On Tuesday the Silicon Valley giant is expected to announce an overhaul of its most popular product, a switching system called the Catalyst 6500 that it estimates has generated $42 billion in revenue since 1999.

The hardware is a mainstay for linking computers together on corporate networks—and a big target for competitors such as Hewlett-Packard Co., whose rivalry with Cisco has become increasingly intense. Cisco, which is unveiling the new technology this week at a company event in Las Vegas, hopes to keep customers from defecting by offering them an easy way to upgrade.

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According to an internal memo from Juniper Networks, which you can see below, one of its top tech execs, David Yen (pictured here), is departing immediately.

Sources said Yen is headed to Cisco to run its servers business, but the networking giant has not returned a request for comment.

Yen had most recently been EVP and GM of Juniper’s fabric and switching technologies unit. He joined Juniper in 2008 as EVP of emerging technologies.

But Yen was better known for his previous 20-year stint at Sun Microsystems. His last job there was running its chip division.

The impetus for Yen’s departure might have been the formation of the Platform Systems Group, run by Stefan Dyckerhoff, which is prominently mentioned in the memo from Juniper CEO Kevin Johnson. Dyckerhoff was elevated to the job in late January.

Sources said Yen did not get that job and was unhappy with the move.

But read into it yourself:

Team Juniper:

In February, we announced the evolution of our business groups to better position us to focus on two core business models: Systems and Software.

A key element of that strategy was the formation of the Platform Systems Group (PSG) under the leadership of Stefan Dyckerhoff. The mission of PSG is to optimize systems and silicon development across the full range of Junos-based platforms to accelerate our growth.

As part of the next phase of PSG’s growth, R.K. Anand, who leads QFabric development and our Data Center Business Unit (DCBU) and Alex Gray, who leads our Campus and Branch Business Unit (CBBU), will join PSG and report directly to Stefan. This move positions us to drive a fully integrated approach to our end-to-end systems strategy, as we continue to leverage the synergies across our breakthrough innovations in the core, the edge, the data center, and the campus and branch environment. Under Stefan’s leadership, PSG is now positioned to drive the go-to-market focus we have around domain-focused solutions that incorporate systems products from across PSG.

As part of this transition, David Yen is leaving Juniper effective immediately. David has a desire to return to his roots in servers that he gained during his nearly 20-year career at Sun Microsystems. We appreciate David’s contributions.

We are successfully accelerating momentum and adoption of our systems offerings. The response to both our QFabric data center architecture and to the Converged Supercore–two disruptive innovations unveiled in the quarter–has been overwhelmingly positive. These two offerings represent the best of Juniper innovation in systems, software and silicon.

As demonstrated by our strong performance over the past year, we continue to execute on our multi-year growth agenda, driven by our innovation roadmap. The new network is here, and we are delivering on our vision to capture the opportunity before us. Together with our partners, we will transform the economics and experience of networking for our customers.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication. I look forward sharing in Juniper’s continued success with you.

Regards,

Kevin Johnson

The way Bracelin sees it, sales in Cisco’s new business lines such as Unified Computing System–Cisco’s cloud hardware offering–as well as wireless LAN and collaboration products, could triple to $10 billion in 2013 from $3.3 billion in 2009, and could generate a combined operating margin of 25 percent and could account for 20 percent of overall sales.

Too iffy for you? There’s more. Yes, investors are clearly unhappy with the drop in sales of switching products, historically an important Cisco business segment and indeed its biggest segment so far, accounting for 31 percent of sales last year. And they should be unhappy about it. But? Cisco’s non-switching business is on pace to deliver $30 billion in sales this year, Bracelin says, more than double what it did in 2005. This means the non-switching business is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 12 percent, more than double the five percent seen in switching. If all goes well the contribution to earnings of the non-switching business to per-share earnings could be 97 cents in fiscal 2011 and could reach $1.50 by 2014.

Still not convinced? There’s more. The sell-off has pushed Cisco’s valuation metrics to significant lows versus its peers in the tech industry. At $17 a share, Cisco’s market cap of $94 billion works out to an enterprise value to EBITDA ratio of less than five. By comparison, Microsoft trades at more than six times EV/EBITDA, IBM’s ratio is north of eight, Oracle’s is about 10 and Qualcomm’s is nearly 13.

