What happened at Cisco Live US 2023

• Cisco unveils new tech and advancements in networking, security, and applications.
• Cisco pioneers AI-driven security with Security Cloud.

When examining the APJC market across various industries, several common themes emerge, reflecting the transformational areas impacting businesses and customers. These themes encompass cloud strategy, network transformation, AI-driven user experience, cyber threats & trust, and the future of work. As digital transformation reshapes industries and redefines business resilience, it is crucial to understand these key transformation themes.

Discover the key transformation themes shaping industries

At the Cisco Live APJC briefing, Vish Iyer, Vice President of Architectures at Cisco APJC, highlighted the first theme: the widespread adoption of cloud technology by customers during the pandemic. He said, “As we emerge from this challenging period, every customer is reevaluating their cloud strategy. They are contemplating the best approach to optimize their workloads and achieve favorable economics and user experience. They now understand that the cloud is not merely a destination but a journey toward a cloud operating model.”

The second theme revolves around customers reevaluating their network operations and management practices across various domains, including public networks, IT networks, data centers, and wide area networks. As part of their cloud strategies, significant transformation efforts are underway in these network domains.

A third area of focus is generative AI, which has gained considerable momentum. Customers are increasingly interested in integrating AI capabilities and tools into their existing platforms to automate processes and effectively address user and business needs.

The fourth theme underscores the ongoing importance of cybersecurity. With the expanding threat landscape, organizations are putting emphasis on implementing robust security measures to safeguard their digital assets and sensitive information.

Lastly, the concept of work has undergone a significant transformation. Iyer noted, “We face uncertainty regarding the future of work. Some organizations are mandating a return to the office, while others are seeking to create offices that attract people. Every organization is reevaluating their work strategy.”

Addressing these five key transformation themes poses a fundamental challenge for customers embarking on their digital transformation journeys.

Cisco live: advancements in networking, security, and more

Cisco is enthusiastic about supporting customers in their digital transformation endeavors. At Cisco Live, the company introduced new technologies and advancements in networking, security, and optimized applications. They also shared their vision for a simplified experience across their product portfolio, aiming to meet the evolving needs of customers and partners.

In today’s landscape, digital transformation is vital for organizations, and a secure network is paramount. Cisco’s executives, including CEO Chuck Robbins, emphasized the company’s commitment to providing resilient and secure solutions that enable customers to navigate the dynamic and rapidly evolving future.

Robbins emphasized the immense opportunity ahead for Cisco, as the company is uniquely positioned to help customers address their significant business challenges using technology. “Whether security, connectivity, applications or sustainability, Cisco is the partner of choice to help our customers transform and adapt,” said Robbins. “Our leadership is excited to share everything our teams have been working on, as well as our vision for Cisco’s portfolio as we strive to become simpler, more inclusive, and more sustainable.”

Hana Raja, Managing Director of Cisco Malaysia, highlighted the need for robust and innovative platform solutions in Malaysia’s rapidly transforming digital environment. “They have also shared the importance of having a simple and centralized way to manage their expanding and rapidly evolving IT infrastructure,” said Raja. “We are excited to bring these new technologies and product advancements to our customers and partners in Malaysia and provide them with unified experiences to build, secure, manage, optimize, their business and grow in their digital journeys.”

The vision for Cisco Networking Cloud

Cisco also unveiled the vision for Cisco Networking Cloud, an integrated platform that simplifies IT operations for on-premises and cloud models. It addresses fragmentation, visibility, security, and integration challenges, enhancing customer satisfaction and differentiation. The platform leverages automation, network insights, and partner innovation to deliver unified experiences and measurable outcomes.

During Cisco Live, new features were announced, including SSO, API key exchange, cross-platform navigation, expanded network assurance, cloud monitoring for Catalyst devices, and sustainable energy solutions for data centers. Cisco also simplifies its business with flexible Catalyst switches, improved data center visibility, and AI blueprints for better performance. These advancements in Cisco Networking Cloud provide customers with enhanced capabilities to streamline their operations and achieve optimal network performance.

Blending AI across networking and security

Additionally, Cisco is making breakthrough innovations in AI-driven security through the Cisco Security Cloud. With the increasing complexity of the threat landscape, Cisco is committed to simplifying cybersecurity and empowering individuals to work securely from anywhere. The Cisco Security Cloud incorporates AI-driven technologies to enhance threat detection, prevention, and response. It utilizes the power of Cisco Talos AI-driven threat intelligence for accelerated analysis and investigation of potential threats.

To further enhance security capabilities, Cisco previewed generative AI features in the Security Cloud. These advanced capabilities enable security analysts to more effectively detect threats, remediate issues, and manage security policies. By harnessing the power of AI, Cisco aims to provide robust and proactive security measures to safeguard organizations’ digital assets.

Another significant offering from Cisco is the Full Stack Observability (FSO) Platform, a comprehensive solution that provides contextual insights and enables swift issue resolution. The FSO Platform combines data from various domains, including application, networking, infrastructure, security, cloud, sustainability, and business sources. Built on OpenTelemetry, the platform allows seamless collection and analysis of data from any source, empowering businesses with valuable observability capabilities.

Within the FSO Platform, Cisco offers the Cloud Native Application Observability solution, which helps customers achieve their desired business outcomes by making informed decisions about digital experiences, performance optimization, and risk reduction. The platform also includes modules such as Cost Insights, Application Resource Optimizer, Security Insights, and Cisco AIOps, further enhancing observability and operational efficiency.

Cisco actively collaborates with partners such as CloudFabrix, Evolutio, and Kanari to develop and monetize diverse solutions for the FSO Platform. Through these partnerships, Cisco aims to create new use cases and rapidly deliver customer value by leveraging observable telemetry.

---

---

---