Cisco provides IT infrastructures to people and organizations anywhere, anytime to have access to the right information, people and collaboration tools. Cisco provides the necessary solutions for this, from large corporate networks to services and products in the field of co-collaboration, data center, cloud and security. The last thirty years, Cisco has grown into a global organization with 74,000 employees. Cisco aims to boost business transformation, enabling rapid innovation. The Internet of Everything (IoE) creates innovation by connecting people, processes, data, and objects, which can enable innovative breakthroughs for the great challenges of our time: urbanization and smart cities, food, climate and aging.
Cisco officially opened its campus in Amsterdam in 2002. The only Cisco-owned facility in Europe, it includes the European operations center, Dutch and pan-EMEA sales teams, customer advocacy, internal sales and other activities. In recent years, Cisco has consolidated acquisitions into the Amsterdam operation, including Webex and Scientific Atlanta – both networking solution companies.
“There were a lot of reasons to choose Amsterdam,” commented Edwin Prinsen, Managing Director, Cisco Netherlands. “Not only is it the gateway to Europe, but thanks to the country’s excellent technical infrastructure and the fact that the AMS-IX Internet hub is located here, it’s also becoming the IT Delta of Europe.”
The diversity of the workforce was also a key factor for Cisco. “We need highly skilled digital people,” Prinsen added. “The education level here is very high, and it’s a breeding ground for top talent. The government, both on a local and on a national level, is supporting our efforts as well, and that makes a big difference. We’re currently working with Amsterdam on a Smart City initiative, and the mayor of Amsterdam is very involved.”
Prinsen is a big fan of Amsterdam as well. “I personally love it here. It’s an international city, while not being too big. It’s a dynamic, creative city, with a lot of innovation happening. There are a lot of foreigners in Amsterdam, which makes it not typically Dutch. It’s a great place to live and work.”
And Cisco is in the Netherlands to stay. “While we are a global company, and we are always looking at different possibilities for the future, Amsterdam is one of those places we will always be in,” Prinsen concluded. “We have long-established roots here, we have very strong, mutually beneficial agreements with local government, and we have our international study program running here as well. It will continue to be one of our head offices for many years to come.”