And? That $40 billion in cash that Cisco has on its books is worth more than $5 a share. Meanwhile, investors have turned up their noses at Cisco’s switching business to such an extent that they now value it at only $3 a share while the non-switching business is valued at more than $9 a share. In 2008, the switching business was valued at more than $8 a share. “The sell-off, based on competition and margin erosion, now appears overstated,” Bracelin wrote.

So what does he think it’s worth? Add up all the parts and you get a company that could be valued at anywhere from $20 to $28 a share. And that’s assuming the value of the switching business improves only a little bit. All in all, Cisco shares could be undervalued at anywhere from 17 percent on the low end to 63 percent on the high end.

Investors, however–at least for today–didn’t buy Bracelin’s argument. Cisco shares fell 11 cents to close at $17.04 a share. That’s only seven cents a share higher than its 52-week low from last month.

Today Cisco announced some moves on that front. It unveiled a new version of its TelePresence Content Server 5.0 that allows videos to be recorded and shared easily within a company. They’re also searchable, thanks to a network appliance called the Cisco MXE 3500 that can quickly tag the speakers and words in a video clip, so you can quickly forward to the important stuff–when the boss is talking–or search out key words that apply to your department and ignore the other stuff.

Cisco also announced some new video hardware, including a 47-inch TelePresence endpoint, aimed at offices or small conference rooms, as well as a line of IP phones that have cameras built in. Finally it brought out a “digital signage” product that serves as sort of a telepresence kiosk. Say you’re at a bank and see an ad on a display screen for a product or service that you want to know more about. Touching the screen triggers a video chat with a sales rep who will try to close the deal via live video chat.

The shares seem not to be responding in early trading. That may have something to do with word that Cisco is having trouble in its core networking business competing with Hewlett-Packard. HP is offering discounts to Cisco switching customers who–sorry–switch to HP, and Cisco is losing share. Meanwhile, Juniper Networks is out with a new line of networking gear today as well. As HP Networking head VP Marius Haas put it in a chat I had with him late last year, maybe people truly are “tired of paying for Cisco.” Will they be willing to pay for video?

1. 4G or 3G, World phone or CDMA-only?

   A key question is which networks the Verizon iPhone will support. Supporting the carrier’s 4G network could help the Verizon iPhone get faster data and make calls and receive data at the same time, but would also likely drive up the cost and hurt battery life. As Apple has in the past been content to let other phone makers be the first on a given network, many analysts expect this iPhone not to support Verizon’s just introduced–and still limited–LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network. Also, will Verizon and Apple have accepted the added cost to build in support for non-U.S. networks to allow the phone to work in countries that don’t support Verizon’s CDMA technology?

2. What features distinguish the Verizon iPhone from the iPhone 4?

   Although many expect the Verizon iPhone to largely resemble the iPhone 4, it is unlikely to be a clone of its AT&T sibling. The differences will shape the battleground between AT&T and Verizon as the two battle over current and future iPhone customers. Unlimited data use appears to be one thing in the Verizon iPhone’s favor. Network speed could go either way, depending on whether there is 4G support in the Verizon device.

3. Details, details, details.

   How much will the phone cost? Will current Verizon customers be able to switch to the iPhone for the same price as new customers? What about those who have recently bought another phone–will they have to wait until their full contract is up? Will Verizon have managed to get any of its apps pre-loaded. There are all kinds of fun little details that should give us pixel-stained wretches plenty to get all lathered up about. And oh yeah, when can everyone get their hot little hands on the darn thing?

For answers to all this and more, AllThingsD will have live coverage starting just before 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT.

The acquisition, which has been approved by both companies’ boards, should bolster HP’s data center strategy and, thanks to 3Com’s routing business, intensify competition with rival Cisco (CSCO), which has lately been expanding into HP’s businesses.

“Companies are looking for ways to break free from the business limitations imposed by a networking paradigm that has been dominated by a single vendor,” Dave Donatelli, executive vice president and general manager, Enterprise Servers and Networking, HP, said in a statement.

