Cisco announced a secure network architecture designed to meet the growing demands of AI in enterprise environments. The platform includes next-generation networking devices, AI-powered operations, and embedded security features to improve uptime, performance, and simplicity.
Cisco today unveiled a new network architecture to power the campus, branch, and industrial networks of the future. The new architecture delivers unmatched operational simplicity through unified management, next-generation networking devices purpose-built for AI workloads, and advanced security capabilities embedded into the network.
Cisco is setting a new standard for how organizations navigate the challenges of skyrocketing traffic, rising cyber threats, and critical uptime requirements created as enterprises rush to harness the potential of AI in the workplace. According to the Cisco IT Networking Leader Survey, 97% of businesses believe they need to upgrade their networks to make AI and IoT initiatives successful, and the stakes are high: a single severe outage can inflict nearly $160 billion in losses globally. Faced with these challenges, IT teams need a new approach to scale operations, reduce downtime, and unlock new levels of efficiency and innovation.
Operational complexity is among the greatest challenges facing IT teams today. Cisco’s unified management platform addresses this by bringing together management of Meraki and Catalyst devices, along with support for next-gen wireless, switching, routing, and industrial networks—all in a single platform that supports any cloud, on-prem, or hybrid deployment.
Cisco’s unified management platform is further differentiated by ThousandEyes assurance—which now extends to mobile endpoints, and industrial IoT—and delivers deeper, more actionable visibility into enterprise networks and Microsoft Azure. A new ThousandEyes and Splunk integration adds real-time insights from network to application. This multilayered approach delivers comprehensive assurance and observability across both owned and unowned infrastructure, helping ensure consistent performance and operational resilience.
Supercharging the platform is AgenticOps, Cisco’s AI-driven approach to running modern IT operations that turns real-time telemetry, automation, and deep domain expertise into intelligent, end-to-end actions —at machine speed and with IT teams still in control. Cisco's AgenticOps capabilities are powered by a new Deep Network Model— a domain-specific LLM trained on decades of Cisco expertise, from CCIE-level content to Cisco U. courseware.
The Deep Network Model also powers the Cisco AI Assistant, a natural language interface that identifies issues, diagnoses root causes, and automates workflows. The result is AI that understands networks and works the way IT does, reducing task time from hours to minutes. Also, Cisco is introducing the all-new AI Canvas, a new AgenticOps capability, a generative AI user interface for customer dashboards that enables NetOps, SecOps, and DevOps teams to collaborate, optimize operations, and reduce IT strain.
Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer, Cisco
As AI transforms work, it fuels explosive traffic growth across campus, branch, and industrial networks, overwhelming IT teams with complexity and novel security risks at a time when downtime has never been more costly. With a new architecture, breakthrough devices optimized for AI, and AgenticOps, we’re leapfrogging the industry and reimagining how networks are managed and secured.
Matt Eastwood, IDC
Organizations are at a critical juncture. The promise of AI is immense, but the reality is that existing enterprise networks are simply not equipped to handle the scale, security, and reliability requirements that AI demands. Cisco's new secure network architecture marks a critical evolution in networking and provides a future-ready foundation for enterprises to confidently embrace AI without sacrificing performance or security.
