The salespeople in the UK are using that tactic too? If a sales rep
EVER walked into my office and fed me a line like that, I would end the
meeting right there. As it is, I refuse to do business with Cisco not
because of their products, but because of their marketing department
and their corporate attitude of "We're the best, nobody can touch us,
and if you want to buy our product you better bend over backwards to do
what we want you to do." That was their attitude three years ago when
our company was just getting started, and I haven't noticed it change
much today.
As for competition, keep an eye on Bay. They are putting some serious
effort into Internet development. The hardware is already there, and has
been there for a long time. The software is getting there very quickly,
especially with companies like mine and ANS working with them. I have
a feeling Cisco will always be in the lead, but they may not have such
a comfortable lead for much longer. Which is a Good Thing, since
competition fuels development.
-Jon