Cisco unveils AI innovations for secure data centres

Cisco is highlighting its strategic vision as a trusted IT partner during its annual Cisco Live EMEA event in Amsterdam, attended by over 17,000 IT professionals.

In an address to attendees, Cisco showcased new innovations aimed at helping organisations build, secure, and operate AI-ready data centres, as well as fostering future-proof workplaces and enhancing digital resilience. The company has also introduced skills programmes and formed sustainability engineering alliances to address the challenges posed by AI.

Oliver Tuszik, President of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Cisco, emphasised the company's guiding role in navigating industry transformations. He stated, "Cisco is in a unique position to help guide our customers through the incredible change we're seeing right now across industries. From the changing nature of the workplace, to the AI revolution in data centre and network infrastructure, and the need for digital resilience at all levels, Cisco has solutions for our customers' biggest challenges."

Cisco's recent research reveals that over 70% of CEOs are concerned about losing competitive ground due to IT and infrastructure gaps amidst AI advancements. An overwhelming 96% of CEOs cite the necessity of relying on trusted partners for network future-proofing with AI.

Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Cisco, also spoke on the importance of adapting to the AI era: "Every business today is working overtime to understand the opportunities and challenges of adapting how they work and serve customers in the AI era. At Cisco, it's our mission to actively shape this future and help our customers around the world to win. That's what the innovations in networking, security, data centres, and more that we unveiled at Cisco Live EMEA are all about. Our customers need trusted partners to navigate this shift and we're answering the call."

Significant innovations include AI infrastructure and data centre solutions, the N9300 Smart Switch with Hypershield to enhance network security, and the Hybrid Mesh Firewall for protecting AI applications. These are designed to transform infrastructure to accommodate AI workloads while covering comprehensive security needs.

In terms of service provision, the Cisco Agile Services Networking architecture offers a framework for AI connectivity, leveraging Silicon One-powered platforms and enhanced software solutions for service providers.

Cisco also expanded its AI Server Family with the UCS C845A M8 server, introducing flexibility and computational power essential for AI innovation.

The company has extended its Zero Trust Network Access offerings and introduced new workplace connectivity solutions, including an expanded portfolio of Wi-Fi 7 access points aimed at enhancing user experience and security in diverse deployment sizes.

For communications, Cisco announced the general availability of its AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center, featuring tools like context transfer summaries and automatic customer satisfaction scores, with additional features expected by late 2025.

Cisco Room Bar BYOD was unveiled, providing video-enabled collaboration support, particularly for widely used BYOD settings, through integration with Webex.

Additionally, Cisco unveiled observability and assurance advancements, including the Cisco ThousandEyes Traffic Insights set to launch in March, to improve digital experience insights and accelerate issue resolution.

The new Cisco and Splunk integrations enhance visibility and threat detection by blending Cisco's Secure Application and Talos Threat Intelligence with Splunk's security solutions.

Cisco's commitments to AI adaptability are further strengthened by its Engineering Alliances programme, with new partnerships addressing energy efficiency in AI data centres.

Furthermore, the company is advancing its AI Skilling programmes to ensure workforce readiness in the changing landscape, with updated certifications covering both AI and cybersecurity aspects.

A collaborative effort with Mistral AI led to the development of the AI Renewals Agent, aiming to streamline Cisco's renewal proposal processes. This aligns with Cisco's objective to enhance customer experience by making interactions more personalized and insightful.