{"URL": "https://www.wired.com/1999/01/cisco-inside", "heading": "cisco inside", "subheading": "the maker of networking gear plans to edge its way into the consumer market, with co-branded modems and home-use devices.", "author": "reuters", "category": "business", "type": "article", "timestamp": "01.07.1999 07:30 AM", "text": "cisco systems, the largest maker of gear that links computers in networks, on thursday unveiled its plans to tap the nascent market for home networking equipment, which could tie together everything from tv sets to furnaces in an integrated household system. in its push into the home market, cisco (csco) won't make and sell consumer goods directly; instead, it will license its technology to consumer electronics companies such as sony and hitachi to speed the development of appliances that would connect to a network.analysts foresee such developments as networked toys that will \"know\" their owners. for example, home owners may soon be able to water their lawns by remote.\"this next wave focuses on consumers and enabling high-speed access to the home,\" said cisco's robba benjamin, who is heading up its consumer line of business.forecasts by market researcher wedbush-morgan see the home networking market increasing to us$4 billion by 2002, while market research firm forrester research is forecasting the networked toy market will rise to $2 billion by 2002.while cisco is well known among large companies, and 80 percent of internet traffic is carried using cisco gear, it is largely invisible to consumers. but cisco has already launched an aggressive advertising campaign and will co-brand cable modems and other devices similar to intel corp.'s \"intel inside\" campaign.to enable high-speed access to the home, the company is pushing a cable-modem device that will allow people to plug a telephone directly into the internet, the wall street journal reported.the company also announced plans to help build a high-speed network for at&t and customers of cable television giant tele-communications inc., which at&t plans to acquire. that network, which will use existing cable lines, will offer customers the ability to watch television, send and receive faxes, surf the web, and talk on the telephone.copyright"}