Acquisitions Happen Quickly, but Integration Is a 'Slow, Steady Process'

So here is part two of the podcast series on Cisco's acquisition strategies. Here we talk about the integration process and I would highlight the word "process" because that is very much how Cisco thinks about acquisitions. Signing the deal is the first step in an acquisition, but the real work begins after the deal has closed.

Cisco has earned its reputation as being a successful acquirer because it puts so much attention on the integration of the new company.

In this podcast, director of integration Graeme Wood talks with Wharton management professor Saikat Chaudhuri about Cisco's integration philosophies and the lessons learned from integrating Scientific Atlanta, Cisco's biggest acquisition to date.



Podcast: Cisco's Graeme Wood: Acquisitions Happen Quickly, but Integration Is a 'Slow, Steady Process'


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Graeme Wood is director of acquisition integration at Cisco, the leading worldwide supplier of networking equipment and network management for the Internet, headquartered in San Jose, Calif. Since joining the company in 1998, Wood has held marketing and business development roles, and in his current position he has overseen the integration of 30 Cisco acquisitions -- the most notable of which is Scientific Atlanta, the Lawrenceville, Ga.-based global provider of set-top boxes, end-to-end video distribution networks and video systems integration. The $7 billion deal, completed earlier this year, allows Cisco to offer an end-to-end data, voice, video and mobility solution for carrier networks and the digital home. During a recent visit to campus, Wood spoke with Wharton management professor Saikat Chaudhuri about how acquiring a global company like Scientific Atlanta fits into Cisco's overall acquisition strategy, and the lessons learned about integrating on a large scale.