Cisco unveils new AI-powered solutions for secure business growth
Cisco has announced a series of new technologies designed to help businesses adapt to rapid changes brought by artificial intelligence. The company introduced these innovations at Cisco Live, highlighting its efforts to reshape both data centers and workplaces for a future powered by AI.
Cisco, known for its networking hardware and software, is positioning itself as a key supplier of the infrastructure needed for AI transformation. The company is responding to a business environment where organizations face growing pressure to adopt AI securely and quickly, while still gaining tangible value from their investments.
One of the central themes of Cisco’s announcement is the move toward what the company describes as “agentic AI.” This concept involves using AI-powered agents to automate processes, optimize workflows, and tackle complex challenges across different business functions. As AI tools become more integrated into daily operations, companies require technology platforms that can manage higher data traffic, provide always-on connectivity, and ensure security across highly distributed networks.
Cisco unveiled several products to meet these needs. In the area of workplace technology, the company is launching new devices tailored for use on campuses, branch offices, and industrial sites. These devices are designed to handle increasing network demands and enable smarter, more autonomous network management. Cisco is also introducing AI-powered cameras and meeting tools to improve the quality and interactivity of video conferences, making meetings more dynamic.
For IT teams, Cisco is rolling out solutions that use AI to simplify and automate network and security operations. Notable among these is the Cisco AI Canvas, which allows network and security staff to collaborate in real time. The company’s AI Assistant offers conversational controls across Cisco’s product suite, streamlining management tasks. Underpinning these capabilities is the Deep Network Model, a large language model that has been specifically trained on Cisco’s technical resources. This domain-specific AI is designed to better understand the unique requirements and complexities of network infrastructure.
In data centers, Cisco is advancing its compute and networking platforms to meet the demanding requirements of AI applications. Modern AI workloads require high bandwidth, low latency, and power-efficient hardware. Cisco’s new solutions aim to provide these capabilities, supporting the rollout of AI across critical sectors, including power grid management. Cisco is also collaborating with industry groups such as the EPRI Open Power AI Consortium to drive broader AI adoption.
Security remains a core focus for Cisco as organizations face increasingly complex threats. The company is expanding its firewall offerings with the launch of the 6100 and 200 series firewalls, aiming to deliver high performance at competitive prices. Additional features are being added to Cisco’s Hybrid Mesh Firewall and Universal Zero Trust Network Access platforms, all part of a broader effort to secure AI-driven environments. Updates to the Cisco Security Cloud are designed to help organizations meet the challenges of protecting systems that use agentic AI.
Another area receiving attention is digital resilience. Cisco is integrating its solutions with the Splunk Observability Cloud and Splunk AppDynamics, enhancing customers’ ability to monitor and manage network health and performance. New integrations provide bidirectional data flows between Cisco and Splunk tools, offering real-time insights that can help organizations respond quickly to issues and maintain stable digital operations.
Unified management is another highlight of Cisco’s latest strategy. The company previewed Cisco Cloud Control, a platform that brings together management of networking, security, and observability products into a single interface. Built with AI at its core, Cisco Cloud Control allows IT departments to execute cross-product workflows, proactively identify and fix problems, and manage complex infrastructure more efficiently.
Cisco’s push into AI-ready infrastructure comes as organizations in every sector look for ways to leverage AI for greater efficiency and competitiveness. By providing a range of solutions that span connectivity, security, management, and resilience, Cisco aims to be the foundation for businesses seeking to harness AI safely and effectively. The latest announcements reflect Cisco’s belief that secure and intelligent networks will play a central role in powering the global economy in the years ahead.
