Cisco, Lucent Head in Opposite Directions

Cisco CEO John Chambers and The VAR Guy will both be in Boston this week, attending The Security Standard. During this influential summit for CXOs, Chambers and other key company executives will describe Cisco’s overall security architecture. And watch for updates on Cisco’s Unified Communications strategy.

Overall, Cisco followers are upbeat heading into the event. But the same can’t be said for many of the company’s rivals. The outlook is mixed at best for the proposed Alcatel/Lucent merger. Observers wonder whether shareholders will approve or

reject the proposed merger. At less than $2.50 each, even The VAR Guy can afford Lucent’s shares these days (full disclosure: he’s not a Lucent investor). But Lucent’s recent earnings warning and Alcatel’s falling margins don’t inspire confidence in either company.

As many VARs have learned, the safest networking bet remains Cisco.