ago that Cisco knew nothing about such E-engineering. When Solvik joined the company after a stint running online businesses for Apple Computer Inc., he found a mishmash of computers and an isolated tech group that was treated as a cost center. He sacked most of the staff and got then-CEO John P. Morgridge to pump up tech spending. Web browsers that made getting information off the Net far easier. Now every part of Cisco has been ''Netized.'' Cisco recruits and screens job candidates over the Web.
Managers can pull up staff records and information on competitors.
And within a year, Cisco aims to become the first company in the world that can ''virtually'' close its books any day of the quarter to gauge financial results. The Net also is woven deeply into Cisco's manufacturing operation. The company outsources most of its production to manufacturers like Flextronics Inc., and half of customer orders placed on Cisco's Web site flow directly over the Net to its contractors, who ship to the customer. For those orders, no Cisco employee ever touches a piece of paper until a check arrives in the mail to pay for the goods. Soon, with E-payment, even the check could become a thing of the past.