Two years after buying up Flip Video, Cisco is shutting down the portable video camera maker. The Flip pocket-sized video cameras had been popular with consumers because of their ease of use and portability.

Cisco axes the Flip video camera

Cisco didn’t say exactly why it decided to stop Flip production, but executives did say the company wanted to focus on its network products. “We are making key, targeted moves as we align operations in support of our network-centric platform strategy,” Cisco chairman and CEO John Chambers told Pocket-lint.

With the growing popularity of smartphones, and the higher quality videos many models can capture, Cisco may have found that the Flip camera line couldn’t compete in the long term. Apple’s iPhone 4, for example, captures 720p video and is just as portable as the Flip camera.

While Cisco could’ve chosen to sell off Flip Video, the company decided instead to simple shut down production. “Stopping the business rather than selling it was the best course of action,” Cicso’s public relations representatives said.