Apple and Cisco, Brothers in Arms

Apple gets OK from Cisco on ‘iOS’  This time, Apple didn’t take any chances with its claim to the “iBrand.”

Three years ago, Apple unveiled its revolutionary iPhone and was promptly sued by networking giant Cisco Systems, which was already using the iPhone trademark for a line of voice-over-Internet telephones. Cisco said Apple had asked about using the name, but allegedly began marketing its new gadget before any agreement was reached.

It took weeks of negotiation before the two settled out of court. But there was no complaint from Cisco on Monday, when Apple CEO Steve Jobs said his company has decided to market the iPhone operating system under the name “iOS” — even though Cisco has been using iOS for nearly two decades as the name of its own software, also known as the Internetwork Operating System, which runs on a variety of Cisco’s networking gear.Cisco said Monday that it had already agreed to let Apple use the iOS name.

The companies did not disclose terms of the deal.