Cisco vs Mitel

Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in San Jose, California, that designs, manufactures, and sells networking equipment. Cisco is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, and it supports, manages and operates business systems for various and major third parties. Cisco Systems was founded in December 1984 by Leonard Bosack, who was in charge of the Stanford University computer science (CS) department's computers, and Sandy Lerner, who managed the Graduate School of Business' computers.

Mitel Networks is a high-tech company providing unified communications solutions for business. The company previously produced TDM PBX systems and applications but after a change in ownership in 2001 now focuses almost entirely on Voice-over-IP products. Mitel is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with offices, partners and resellers worldwide. Michael Cowpland and Terry Matthews founded Mitel in 1972. Conventionally, its name is regarded as a combination of the founders' first names and their first product - MIke and TErry's Lawnmowers. Cowpland is quoted as stating that it stands for MIke and Terry's Electronics, whereas Matthews confirmed the lawnmower acronym during an interview on BBC Radio 4's "The Bottom Line" in May 2011.