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.

Cisco HQ
Cisco headquarters in California

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.