The enterprise conversation surrounding artificial intelligence has decisively moved beyond theoretical discussions into the realm of immediate, practical application. Businesses are no longer debating if they should integrate AI, but are actively seeking strategies for how to deploy it securely and efficiently across their operations. Responding to this critical need, Cisco is advancing its AI-Ready Secure Network Architecture, transforming a high-level vision into a suite of tangible capabilities. This comprehensive framework is being positioned as the essential foundation for organizations aiming to navigate the complexities of the AI era, providing the necessary infrastructure to support intelligent, automated, and secure systems at scale. The latest announcements demonstrate a clear maturation of this strategy, focused on embedding expertise directly into the network fabric to empower human teams and future-proof enterprise infrastructure against a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Simplifying Operations with Autonomous Networking
A central pillar of Cisco’s strategy is the “AgenticOps” framework, a concept designed to profoundly reduce the operational workload placed on IT teams by imbuing the network with autonomous capabilities. The objective is to cultivate a system that can reason, troubleshoot, and execute tasks with the proficiency of an expert-level engineer. This is achieved through a model of trusted, closed-loop execution, where machines are empowered to handle complex, routine work autonomously. This automation allows human operators to shift their focus from mundane, day-to-day management to overseeing strategic outcomes and maintaining ultimate control over the network’s performance and security posture. This approach promises to create a more resilient and efficient operational environment, enabling organizations to manage increasingly complex networks without a proportional increase in human intervention.
This autonomous vision is being realized through several new capabilities that translate abstract concepts into practical tools. A key innovation is Experience Metrics, which moves beyond raw data by aggregating and synthesizing thousands of signals from across networking, security, and application domains into a unified, real-time dashboard. This allows for more informed and intelligent automated actions focused on business-critical outcomes like user experience and network capacity. For campus and branch environments, administrators can now articulate their needs using natural language, which the system then translates into production-ready “Agentic Workflows,” effectively automating complex configuration tasks. The power of AgenticOps is also being extended to on-premises deployments through the AI Assistant in Catalyst Center, ensuring that organizations not fully in the cloud can still leverage these advanced, simplified management tools to enhance their operational efficiency.
Fusing Proactive Security into the Network Fabric
In a landscape increasingly defined by sophisticated, AI-powered cyberattacks and the imminent threat of quantum computing, a reactive security posture is no longer viable. Cisco’s strategy is built on the principle that security cannot be an afterthought bolted onto the network; it must be intrinsically fused into the very fabric of the infrastructure. This approach enables the network to make rapid, context-aware security decisions based on a deep understanding of user identity, risk profiles, and real-time traffic patterns. By embedding security directly into the network, it becomes a proactive and inherent component of all operations rather than a separate, reactive layer. This foundational shift is crucial for building a defense system capable of anticipating and neutralizing threats in an increasingly agentic and automated world, where decision-making speeds must match those of the attackers.
To address these future threats, Cisco is implementing full-stack Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), a critical defense against “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, where adversaries steal encrypted data today with the intent of breaking it once quantum computers become powerful enough. This feature, utilizing NIST-approved algorithms, protects the entire network fabric, from the devices themselves to data in transit. Furthermore, the new IOS XE 26 software release introduces Intelligent Security Service Insertion, a capability that provides a more dynamic and efficient method for enforcing security policies. The network can intelligently steer specific traffic flows to firewalls and other advanced security services only as required by policy and context. This avoids the inefficiency of routing all traffic through security appliances and works with existing firewall configurations, making it adaptable for diverse environments from corporate campuses to industrial control systems without requiring a costly network overhaul.
Building the Foundation with AI-Ready Hardware
These advanced AI and security workloads demand a powerful and resilient hardware foundation capable of supporting intensive processing and high-speed connectivity. In recognition of this, Cisco is significantly expanding its portfolio of networking and collaboration devices to provide the performance required for modern, intelligent experiences. A key announcement is the introduction of the Cisco 8100 Series Secure Routers, which are available in multiple form factors. These include models designed to help organizations modernize from legacy DSL to fiber, as well as variants with integrated Wi-Fi and 5G for flexible and redundant connectivity options. Additionally, a new Campus Gateway is being launched to offer flexible, cloud-managed access points tailored for mid-sized deployment sites. This focus on foundational hardware ensures that the underlying infrastructure is not a bottleneck for deploying sophisticated AI-driven services and robust security protocols.
The evolution of hardware extends well beyond core networking into the realm of collaboration, where devices are transitioning from simple communication tools into sophisticated execution platforms for intelligent experiences. The new Room Kit Pro G2, powered by NVIDIA technology, exemplifies this shift, delivering a remarkable 25-fold increase in AI processing power. This enables it to support more advanced peripherals like the Room Vision PTZ camera and Ceiling/Table Mic Pros across complex meeting spaces, all connected via a simplified AV over IP architecture. For smaller settings, the Desk Pro G2 introduces a dual-lens camera designed to bring “Distance Zero” immersive experiences to individual workspaces and huddle rooms. This comprehensive hardware refresh ensures that from the data center to the desktop, the physical infrastructure is fully equipped to handle the demanding computational tasks that define the future of work and enterprise AI.
A Unified Vision of Intelligence and Flexibility
The announcements demonstrated a cohesive vision of connected intelligence that spanned the entire technology stack, from the core network to collaboration and contact center solutions. This holistic approach was evident in the introduction of new AI-powered agentic experiences for the Webex Suite, including a real-time Translator Agent designed to break down language barriers in meetings and calls. For the Webex Contact Center, AI Routing was introduced to dynamically match callers to the most appropriate resource, whether human or virtual, while AI Forecasting and Scheduling aimed to optimize staffing and reduce operational costs. This integration illustrated a strategy that went beyond simply enabling AI on the network; it was about leveraging that intelligent foundation to enhance productivity and user experience across all facets of the business.
Finally, the presentations underscored the critical importance of deployment flexibility, acknowledging that a one-size-fits-all, cloud-only approach does not meet the needs of every organization. For government, regulated industries, and critical infrastructure with strict data sovereignty and control requirements, a range of solutions was presented to work across cloud, hybrid, on-premises, and even fully air-gapped environments. This included UCM 16 for on-premises calling, Webex Calling Hybrid to extend cloud-based AI features to on-premises systems, and the Cisco AI Pod, which allowed select Webex AI Services to run locally in highly restricted deployments. This commitment to flexibility confirmed a strategy that had matured from a high-level architectural vision into a broad portfolio of tangible products and features, empowering organizations to deploy expert-level capabilities everywhere while maintaining centralized supervision and control.
