Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) vs Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)

Cisco Systems, Inc. is the world’s largest provider of networking equipment and ranks among the largest software companies globally. Its core businesses include networking hardware and software, where it holds leading market positions, as well as cybersecurity software such as firewalls. The company also offers collaboration solutions, including its Webex suite, and observability tools. Cisco primarily relies on third-party manufacturers and maintains a large sales and marketing organization of 25,000 employees across 90 countries. In total, the company employs about 80,000 people and markets its products worldwide.

Alphabet Inc. is a holding company that wholly owns Google, one of the world’s largest internet businesses. Based in California, the company generates just under 90% of its revenue from Google Services, with advertising sales representing the clear majority. In addition to digital advertising, Google Services includes revenue from subscription offerings such as YouTube TV and YouTube Music, platform sales and in-app purchases through the Play Store, and hardware products including Chromebooks, Pixel smartphones, and smart home devices like Chromecast. Google Cloud contributes about 10% of Alphabet’s total revenue. The remainder comes from investments in emerging technologies and businesses, including self-driving cars through Waymo, health initiatives via Verily, and internet access services such as Google Fiber.