I always look forward to Cisco Live. There's a unique energy that comes from connecting with our customers, partners, and colleagues in person, especially when we gather to discuss how technology is reshaping the way we all work and solve challenges. This month, I'm excited to share how Cisco Support is evolving to truly being more personalized and proactive with Cisco IQ, and I am especially proud of the transformation underway in our Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

Our Commitment in Action
Every business I meet is grappling with growing complexity. As AI reshapes industries, the demands on IT have never been greater. Downtime isn't just inconvenient; it's costly. I hear firsthand how our customers rely on TAC to keep their environment running smoothly, and how the expectations for support are changing. It's no longer enough to wait for problems and react. The real need is for guidance that anticipates issues, prevents outages, and empowers teams to innovate with confidence.

At Cisco Live Melbourne, the TAC Stand is more than a showcase. It's a hands-on, practical demonstration of how we're putting our commitment into action. Whether you're an engineer responsible for day-to-day operations or a leader charting the path for digital transformation, you'll see the future of support. A future that is proactive, predictive, and deeply personalized.

The Engine Behind Proactive Support
What excites me most this year is bringing Cisco IQ directly to our customers and partners. This isn't just another tool; Cisco IQ is a single, unified, AI-powered digital interface that revolutionizes the entire customer journey with ongoing optimization, operations, and transformation.

Instead of juggling disconnected dashboards or wrestling with fragmented support channels, Cisco IQ provides an intuitive unified interface. It surfaces real-time asset insights, proactively identifies risks, and guides your team with prioritized, step-by-step actions tailored to your environment. This shift from reactive troubleshooting to proactive issue prevention is a game-changer. It means fewer surprises, fewer disruptions, and more time for your teams to focus on strategic initiatives and driving innovation.

What You'll Experience from Cisco Support
With AI-powered Support, the TAC team is now empowered to have more personalized, deeper engagements than ever before.  Our experts will be available for direct, practical conversations whether you want to walk through a challenging scenario or explore how to get more value from your Cisco investments.

Key highlights include:

• Cisco IQ in Action: Dive into hands-on demos, showcasing capabilities such as Predictive Asset Insights and Adaptive Infrastructure Assessments, giving your teams the information they need before problems arise.
• Enterprise Networking and Meraki: See how automation and AI-driven insights make managing complex networks simpler and more secure.
• Data Center and Service Provider: Experience the impact of resilient, AI-ready infrastructures built to support hybrid cloud and edge computing.
• Collaboration, Security, and Observability: Discover how connected platforms like Webex, Duo, and ThousandEyes deliver end-to-end visibility, all powered by actionable AI insights.

Learning Together: Mini-Sessions That Address Real Needs
One of the most rewarding aspects of Cisco Live is the opportunity to learn together. This year's agenda includes interactive sessions (check out the schedule) designed to address the challenges our customers face:

• Dynamic Adoption: We're introducing a new, modular approach to adoption that accelerates time-to-value and helps partners simplify the journey for their customers.
• AI-Powered Operations: Our experts will share how AI and automation can transform IT operations from a reactive function into a strategic enabler, giving teams the tools to stay ahead of incidents and drive stronger business outcomes.
• Automating IT Change: Explore how we're using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles, paired with AI, to make IT transformation faster and safer, minimizing disruption and maximizing success rates.
• AI Adoption Journey: We'll discuss what it takes to turn AI hype into real value, sharing practical lessons from Cisco's own experience and from our customers' successes.
• Modern AI-Powered Support: I'm excited to join my colleagues to discuss how AI-powered support not only resolves issues faster but also strengthens the reliability, resilience, and security of our customers' environments, by enabling proactive and predictive techniques to avoid risks leading to outages, security laps, or performance degradation.

The Power of our People
Every innovation we bring to Cisco Support starts with our people, and their expertise, creativity, and determination to help customers succeed. I'm continually inspired by how our teams listen, adapt, and go the extra mile. At Cisco Live, that spirit is evident in every conversation at the TAC Stand and in every demonstration we deliver.

Looking Ahead: Building What's Next, Together
Cisco Live Melbourne is more than a showcase. It's a milestone on our journey toward a new era of customer support. Our mission is clear: empowering you with support that is always ready, always relevant, and always working to keep you ahead of the next challenge.

If you're joining us in Melbourne, I encourage you to stop by the TAC stand, engage with our experts, and experience firsthand how we're redefining support. We will have two locations, one in the CX area of the Showcase, and another within Digital Resilience. Be sure to look in the Cisco Live Session Catalog to add any of the sessions on your calendar. For more information on what CX has going on at Cisco Live Melbourne this year, check out Jacqui Guichelaar's blog "Go Beyond Boundaries: Your CX Journey at Cisco Live Melbourne 2025!"

I look forward to listening, learning, and building what comes next together.

Learn more about Cisco IQ:

• Cisco IQ: Redefining Customer Experience While Driving Partner Value
• From Tools to Intelligence: The Engineering Philosophy of Cisco IQ