Earlier this month, Cisco’s Pankaj Patel posted a blog announcing how a team of virtual engineers helped Cisco reach a significant milestone – its 10,000th U.S. patent. To a company like Cisco which fosters a culture that fuels and celebrates innovation, this is a huge accomplishment.
One thing we sure have down pat in Canada is knowing how to be innovators. With 190 of the aforementioned 10,000 patents having been developed by Cisco Canada engineers, it’s clear that the Canadian patent team has been hard at work. I’d like to extend my congratulations to our hard working Cisco Canada employees who have helped contribute to this milestone. Special mention goes to our top two inventors Cullen Jennings and Art Howarth, who have been issued 48 and 18 patents, respectively.
As a whole, Cisco invests 12% of total revenue into R&D (Research and Development) annually, and invested $5.5 billion in 2012. Our R&D engine has been central to the company’s growth during a period of transition, and our innovation engine is crucial to increasing our customer relevance and powering our positive market momentum. We place a lot of importance on innovation here at Cisco Canada, and it has been a big focus for us in recent years.
Cisco Canada’s main innovation hub is located at the Cisco Ottawa Development Centre in Kanata, Ontario and houses approximately 250 employees. In 2011, Cisco and the Province of Ontario announced a job funding agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of supporting development, research and innovation. Cisco agreed to invest $455 million over the coming five years with the Province committing to an additional $25 million contribution. Two years later, we’re still going strong. It’s through these kinds of commitments that we can continue Cisco’s mandate to nurture and encourage creativity in-house through innovation funds and prestigious competitions.
Congratulations once again to Cullen, Art and the rest of the patent team – let’s keep the momentum going!
To learn more about Cisco’s patents and how they contribute to customer impact and market leadership, read Pankaj Patel’s blog here.
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