The one thing that I remember most about being a kid, was the feeling I'd get the day before we got our report cards. I was a pretty good student, but at the same time, there's always that trepidation of the unknown that would leave my stomach in knots until I received my marks. That fear was erased by the elation of a job well done and a couple of comic books as a reward from my dad.

I don't get report cards any more, but Cisco does. And I have to say, I'm once again really happy with the results we received.

That's because IDC, the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the tech industry, has named Cisco as a Leader in the 2018 Worldwide Enterprise WLAN Market. This designation was based on both the on-premises Cisco Aironet products and the cloud-based Cisco Meraki suite of products.

According to the recently released IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Enterprise WLAN 2018 Vendor Assessment, "As the vendor with the largest market share, Cisco has developed an end-to-end WLAN portfolio extending from SMB to the largest of enterprises, covering a range of architectures."

If you don't know, MarketScape is an evaluation that included IDC interviewing via phone those customers who deploy products in the WLAN market. According to an IDC press release, "The assessment discusses both quantitative and qualitative characteristics that explain a vendor's success in this market."

IDC cited the products available in Cisco's WLAN portfolio, saying that we were "near the top of the market when it comes to depth and breadth". Not only that, but the report remarked that the portfolio isn't specifically for one market or vertical, but that the products are able to tackle the jobs of any segment. IDC said that Cisco Aironet devices provide solutions for industries ranging from higher education to healthcare to manufacturing, while Meraki do well with K-12 education and retail.

In addition to Cisco's versatility, IDC also highlighted Cisco for its vision; specifically, Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) and its intent-based network strategy that is built on DNA. IDC said, "With intent-based networking and DNA Center, Cisco is taking the lead on end-to-end, software-defined and converged enterprise campus and branch networking."

It also stated that Cisco's scale and organizational health allows the company to ride out the industry's natural ebbs and flows and technology transitions with "minimal disruption to its ability to serve [its] customers."

In other words, Cisco is a dependable and reliable company that is also innovative. Not a bad report card to get and with the Avengers flick still in theaters, maybe I'll treat myself to that movie again. Cisco earned it for a job well done!

To read the entire report, click here.