Why Him? When
Cisco bought cable
set-top staple
Scientific-Atlanta
in early 2006, it
seemed like yet another attempt to force
“convergence” upon us all—whether we liked
it or not. But with multiplatform now all the
rage and consumers securely in control of
their content destinies, Chambers’ forward-
looking march into a converged world seems
in retrospect an especially shrewd move.
And now—despite heavy competition among
several vendors vying to inject interactivity
and mobility into the TV experience—Cisco
is uniquely positioned through its size, reach
and portfolio to fully exploit consumer trends
turning the industry on its head. Chambers
has been an evangelist of sorts, telling
MSOs to go beyond their traditional roles
and become “experience providers.” Many
are listening. Some are not. But either way,
Chambers’ “Connected Life” initiative is a
bold attempt to create the first fully Web
2.0-ready experience that brings together
entertainment and communications in unique
ways. At the same time, he’s making deals
to bring his vision into reality: In the first half
of ’07, Cisco acquired 7 companies, includ-
ing Broadware and WebEx. In addition to
S-A, Cisco’s recent takeover of Linksys and
Arroyo position the company in the home
networking and entertainment industries. We
can't wait to see what's next. MG
John
Chambers
Title: Chairman/
CEO, Cisco
Systems
Age: 58
Dan Moloney
Title: President, Motorola Home and Networks Mobility
Age: 48
Years in Industry: 21
Why Him? Ah, sweet convergence. We’ve been talking about it for
more than a decade now and yet it seems like we never reach that
summit. Well, Moloney and his excellent team of marketers, evangelists
and techies at Motorola are working hard to get at least part of the way
toward a fully networked world. And he’s inviting cable along for the ride.
Motorola’s “Follow Me” concept aims to marry devices within the home
to form a connected ecosystem. Meanwhile, Motorola has a great team
in place. John Burke, SVP/GM of Motorola Home and Networks Mobility,
has helped Motorola’s digital video business achieve double-digit growth
with end-to-end digital video products enabling targeted advertising,
switched digital video, advanced video processing and content mobility products. Moloney’s next challenge: enhancing seamless mobility for
cable customers despite recent uncertainty over cable’s Sprint jv Pivot.
But consumers, it seems, have spoken. And Motorola is well positioned
to respond to whatever the market brings. MG
I knew the cable industry was for me
when: “The industry began to migrate into
triple play—data/voice/video converged on a
single network.” The cable industry’s big-
gest challenge in 2008 is: “To continue
to evolve services built around data, voice
and mobility that are easy to use and will
provide a high level of customer satisfaction.
Current and future competitors.” Person
I most admire in the cable industry
and why: “Brian Roberts and Mike LaJoie
because they helped me to make the deci-
sion to buy Scientific-Atlanta.”
The cable industry’s biggest challenge in 2008 is: “Faster
innovation.” The coolest new cable tech is: “The emergence of
mobility—being able to access your entertainment and information
content whenever and where ever you are.” Top personal achievement in 2007: “Successfully consolidating our home and networks
businesses into a cohesive business focused on the convergence of
the wired and wireless technologies delivering personal media experiences.” My perfect vacation goes like this: “Relaxing on an isolated island without phones or email.”
