Cisco Systems Inc. scored something of a cable brain coup, confirming that it hired Kip Compton, Comcast Corp.’s vice president of video and media architecture, as a director of business development within its cable-products group.
A Comcast spokeswoman confirmed that Compton had left the MSO as of Friday. Rick Rioboli, who has worked on Compton’s team, will assume his duties in the interim.
Details of his new duties are not yet available, but Compton will be working with Paul Bosco, Cisco’s VP of broadband- and cable-industry development.
Cisco is familiar territory for Compton, who worked at the network-gear giant from 1998-2002 and helped to develop Cisco’s cable-modem-provisioning software. In 2002, Dave Fellows, now Comcast’s executive VP and chief technology officer, offered him a job with the operator’s advanced engineering group.
Cisco is also in the process of buying Scientific-Atlanta Inc. for $6.9 billion, but that transaction has not yet closed.
