SYDNEY – Networking hardware giant Cisco has revealed plans to slap a blanket 9.2 percent price increase on all of its products and services in Australia, according to a Delimiter Web report. It has reportedly given its customers and partners just one month’s notice of the price rise.
The price hike was announced by A/NZ financial controller Jill Allen in an e-mail to the company’s Australian sales team last week. It says: “Cisco is giving 30 days notice of our intention to increase prices by 9.2 percent for Cisco products and technical services.

This price increase is effective July 9 2012.”Cisco spokesperson William Oei confirmed the situation.

“This decision is the result of our regular business review processes that we conduct periodically and takes into consideration a number of factors,” he said.

The news seems likely to attract the attention of the inquiry being set up by Comms and Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy into the mark-ups charged by international technology companies in Australia.

As Delimiter notes, it also comes as Cisco has been growing its revenues and profits Down Under.

A financial report filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for the year ended July 30 last year showed local revenue of $1.24 billion, up 10.5 percent.

Net profit was $7.3 million, compared with a loss of $13.07 million the previous year.