Cisco Systems Inc, which is rapidly acquiring the same dominance in networking equipment as Intel and Microsoft enjoy in their respective sectors, has pulled off a 76% increase in sales for its first half of fiscal 1997, up from $1.71bn to $3.03bn, with net income climbing from $391.1m to $519.4m. Net sales for the second quarter were $1.59bn, compared with $918.5m for the same period last year, an increase of 73%; net income was $338.5m compared with $209.7m for the second quarter of 1996. The figures represent the eleventh consecutive quarter of double-digit sales growth at the company, although that good news reflects the fact that the company has grown largely due to an aggressive acquisition policy the past two years.
