Basis Of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Apr. 28, 2012

Basis Of Presentation [Abstract]

Basis Of Presentation

1. Basis of Presentation

The fiscal year for Cisco Systems, Inc. (the "Company" or "Cisco") is the 52 or 53 weeks ending on the last Saturday in July. Fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 are each 52-week fiscal years. The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Cisco and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The Company conducts business globally and is primarily managed on a geographic basis. Beginning in fiscal 2012, the Company is organized into the following three geographic segments: the Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa ("EMEA"); and Asia Pacific, Japan, and China ("APJC"). In fiscal 2011, the Company was organized into four geographic segments, which consisted of United States and Canada, European Markets, Emerging Markets, and Asia Pacific Markets. As a result of this geographic segment change in fiscal 2012, countries within the former Emerging Markets segment were consolidated into either EMEA or the Americas segment depending on their respective geographic locations. The Company has reclassified the geographic segment data for the prior period to conform to the current period's presentation.

The accompanying financial data as of April 28, 2012 and for the three and nine months ended April 28, 2012 and April 30, 2011 has been prepared by the Company, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The July 30, 2011 Consolidated Balance Sheet was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. However, the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 30, 2011.

The Company consolidates its investment in a venture fund managed by SOFTBANK Corp. and its affiliates ("SOFTBANK") as the Company is the primary beneficiary. The noncontrolling interests attributed to SOFTBANK are presented as a separate component from the Company's equity in the equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets. SOFTBANK's share of the earnings in the venture fund is not presented separately in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and is included in other income, net, as this amount is not material for any of the fiscal periods presented. In addition, for the Company's investment in Insieme Networks, Inc. (see Note 12), the loss attributable to the noncontrolling interests is not presented separately in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as this amount is not material for the periods presented.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments, except as disclosed herein) necessary to present fairly each of the statement of financial position as of April 28, 2012; the results of operations for the three and nine months ended April 28, 2012 and April 30, 2011; and the statement of cash flows and equity for the nine months ended April 28, 2012 and April 30, 2011, as applicable, have been made. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended April 28, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full fiscal year or any future periods.

In addition to the geographic segment change referred to above, certain other reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts in order to conform to the current period's presentation.

The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date that the financial statements were issued.