Cisco has adopted a new organizational structure that the company explained is intended to optimize its ability to drive development of the next phase of communications technologies, largely Internet-related.

The changes within the Cisco Development Organization (CDO) reflect a tactical shift in the way Cisco will focus its development efforts. It appears the reorganization will have minimal effect on the Service Provider Technology Group, which includes the Scientific Atlanta and Linksys operations, where the situation will be “business as usual,” according to a Cisco spokesman.

The shuffle of executive responsibilities will affect the Service Provider Technology Group, however.

It had been led by Tony Bates, senior vice president. Pankaj Patel, senior vice president, has been assigned to co-lead the operation with Bates.

Most of the changes are more tightly associated with Cisco’s networking operations. “Cisco is entering what we believe will be the next phase of Internet growth and productivity centered on the demands of tremendous video growth, the revolution in the data center, and collaboration and networked Web 2.0 technologies, where the network becomes a platform for all communications and IT,” said Cisco chairman and CEO John Chambers in a statement. “The evolution of our development organization reflects our continued commitment to customer success and to successfully executing on new market opportunities.”

Separately, BT will begin marketing Cisco TelePresence, Cisco’s teleconferencing technology introduced last year. BT has demonstrated Cisco TelePresence on its own network.

Cisco Telepresence integrates advanced audio, what Cisco calls “ultra high-definition” video, and interactive collaboration tools.