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Gang of Twelve IT CEOs takes shape

Cisco's CEO joins HP's Platt in strange coalition but Gates left out.

If a monopoly does exist in the IT world, it must surely apply to networking companies, and their allies. Intel, let off by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) a few weeks ago, made a brave bid to become successful in the networking industry, but no-one yet knows where that will lead. Surely the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should investigate this strange alliance? Far more interesting is networking company Cisco, as big as Intel in its own way, but which seems to own the majority of routes to the Internet in the world. The big question now buzzing in the IT industry is when, or indeed if, Cisco will be investigated by the FTC. That news must be underlined by today's release by Cisco and HP. The release says that John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, and Lewis Platt, CEO of Hewlett Packard, have joined a mystery coalition of IT CEOs. It is a gang of twelve and the usual suspects. As well as Intel's Andy Grove, and Richard Beluzzo of profit warned Silicon Graphics, Scott McNealy of Sun is a luminary. Mikey Dell, CEO of the Great Satan of Hardware, stands next to Loot Gerstner, Big Blue's chairman and CEO. NCR, which used to make tills is also there, in the shape of Lars Nyberg. And Eckhard Pfeiffer, Great Satan of Haircuts, is there, lining up next to Ron Skates, CEO of DG (Data General). Last but not leastly, Unisys is there as well as Apple. The only one who seems to be missing is Bill Gates, from Microsoft. But he would make the thirteenth member, wouldn't he. In the UK, 13 CEOs is called a Baker's Dozen. ®

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