Sure, Cisco says it plans to "open up" its Internetwork Operating System (IOS). But what exactly does that mean? And just how "open" will IOS be in the future?
Some pundits think Cisco is trying to counter Juniper's application efforts. I beg to differ. A few months ago, Cisco CEO John Chambers said he expected Microsoft, Google, Alcatel and Huawei Technologies to emerge as Cisco's top four long-term rivals. Anybody see Juniper in that last sentence? I sure don't. Face it, folks. Opening up IOS is all about beating Microsoft to the unified communications punch. Here's why.
Microsoft wants unified applications to live on servers and desktops. Cisco wants unified applications to flow across the network. That's where IOS enters the picture. Get developers thinking about IOS, Cisco believes, and they'll start thinking about unified communications as well.
Now, consider this for a minute: Who are Cisco's most important customers? And who are Microsoft's most important customers? If you guessed "Chief Information Officers," you're dead wrong. Cisco's most important customers are channel partners; they are Cisco's lifeblood. On the flip side, Microsoft's most important customers are independent software developers (ISVs); the companies that maintain and grow the Windows ecosystem. Cisco knows it must push beyond the VAR community; it's time for John Chambers and Co. to appeal to Microsoft ISVs to win the unified wars.
Opening up IOS is one surefire way to capture ISV attention heading into 2008. And NetworkWorld recently got some timely answers about the IOS strategy from Cisco Senior VP Don Proctor. But let's look more closely at the potential risks and rewards for Cisco.
Risky Business?
At first glance, opening up IOS sounds like a great strategy. But it also comes with some risk. Skeptical? Let's rewind to 1993 and 1994. At the time, the first Windows NT Advanced Server was in late beta and gaining application support. Novell, the server software leader at the time, countered by promoting NetWare Loadable Modules (NLMs) and then AppWare. Both developer efforts bombed because NetWare was never designed to be an application server. Novell had a strong base of VARs, but didn't understand the ISV market and the tools business. Sound familiar, Cisco fans?
Fast forward to the present day. Microsoft is pushing software developers to embrace unified communications. And Silicon Valley developers are rallying around open source and software as a service (SaaS). Right now, most developers wouldn't know how -- or why -- they should write to a Cisco platform.
Clearly, Cisco needs a compelling ISV strategy, strong messaging, and strong tools for developers. Time to open up IOS? Sure sounds like it. And Cisco has been mulling this move for several months. During a small meeting in Dublin, Ireland, this past September, Cisco executives floated the word "open" to me and several other journalists multiple times. And the buzz about an open IOS has grown louder with each passing week.
But was IOS really designed to be extended by third-party application developers? We'll find out as Cisco's strategy falls into place.
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