Cisco Exceeds Goal to Positively Impact One Billion People

Cisco achieves ambitious goal one year ahead of schedule by scaling social impact programs and digital access for communities worldwide

News Summary:

• Almost ten years in the making, Cisco has achieved its goal to positively impact one billion people worldwide, through its technology, people, nonprofit partners and purpose.
• The milestone coincides with the launch of Cisco's annual Purpose Report today, providing updates on its ESG and social impact progress through fiscal 2023.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One year ahead of schedule, Cisco has surpassed its goal to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of one billion people, leveraging a powerful combination of technology and people, backed by its purpose to power an inclusive future for all.

In 2016, Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins set a company goal to positively impact the lives of one billion people by 2025. Today, having already achieved that ambitious goal, Cisco credits the extraordinary work of its global network of business and nonprofit partners, the support and leadership of the Cisco Foundation and Cisco's Networking Academy, and the passion of its people – a global effort that unlocked a scale that will drive social impact and digital access worldwide in the years to come. 

To achieve its goal, Cisco invested in nonprofits through its Social Impact grants and Networking Academy to help them develop and scale technology-based solutions for the critical challenges facing vulnerable, underserved communities around the world. Cisco also worked with local and national governments to empower communities with IT skills, helping develop the workforce of the future and fostering digital inclusion – all measured by a rigorous tracking methodology.

"Our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all, and this milestone is an important moment in our long history as an impact-focused company," said Fran Katsoudas, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy and Purpose Officer. "It's a goal almost ten years in the making, and we're excited to use what we learned, our strengths, and our technology as we continue to scale our work around the world."

Annual Purpose Report Released

This announcement accompanies today's release of Cisco's annual Purpose Report, which details its latest impact, goals, and progress on ESG topics, including environmental sustainability, social impact, digital access, philanthropy, supply chain, security and privacy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

As a reflection of the work contributing to Cisco's latest milestone, the report celebrates 25 years of Cisco's Networking Academy, reaching over 20 million people in 190 countries with digital and cybersecurity skills training. Cisco continues expanding its digital access programming and has over 1300 active or completed Country Digital Acceleration programs in 50 countries, including a recently announced effort to strengthen Ukraine's partnership with USAID.

Additional Resources:

• Purpose Report on ESG Hub: cisco.com/go/esg-hub

About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that securely connects everything to make anything possible. Our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all by helping our customers reimagine their applications, power hybrid work, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.
 
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.