Cisco Live EMEA Highlights AI-driven Networking and Security Solutions

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), a global networking and security company, showcased its latest innovations at Cisco Live EMEA, attended by over 17,000 IT professionals across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The event focused on how Cisco is helping businesses simplify IT and securely adopt AI, addressing the growing complexity of modern infrastructure.

Oliver Tuszik, President of Cisco EMEA, emphasized the company’s unique ability to guide businesses through rapid technological changes. He noted that the shifting workplace dynamics, the AI revolution, and the growing need for digital resilience are driving Cisco’s solutions, aimed at addressing the most pressing challenges businesses face today. Cisco’s CEO research revealed that over 70% of CEOs are concerned about infrastructure gaps hindering their ability to capitalize on AI opportunities. With 96% of CEOs relying on trusted partners like Cisco to future-proof their networks, Cisco is well-positioned to meet these challenges.

Cisco’s portfolio includes innovations designed to simplify operations, enhance security, and support AI adoption. Among the key announcements were AI infrastructure and data center solutions for transforming infrastructures to support AI workloads, and the Cisco N9300 Smart Switches with Hypershield, which redefine AI data center architecture by integrating security and networking layers. Cisco also introduced the Hybrid Mesh Firewall, optimized for AI applications, offering zero-trust segmentation to protect modern applications. The expansion of Cisco’s AI server family, including the new UCS C845A M8 server, offers the computational power required for demanding AI tasks. Additionally, Cisco is extending its Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) with Hybrid Private Access to ensure secure, resilient work environments for businesses.

To improve collaboration, Cisco launched the Webex AI Assistant for Contact Centers, enhancing agent performance and customer interactions with features like context transfer summaries and automatic customer satisfaction scores. Cisco also introduced the Room Bar BYOD, a scalable and cost-effective solution for seamless collaboration, enabling any meeting to be joined via USB-C with AI-powered capabilities.

To enhance digital resilience, Cisco unveiled ThousandEyes Traffic Insights, which provides visibility into on-premises networks and ensures end-to-end performance assurance. The integration of Cisco’s security solutions with Splunk further boosts threat detection and security visibility, helping organizations stay ahead of potential vulnerabilities.

Addressing the challenges posed by AI workloads, Cisco announced new partnerships and initiatives. These include collaborations with Vertiv, DeepCoolAI, and others to provide liquid cooling solutions for AI data centers, and the launch of the AI Skills Journey program to build critical skills for AI infrastructure. Cisco’s updated certifications, including CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE, are designed to equip professionals with the necessary skills to succeed in the AI era.

In partnership with Mistral AI, Cisco introduced the AI Renewals Agent, designed to streamline the renewal proposal process by consolidating data and providing real-time sentiment analysis, intelligent automation, and personalized recommendations. This new AI innovation underscores Cisco’s commitment to using AI to enhance customer experiences by making them more personalized, proactive, and predictive.

With these innovations, Cisco continues to lead the way in helping businesses navigate the challenges and opportunities of the AI era, offering secure, scalable solutions that empower organizations to thrive in an increasingly complex digital landscape.