Securing the Network: Reflections on Cisco Live 2024 EMEA
The first of Cisco’s annual conferences in Amsterdam highlighted the company’s AI-focused development and the resolve to streamline networking and security operations. Like the RAI Amsterdam, which has been the Cisco Live EMEA venue for two years, Cisco’s intention seems to be upgrading how EMEA communicates and implements cybersecurity. Read on for Spiceworks News & Insights’ top four Cisco Live 2024 EMEA highlights.
- The first of Cisco’s annual conferences in Amsterdam highlighted the company’s AI-focused development and the resolve to streamline networking and security operations.
- Read on for Spiceworks News & Insights’ Cisco Live 2024 EMEA highlights.
Cisco Live 2024 EMEA wrapped up in Amsterdam late on Friday last week. The five-day event is considered smaller than its annual Las Vegas counterpart, held in the summer. Still, the networking and cybersecurity major managed to get its point across in what is one of the biggest markets for the company – Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Cisco upgraded RAI Amsterdam, which has been playing host to Cisco Live EMEA in Amsterdam for two years, to support faster wireless networking with an upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 and 5G in collaboration with NTT.
Like the RAI Amsterdam, Cisco’s intention seems to be upgrading how EMEA communicates and implements cybersecurity. The company even roped in its SVP of Global Partner Sales and GM Routes to Market, Oliver Tuszik, as Cisco EMEA president in H2 2023 to achieve its goal.
“Let’s Go,” claimed Tuszik at the opening keynote of Cisco Live 2024 Amsterdam, a message the company wants to relay to its customers, partners, service providers, and the 16,000 attendees to convey the importance of grabbing opportunities and moving ahead with new collaborations.
“When I’m talking with all my customers throughout the world over the last year, I’m hearing the same topics that they ask me. It’s more or less five to six things,” Tuszik said.
- How do we upgrade the infrastructure for a new world [of AI]?
- How do we stay secure in an AI world?
- How do we ensure a great experience for users?
- How do we ensure the best collaboration experience?
- How do we drive sustainability?
- How do we usher in the transformation of our company?
Take a look at the top takeaways from Cisco Live 2024 EMEA.
Highlights From Cisco Live 2024 EMEA in Amsterdam
1. Partnership with NVIDIA
Any business deal with AI involves NVIDIA nowadays. And with good reason.
On the other hand, Tuszik called AI the “biggest disruptor ever.” Clearly, the company has high expectations from the tech.
Cisco is joining forces with the American semiconductor company to offer AI infrastructure solutions for the data center to extend its networking hardware, specifically its Ethernet networking solutions, to NVIDIA’s AI infra portfolio.
The partnership should come as good news for organizations seeking to build on NVIDIA’s AI infra without customers having to sacrifice Ethernet for Infiniband.
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2. Cisco expands security portfolio
Cisco Identity Intelligence: This new solution is designed to streamline identity management and prevent compromise and account takeover by enabling teams to identify users, systems, applications, etc., the existing relationship between them, and any changes made. It offers actionable insights and automated scaled policy enforcement.
AI Assistant for Security in Secure Access: It leverages natural language models to enable users to create security access policies with generative AI prompts.
Secure Access: Also a part of the Cisco Security Cloud, Cisco Secure Access is designed to protect intellectual property fed into and extracted from generative AI tools like ChatGPT.
Cisco Email Threat Defense: As the name suggests, this feature enables AI-based email threat pattern detection.
3. Webex AI strategy
Speaking of AI (in almost everything), Cisco is upgrading its enterprise collaboration tool, Webex, with AI features. These include real-time language translation, meeting summaries, meeting recaps, and text message rewriting in the AI Assistant for Webex.
Natural language AI functions for Webex Control Hub mean users should be able to configure the application quickly and troubleshoot networks with prompts.
While AI can make Webex an exciting prospect in the videoconferencing space, Cisco’s partnership with Apple should help it close the gap with Microsoft (Teams) and Zoom and overtake Google Meet and GoToMeeting.
Besides iPhone, iPad, and CarPlay, Webex will now be integrated with two new Apple platforms: the Apple TV 4K (tvOS) and the Apple Vision Pro (visionOS) virtual reality headset. Now, the Vision Pro isn’t already a hit, but going by initial reviews and Apple products’ loyal followers, there certainly is something to gain for Webex.
4. Cisco Networking Cloud
Cisco brings multiple integrations between its networking and security portfolios to simplify and scale network and security management operations. For instance, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is now integrated with Cisco Secure Access, the company’s Secure Services Edge (SSE) solution.
Meanwhile, the integration with ThousandEyes offers automated digital experience monitoring, network insights, and device and application performance metrics.
Meanwhile, the Meraki dashboard now offers the ability to view and manage Catalyst wireless devices. This cloud-managed feature supports Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controllers and most Catalyst Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2, Wi-Fi 6, and Wi-Fi 6E access points. As cloud management takes the front seat, the company also unveiled Catalyst 9300-M switches that can be managed from Meraki.
What were your takeaways from Cisco Live 2024 EMEA in Amsterdam? Share with us on LinkedIn, X, or Facebook. We’d love to hear from you!
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