CRN Exclusive: Cisco's Robbins Predicts 'Massive Period Of Instability' From Dell-EMC Deal

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Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins told The Channel Company CEO Robert Faletra he was unsurprised by the Dell-EMC deal and that he anticipates Cisco to continue its partnership with EMC.

’We’ve been expecting it, we’ve been talking about consolidation, and we think it will continue and even accelerate. You know, it’s a big deal. [Consolidations are] hard. We’ve got a lot of historical examples where we can see the challenges with big companies coming together in the space, so it’s not without its challenges,’ said Robbins.

Cisco has shied away from blockbuster M&A deals, a trend Robbins said he plans to continue. The CEO said the sheer amount of time and energy spent on a transaction the size of the Dell-EMC deal, or even the HP split, could better serve Cisco in another manner.

’When you look at a deal like this, it’s going to take -- or you look even at what HP’s doing -- think about the length of time that the discussion [around those deals] has been going on. Think about the length of time between now and when this deal gets done,’ Robbins said.

’I think it just creates this massive period of instability in a world that’s moving faster than we’ve ever seen,’ he said.

Robbins said as other companies focus on executing massive deals, it gives Cisco ’the opportunity to move faster.’

PUBLISHED OCT. 13, 2015