Cisco Logo, Cisco Symbol Meaning, History and Evolution

Cisco (Cisco Systems Inc.) is a manufacturer of Network-related equipment. Headquartered in San Jose, California, it employs over 70,000 people in the United States and overseas.

Cisco Logo Meaning and History

The Cisco logo is one of the most memorable logos among those representing technology companies. It has gone through a number of modifications over its history. The first logo version was introduced in 1985. It was changed in 1990, 1996, and 2006. All versions have included the image of a bridge (inspired by the Golden gate Bridge in San Francisco) that was to symbolize a connection between the past and the future. The 1985 logo was just the red-colored bridge; in the next two versions the bridge was white enclosed in a deep blue quadrangular box.

Earliest Cisco emblem

The story of how the Cisco logo came to life has been known from John Morgridge, the company’s ex-CEO. He told that the idea of both the name and the logo was born while the founders were driving to Sacramento to register their startup. They were impressed by the beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge bathing in the sunrays. As far as the company’s name was just the short version of the word “San Francisco”, originally it was written using the lowercase “c”.

Cisco symbol in 1990-2005

The second logo variation, which appeared in 1990, reflected the new name of the company, where only the second word had an uppercase initial: cisco Systems. Blue, which is now widely regarded as the main color of the companies connected with tech, Internet, and communication, became the dominant color. In the 1996 version, there was a shift to a darker shade of blue and a cleaner image.

Shape of the Cisco Logo

The current Cisco logo resulted from cooperation between the Cisco branding Team, Joe “Phenom” Finocchiaro, and Jerry “The King” Kuyper. The logo features the bridge made up of several vertical bars and the company name underneath.

Colors of the Cisco Logo

The Cisco logo comes in red and blue. The red color symbolizes responsibility, passion, and readiness to work hard for further success; the blue color represents tranquility, optimism, fame, and prosperity.