“By acquiring 3Com,” Donatelli added, “we are accelerating the execution of our Converged Infrastructure strategy and bringing disruptive change to the networking industry. By combining HP ProCurve offerings with 3Com’s extensive set of solutions, we will enable customers to build a next-generation network infrastructure that supports customer needs from the edge of the network to the heart of the data center.”

Below, the official release:

HP to Acquire 3Com for $2.7 Billion
Will create networking industry powerhouse with a proven, edge-to-data center set of solutions and global reach

PALO ALTO, Calif., and MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Nov. 11, 2009

HP and 3Com Corporation (NASDAQ: COMS) (“3Com”) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which HP will purchase 3Com, a leading provider of networking switching, routing and security solutions, at a price of $7.90 per share in cash or an enterprise value of approximately $2.7 billion. The terms of the transaction have been approved by the HP and 3Com boards of directors.

This combination will transform the networking industry and underscore HP’s next-generation data center strategy built on the convergence of servers, storage, networking, management, facilities and services. The resulting business outcome will help customers simplify the network, deploy a unique and innovative edge-to-core network fabric for the enterprise and improve IT service delivery capabilities, all delivered with best-in-class price-performance.

“Companies are looking for ways to break free from the business limitations imposed by a networking paradigm that has been dominated by a single vendor,” said Dave Donatelli, executive vice president and general manager, Enterprise Servers and Networking, HP. “By acquiring 3Com, we are accelerating the execution of our Converged Infrastructure strategy and bringing disruptive change to the networking industry. By combining HP ProCurve offerings with 3Com’s extensive set of solutions, we will enable customers to build a next-generation network infrastructure that supports customer needs from the edge of the network to the heart of the data center.”

“Our extensive product line and innovative technology together with HP’s breadth and scale will expand our global opportunity,” said Bob Mao, chief executive officer, 3Com. “3Com’s networking products are based on a modern architecture which has been designed to offer better performance, require less power and eliminate administrative complexity when compared against current network offerings. Our products are enterprise proven and widely deployed in the world’s largest banks, manufacturers, Internet service providers, public utilities and retailers.”

The acquisition of 3Com will dramatically expand HP’s Ethernet switching offerings, add routing solutions and significantly strengthen the company’s position in China–one of the world’s fastest-growing markets–via the H3C offerings. In addition, the combination will add a large and talented research and development team in China that will drive the acceleration of innovations to HP’s networking solutions.

3Com also brings to HP best-of-breed network security capabilities through its TippingPoint portfolio. For the past four years, TippingPoint has been the leader in Gartner’s “Magic Quadrant” in its evaluation of leading network security products. Approximately 30 percent of the Fortune 1000 companies have already deployed TippingPoint intrusion prevention systems.

“We are confident that we can run our entire global business of 300,000-plus employees, including our next-generation data centers, entirely on the new HP networking solutions,” said Randy Mott, executive vice president and chief information officer, HP. “Based on our experience and extensive testing of 3Com’s products, we are planning to undertake a global rollout within HP as soon as possible after the completion of the acquisition.”

Under the terms of the merger agreement, 3Com stockholders will receive $7.90 for each share of 3Com common stock that they hold at the closing of the merger. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of domestic and foreign regulatory approvals and the approval of 3Com’s stockholders. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of calendar 2010.

HP anticipates that the transaction will be slightly dilutive to fiscal 2010 non-GAAP earnings.

Apple (AAPL) has promoted this PC-to-Mac switching concept heavily over recent years — particularly with its “I’m a Mac” commercials, which bluntly compare the Windows and Mac operating systems. Windows Vista has been a source of consternation all its own, and some people have opted for the Mac rather than risking problems with a Vista PC. Apple recently reported that about 50% of the people buying Macs in the Apple stores are new to the Mac.

If you buy a new Mac from the Apple store, staffers there (“Geniuses,” as they call themselves) will transfer your files over to the new machine free. This process takes place in the store, though Apple says it generally isn’t a “while you wait” task. If you buy a Mac elsewhere, such as online or at Best Buy (BBY), Apple stores charge $50 for this transfer.

But some people aren’t comfortable with the idea of handing a computer filled with their personal files over to a stranger. If this is the case for you, some other viable options include copying your old PC’s data onto a portable hard drive or onto discs that are compatible with the new computer. If several home computers are networked, files can be transferred onto a drive accessible by all the machines.

