Rumor: Cisco Looking To Sell Off Linksys Division

Linksys routers have become virtually ubiquitous in consumers’ homes over the years, but parent company Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is reportedly looking to sell off the brand. Cisco is looking to get out of the consumer business and focus more on enterprise software and services, and unloading Linksys will be a big step in that direction.

Linksys will most likely be fine; it’s a valuable brand and will bolster some lucky company’s consumer portfolio, despite some cuts and reductions that Cisco enacted since buying the company for half a billion bucks in 2003. Bloomberg’s sources indicate that TV makers could be interested in Linksys.


According to Bloomberg, Cisco also owns Scientific Atlanta and NDS Group, Ltd., which produce consumer-level set-top boxes and software for pay-TV channels, respectively. The report did not indicate whether or not those other assets would also be on the auction block, but it did say that Barclay’s will be helping Cisco find a buyer for its Linksys division.