Rodriguez Exits Cisco After A Year

Enrique Rodriguez, who ran Cisco Systems' Service Provider Video Technology Group as senior vice president and general manager for a little more than a year, is leaving the company as part of a company reorganization.

Cisco has combined its service provider and enterprise video businesses, including those encompassing the former Scientific Atlanta, under Marthin De Beer, senior vice president of the company's Emerging Business Group.

As a result of the change, Rodriguez -- who joined Cisco in June 2010 after running Microsoft's TV, video and music business -- "will be leaving Cisco to pursue other opportunities," spokesman Jim Brady said.

"We believe this move will spur innovation and synergies across Cisco's end-to-end video portfolio, which spans service provider, enterprise and consumer networks, and enable Cisco and our customers to introduce compelling new video services, applications and experiences with speed and agility," Brady said.

De Beer will report to senior vice president Pankaj Patel, who under Cisco's reorganization in May will co-lead the Cisco Engineering organization with senior vice president Padmasree Warrior. Patel previously headed the Service Provider group.

Rodriguez's exit was reported Wednesday by Light Reading.

Separately, last month Cisco -- as part of a broader cost-cutting move -- said it will sell its set-top manufacturing facility in Juarez, Mexico, to Foxconn Technology Group. Cisco acquired the plant with the Scientific Atlanta deal, which was completed in February 2006.

Before joining Cisco, Rodriguez had been corporate vice president for Microsoft's TV, video and music business unit, which includes the Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV platform -- which powers AT&T U-verse TV, among other services -- as well as the PlayReady digital rights management platform, Windows Media Center and Zune product groups.

Before joining Microsoft in 2003, Rodriguez spent more than 20 years at Thomson/RCA, where he served in a variety of engineering and executive roles.