Linksys is dead. Long live Linksys. 

Longtime techies and countless bloggers worldwide were saddened last week when news broke that Cisco plans to ditch the Linksys brand name for its line of consumer- and SMB-related wireless networking gear in favor of a new, yet-to-be announced name and logo under the auspices of Cisco’s SMB division.   

Speaking to reporters in Europe, Chambers explained that Cisco “kept Linksys’ brand [when it was acquired in 2003] because it was better known in the
US than even Cisco was for the consumer. As you go globally there’s very little advantage in that.” 

But not so fast! Apparently, Linksys just received a stay of execution. 

A Cisco spokesperson told The Orange County Register that Chamber’s comments were taken out of context and that the Linksys name isn’t going anywhere.  

“Linksys consumer and (small-medium business) products will continue to be marketed under the Linksys brand and co-exist in the market with Cisco-branded connected home products over the near term,” spokesperson Karen Sohl told the OCR. 

So it looks like the Linksys name is safe, for the near term at least. Whatever “near term” means. And even if/when Cisco does kill off the Linksys brand, the gear itself will still be available, so I think we should be able to keep the melodrama to a minimum. 

I’ll keep you posted on any developments. In the meantime, watch and listen to Chambers’ comments and decide for yourself if his words were indeed taken out of context, as Sohl insists.