Cisco has recently released its new logo, which is a simplified and modernized version of its legacy Cisco Systems logo. The original logo was based on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and the name Cisco also comes originally from San Francisco.

IMAGE: The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA – the logo of Cisco

Also, the ‘Systems’ part has been dropped from the name and now it is known as just ‘Cisco’. That is because it was thought to be superfluous anyway, since most people knew the company as just Cisco.

The new logo was chosen in order to make the name more consumer-friendly (‘Cisco’ definitely sounds more appealing and less technical than ‘Cisco Systems’) and increase brand awareness in the general public. That is important because Cisco already has and is coming up with more and more products that will be used by ordinary consumers as opposed to its routers that are only purchased by corporate customers.

For instance, Cisco is already selling Wi-fi routers and ADSL modem routers through Linksys. It is selling cable modems and IPTV set-top boxes through Scientific Atlanta. It is also foraying into the IP phone market soon. Cisco’s Telepresence solution is also one that may be used by corporates and individuals alike in the future (they are advertising it widely on news channels in India). For many of these devices, the new logo will be easier to put than the old one.

Personally, I liked the old logo because I thought it had class and legacy. That seems to be missing from the new logo even though it’s simplified and easier to identify.

PS: As a sidenote, Cisco has developed a big new campus in Bangalore, India, which is where I work. Read this Rediff article about the new Cisco campus.