Cisco CEO says plans dividend but quiet on when

BERKELEY, Calif., Oct 11 (Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O) Chief Executive John Chambers said on Thursday that the company aimed to start paying dividends sometime in the future but declined to say when.

The statement reflects a long-standing position by the network equipment maker, which has previously said it will eventually pay a dividend but its cash would be better spent on acquisitions and share buybacks for now.

Some investors have been pushing for details on when Cisco would begin such payments.

"Right now, cash is king and our stock purchase plan has worked extremely, extremely well for investors in terms of the appreciation on the stock," Chambers told Reuters on the sidelines of the TechNet Innovation Summit.

"We'll continue to be aggressive in our stock repurchasing plan, and at the same time we will pay dividends some time in the future," he said. He declined to be more specific. (Reporting by Amanda Beck, writing by Peter Henderson)