US-based networking equipment manufacturer Cisco has lost its research and development team, chief executive Chuck Robbins revealed yesterday, according to Recode.
Mario Mazzola, Prem Jain, Luca Cafiero and Soni Jiandani, decided to leave after three of them were initially reassigned.
The team was set up by Robbins’ predecessor John Chambers with the aim of exclusively funding spin-in startups developing innovate networking products.
The unit had spent more than $2bn since the 1990s, most recently acquiring software defined networking developer Insieme for $863m in 2013 after getting the startup off the ground with a $100m investment in 2011.
Recode attributes the decision to a power struggle at Cisco, quoting an internal memo from Robbins that says the team’s decision to step down was “based on a disconnect regarding roles, responsibilities and charter that came to light” following their reassignment.
In a statement, Robbins said: “I have personally learned so much from them, and they will always be an important part of Cisco’s engineering story.”