Cisco Adds New Security and AI Capabilities in a Crucial Step Toward Cisco Networking Cloud Vision

Rhea-AI Summary

Cisco introduces new integrations across networking and security portfolios, advancements in AI/ML workloads, and innovations to simplify and secure network operations at any scale. The company aims to address the core priorities of IT organizations, including security, automation, and a unified digital experience for end users, things, and applications.

Market Research Analyst

From a market perspective, Cisco's announcement signals a strategic move to integrate and simplify its networking and security portfolios, which is likely to resonate positively with IT organizations. The emphasis on AI-driven cloud platforms and unified management interfaces addresses a growing demand for streamlined operations and could result in increased market share within the industry. By leveraging their vast endpoint intelligence, Cisco is positioning itself to offer superior network insights and security, potentially leading to a competitive edge.

The introduction of cloud-managed Catalyst Wireless and the Catalyst 9300-M Cloud-Managed Switch Models represents a shift towards cloud-based network management solutions. This shift is a response to the market's need for scalability and ease of management, which could attract new customers and retain existing ones looking for simplified IT operations. The move could also impact Cisco's recurring revenue streams, as cloud services typically involve subscription-based models.

Cybersecurity Expert

The integrations between Cisco Networking and Security Cloud platforms, particularly the enhanced security posture reporting for OT assets, are critical in the current cybersecurity landscape. As industrial organizations become increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats, the ability to comprehensively detail OT asset inventories and vulnerabilities is a significant value proposition. This development could lead to a reduction in the attack surface for Cisco's customers, thereby strengthening the company's reputation as a provider of robust security solutions.

Furthermore, the collaboration between networking and security teams facilitated by these innovations could streamline incident response and threat mitigation, which is essential for maintaining business continuity in the face of evolving cyber threats. This could increase customer confidence in Cisco's products, potentially leading to greater adoption and enhanced customer loyalty.

Technology Infrastructure Analyst

The Cisco UCS X-Series Direct is indicative of a growing trend towards edge computing, where processing is done closer to where data is generated. This technology is particularly relevant for organizations that require high-performance computing capabilities at the edge, such as those in the retail, manufacturing and healthcare sectors. By providing a scalable infrastructure that supports AI/ML workloads, Cisco is catering to the needs of businesses that are increasingly reliant on data analytics for decision-making.

The AI Validated Designs offer a blueprint for deploying AI/ML in data centers, which could accelerate the adoption of AI technologies across various industries. By minimizing the risks associated with such deployments, Cisco is not only facilitating innovation but also potentially driving demand for its high-performance computing solutions. This could have a long-term impact on Cisco's growth in the AI infrastructure market.

News Summary:

• Addressing the need to connect, secure and assure increasingly complex applications and networks, Cisco introduces new integrations across networking and security portfolios.
• IT teams can manage more of their campus and branch secure networking technologies from a unified AI-driven cloud platform with additions to the wireless and switching portfolios.
• Customers can advance the support of AI/ML workloads in data centers of all sizes with new Cisco Validated Designs and UCS-X Series Direct.

AMSTERDAM, Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CISCO LIVE EMEA -- Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the leader in networking and security, today introduced new capabilities and technologies across its networking portfolio that are designed to drive a more unified and integrated approach to managing and securing customer networks.

IT organizations are looking to their technology providers to help address three core priorities in their network operations: security, automation, and a unified digital experience for their end users, things and applications. As these same companies look to deploy AI-powered technologies, the need has only grown to have a deep understanding of the end-to-end experience.

"The future of AI depends on the network and the future of the network depends on AI," said Jonathan Davidson, EVP and GM, Cisco Networking. "With Cisco Networking Cloud, the data set that feeds this AI comes from more than one billion endpoints. No other networking vendor has more or better intelligence to simplify and secure network operations at any scale for a better user experience."

Secure Networking

Users require a secure networking solution that delivers a shared view across their entire network, and a scalable way to enforce security policies everywhere, without compromising their always-on, optimized user experience. To address the needs of their users, Cisco is introducing new Cisco Networking Cloud innovations:

• New Integrations with Cisco Secure Access: Highlighting Cisco's commitment to provide customers with the tools to bring networking and security teams closer together, Cisco is introducing deeper integrations between Cisco Networking and Security Cloud platforms. These innovations with Cisco Secure Access, Cisco's Secure Services Edge (SSE) solution, deliver a unified approach to networking and security management, and automated monitoring of the digital experience, providing insights from network, device and application performance metrics. These integrations are available today with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and ThousandEyes.
• Enhanced security posture reporting for OT assets: Industrial organizations can now utilize the Security Posture report for comprehensive details on OT asset inventories, top vulnerabilities and highest cyber risks to help reduce the attack surface.  These features are available with Cisco Cyber Vision and available as part of our hardened industrial-grade routers, switches, and firewalls.

Simplified Operations

To demonstrate how Cisco is continuing to converge its management platforms and work towards a unified portfolio experience, Cisco is introducing:

• Cloud Monitoring for Catalyst Wireless: First introduced as a capability for Catalyst switching, customers can now view and manage select Catalyst wireless devices in the Meraki dashboard. This new capability gives Cisco customers a complete, cloud-managed view of their access networks. Cloud Monitoring for Catalyst Wireless supports the Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controllers and most Catalyst Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E access points.
• Catalyst 9300-M Cloud-Managed Switch Models: Cisco is continuing its journey to a single, unified hardware architecture with the new Catalyst 9300-M switches which will be managed natively from the Meraki dashboard. This is the first step in the evolution towards full cloud management for the Catalyst switching portfolio.

Advance AI with Scalable Infrastructure

Cisco is also unveiling new technologies to help customers accelerate the adoption of AI by providing the right infrastructure for the right use cases.

• Cisco UCS X-Series Direct: An extension of Cisco's industry-leading and award winning UCS X-Series Modular System, the new Cisco X-Series Direct is built for environments where customers need connectivity and compute power at the edge to support more applications with less infrastructure.
• Cisco AI Validated Designs: Cisco is expanding its offering of converged and hyperconverged validated designs addressing new use cases, leveraging recently announced Cisco Validated Solutions and AI/ML blueprint for data center networks. These designs can accelerate AI/ML deployments and minimize risks by helping customers build high performance compute and data center network fabrics with automation and visibility tailored for a variety of AI-driven enterprise use cases.  

Additional Resources

• Cisco Blog: Delivering Simplified Operations: The Latest from Cisco Live Amsterdam  
• Cisco Blog: Staying Connected and Protected in a Highly Distributed World with Cisco Secure Networking 
• Cisco Blog: Cisco Showcases Data Center Computing Innovations at Cisco Live Amsterdam  

About Cisco 

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that securely connects everything to make anything possible. Our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all by helping our customers reimagine their applications, power hybrid work, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.

What are the new integrations introduced by Cisco to address the needs of users?

Cisco introduced new integrations with Cisco Secure Access, providing a unified approach to networking and security management, and automated monitoring of the digital experience.

What are the new capabilities introduced for cloud monitoring by Cisco?

Cisco introduced cloud monitoring for Catalyst Wireless, allowing customers to view and manage select Catalyst wireless devices in the Meraki dashboard, as well as the Catalyst 9300-M Cloud-Managed Switch Models.

What new technologies has Cisco unveiled to help customers accelerate the adoption of AI?

Cisco unveiled new technologies such as the Cisco UCS X-Series Direct, built for environments needing connectivity and compute power at the edge, and Cisco AI Validated Designs addressing new use cases for AI/ML deployments.