Robert Lloyd, most likely successor to Cisco CEO John Chambers goads channel partners to wallop HP ProCurve

According to a report on ChannelWeb, Robert Lloyd - perhaps the most likely successor to Cisco CEO John Chambers, is goading Cisco channel partners this week at the Cisco Partner Summit in Boston to wallop HP ProCurve: "I think we've been taking too many punches with regard to the competitive landscape and not punching back ... We'll keep it clean, but for you we need to help define the value proposition on why we're a better choice than HP ProCurve. "I'm encouraging all of us to punch back-- with a little bit of class -- and if we get it right, it will make a big difference in the market. In hockey, it's called 'the glare' ... Two people make eye contact, and nobody has to say anything: there's going to be a fight." Also attending the Partner Summit, Cisco CEO John Chambers backed up the call to fisticuffs by his likely heir and successor: "HP is a competitor, and we're going to have fun competing. We've never had a $110 billion competitor before. "The last time we had this type of opportunity in front of us was with Nortel, Lucent and Alcatel: great companies, and we held our own pretty effectively." Perhaps taking inspiration from the Cisco NetFlow Rap by Mix Master Mitch, it appears Cisco might be getting geared to "roll medieval" on HP ProCurve. How so you may ask? Well for starters, Cisco just released its first rap video (as seen below) that extolls Cisco channel partners to grow together and lead. Cisco Video Partner Rap

What's your take, do you agree with John Chambers' most likely successor Robert Lloyd that Cisco has taken way too many punches from HP ProCurve? BradReese.Com Cisco Refurbished - Services that protect, maintain and optimize Cisco hardware Contact: Brad Reese | Twitter: http://twitter.com/BradReese

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