What's the deal with the new 3Com logo?

By Fred McClimans
Network World Fusion, 03/27/00

So what does the 3Com breakup really mean? Here are some questions and answers:

Is this just like what Cabletron did recently?

Absolutely not! Cabletron split apart into four independent companies while 3Com has been selling off products lines, either because they are unprofitable or because they could get a ton as a spinoff (Palm) to keep Cisco from eating its breakfast, lunch and dinner. And dessert. Note #1: 3Com can focus all it wants on getting a slice of the pie, but Cisco is still going to look like an NFL player at the all-you-can-eat buffet for the forseeable future. Note #2: Enterasys (one of the Cabletron spin-offs that IS staying in the networking business) now has a nice $100/port buyback program for 3Com CoreBuilder products.

If they are selling off the US Robotics modem line, was it a mistake for them to buy it in the first place?

Absolutely not! Buying the US Robotics line was a very good move that helped them gain increased visibility in the eyes of the mass consumer market, much like adapter cards did in the networking space. Unfortunately, there just isn't any money in modems anymore, not when, on a good day, you can go down to the local superstore and pick up a 56K modem for $5.

Since they've sold off everything with the name "core" in it, what is their "core" now?

Good question. They have stated they will now focus on the three following market sectors, leveraging that "in-depth market research": Consumers (high-speed broadband and in-home networking), Commercial Customers (Web, wireless, LAN telephony for small to mid-sized businesses), and Service Providers (IP access infrastructure). But given that there isn�t really any new product strategy here � apart from the fact that they are "focusing" on their remaining products � the impact on users should be minimal. So there core is the same core it was two weeks ago, just a little bit smaller.

What is the deal with that funky new logo?

3Com Well, I wish I could tell you that. They say it conveys "reliability, simplicity and innovation." But if it does, I just don't see it. They say it is dynamic, that the two interconnected rings represent networking and the third unconnected ring "hints" at a connection yet to be made. But as far as I can tell, the two rings seem to reflect the Consumer and Commercial markets while the third unconnected ring seems a lot like the Service Provider business that they probably should have stepped out of. In fact, their statement on their site spends almost as much time explaining what the logo means as what businesses they will now be in. And let's face it � if the logo takes as much ink to explain as your new "core" businesses, something ain't quite right.