Cisco Disinterested in Selling its Own Smartphone

Posted 12/09/2009 at 6:07am | by Paul Lilly

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With the recent hubbub regarding the lack of cell phone security in the enterprise, some would say the time is ripe for Cisco to jump in with its own smartphone offering. But that isn't likely to happen, not as long as Cisco CEO John Chambers contniues to show "little interest" in selling its own mobile phone.

"We love anybody who loads up networks, and smartphones do," Chambers said in an interview. "I see RIM, Apple, and Palm as companies to partner with to help sell networks. I think they see us the same way."

Chambers added that his company is focused on working with the three above mentioned companies to handle the networking required by smartphones, but that's where the buck stops.

"I have very little intersst in phones," Chambers said in the interview.

While Cisco may not have any interest in selling a smartphone, Shaw Wu, an analyst with Kaufman Brothers in San Francisco, believes that the Flip camera business may be forced into it. The reason, he says, is because of increased competition from smartphone manufacturers who continue to add and refine camcorder features into their mobile phones.

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