This week, I tried yet another method, copying data from a Windows machine over to a new MacBook using a special transfer cable from Belkin International Inc. The aptly named Switch-to-Mac Cable plugs into USB ports on two computers. It came out a month ago and is available for $50 at places like Best Buy and Apple stores. Like other transferring methods, it moves only files and not programs or applications, such as Microsoft Word (MSFT). (Windows applications can run on a Mac using programs like Boot Camp, Fusion or Parallels.)

The Switch-to-Mac Cable makes it easier to transfer data from a Windows PC to a Mac.

I tested the Belkin Switch-to-Mac Cable by transferring data to a new Apple MacBook from my two-year-old Lenovo ThinkPad X60, which runs Vista. (Most people will transfer from an older PC that doesn’t run Vista.)

After installing the software included and connecting the transfer cable to both the Mac and Windows PC, short, on-screen prompts walked me through the steps for copying data from one computer to the other. On one instructional screen, I checked boxes to indicate what I wanted to transfer, including documents, pictures, music, videos, Internet Explorer bookmarks, desktop wallpaper and desktop files. Here, I could also opt to transfer a custom folder as well as personal information from Outlook like email, contacts and calendar.

I liked Belkin’s simple approach, including unintimidating software and a straightforward cable with a glowing, white indicator. But the files didn’t all properly transfer from my Windows laptop to my Mac. Most notably, the software prompted me to move files on my desktop, but the cable moved only five of the 23 selected files stored there.

Also, I use Mozilla’s Firefox as my default browser, but Belkin doesn’t move Firefox bookmarks to the Mac. Still, my Internet Explorer bookmarks moved over into Safari, Apple’s browser. Belkin explained that it left out Firefox transfers, instead focusing on programs like Safari that come installed on Macs. Even without a cable, Firefox itself will export bookmarks to be moved to the Mac in just a few simple steps.

I had no problems transferring everything else, and things like photos and music moved to the Mac appeared there in logical places. For example, photos stored in the “My Pictures” folder on my Windows PC automatically moved over to iPhoto on the Mac and retained their original folder labels in iPhoto.

In most cases, newly transferred files were clearly labeled on the Mac in folders marked “Windows PC.” After my initial transfer, I used the cable for additional transfers, and the data moved in those follow-ups were labeled “Windows PC-2″ and so on. When my email, contacts and calendar transferred from my Windows Live Mail desktop client, I wasn’t sure where this data had moved within Apple Mail because I didn’t see a “Windows PC” folder. A Belkin representative explained that files transferred to Apple Mail are stored in an “Import” folder.

If your transfer doesn’t work perfectly the first time, try moving stray files into a folder that transferred successfully in a previous attempt. I did this with some of my desktop files when they didn’t move over and it worked, albeit with an extra step.

Over the phone, I walked through numerous troubleshooting scenarios with Belkin to figure out why my desktop files didn’t transfer over to the new Mac, but nothing helped. Belkin said it hadn’t seen my desktop transfer problem in its tests.

I was frustrated to find that Belkin doesn’t offer much in the way of detailed instructions for users, such as a FAQs Web site or troubleshooting steps for common hiccups. Its simplicity is an asset, but when performing an important task like transferring data, I’d rather have the option of knowing more than less. Belkin says it plans to add more help for users in the future.

As its name indicates, the Belkin Switch-to-Mac Cable isn’t designed to transfer data from one Mac to another, nor from one Windows PC to another. Nor will it transfer data from a Mac to a Windows PC. Additionally, all hidden directories and system directories are ignored, as are all files with the following extensions: .exe, .com, .dll, .scr, .ini, .db, .lnk.

Not tested was a competing product from Detto Technologies, the $50 Move2Mac, which comes in two versions: One enables transfers from older PCs without USB ports, the other enables transfers from PCs with USB ports that are running Windows 98, Millennium, 2000 or XP — but not Vista, which the Belkin enables.

If you’re moving away from a Windows PC, Belkin’s Switch-to-Mac Cable is one tool that can make this transition easier.

Edited by Walter S. Mossberg

Write to Katherine Boehret at mossbergsolution@wsj.com

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