Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Cisco and Energy

We are fans* of Cisco.
earth2tech ain't bad either, especially on the Silicon Valley beat. From e2t:

Cisco's Latest Consumer Play: The Smart Grid

The announcement this week that Miami could soon be home to the nation’s largest smart grid project brought together some of the biggest companies in the space, GE and Cisco; one of its most promising startups, Silver Spring Networks; and the utility arm of the nation’s largest wind and solar energy generator, Florida Power & Light (FPL). But despite all the stimulus-friendly talk of being “shovel-ready,” the project was first outlined in D.C. at a dinner meeting just six weeks ago, according to Cisco spokeswoman Jennifer Greeson. In other words, there are plenty of details yet to be worked out — including what roles each of the partners will play.

Some things are clear: GE will provide a million smart meters and certain in-grid technology; Silver Spring, which we’ve referred to as the “Cisco of smart grid,” will provide the core networking infrastructure, from the utility substation down to the home, as well as some of the back-end management software. Cisco’s role, meanwhile, is less clear....MORE

*Some prior posts that mention Cisco:

Al Gore's Generation Investment Management: Form 13F Report to the Securities and Exchange Commission

Cisco: Skepticism Abounds About Foray into Servers (CSCO)

While we like CSCO, we like negative opinions better. If everyone agrees how wonderful a business is, that in itself is a pretty good reason to bail (although the timing can be tricky)....

Cisco added to Goldman Sachs 'Conviction Buy' List (CSCO)

We are fans.
That $30 Billion cash hoard makes it easier to sleep at night, their new 'green' ventures make it interesting to get up in the morning....

Cisco to help cities go green (CSCO)

Shoot! Cisco Q2 Sales $9.1B, $.32 EPS Beat, Shares Rising

"Firm's Cash Holdings and the Cross-Section of Equity Returns" (CSCO)

What is Cisco planning to do with all that cash? (CSCO)

We have been intrigued as all get out by CSCO's approach. Use the 'Search Blog' box if you're interested in what else they're up to....

The stimulus: What's in it for Silicon Valley's tech economy?

Stimulus package winners: broadband arms dealers (CSCO)

Cash is King: The 10 richest tech companies (Off-topic)
Al Gore, Generation Investment Management Form 13F, Filed July 31, 2008

PCs, Mobile Phones Can Save The Environment, Says Study Funded By Makers Of PCs, Mobile Phones