Cisco hires top guns for state/local business unit

Cisco Systems Inc. has picked up a research guru and a former Texas chief information officer in a move to bolster its state and local market expertise.

John Goggin and Carolyn Purcell joined the San Jose, Calif., technology giant Feb. 21 as part of its State and Local Internet Business Solutions Group within its public-sector practice.

Goggin, who will serve as the group's lead director, was most recently senior vice president and director of government strategies for market research firm Meta Group Inc. of Stamford, Conn. Before that, he worked for the state of New York where he capped his 30 years of service as director of the Human Services Application Service Center.

Purcell, also a director in the group, was most recently chief executive officer of IT consulting firm Purcell Ventures Inc. Before that, she served nine years as CEO of the Texas Department of Information Resources and as the state's CIO before retiring in 2003.