In my role, I'm constantly in conversation with CIOs, network architects, and security leaders across industries. A pattern has emerged over the past year: organizations aren't debating whether intelligent systems will transform operations. They're navigating how to deploy them safely, at scale, with infrastructure that can keep pace.
Last June at Cisco Live, we introduced the AI-Ready Secure Network Architecture: a foundation built on three pillars: operational simplicity through AgenticOps, security fused into the network, and devices ready for AI. We talked about digital workers entering the workforce, AI-powered security threats, and the coming challenges of a post-quantum world. It may have seem far-fetched at the time, but just eight short months later, we're already seeing the evidence: from software coding agents working alongside human developers to the rise of "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks. That future isn't on the horizon anymore. It's here.
Preparing for that future starts now. At Cisco Live EMEA, we're demonstrating new capabilities to future-proof workplaces in the AI era.
AgenticOps for Operational Simplicity
To start, we're expanding AgenticOps across our networking portfolio with capabilities that reason, troubleshoot, execute changes, and operate like expert-level engineers around the clock. [For a deeper look at how these capabilities work in practice, see Joe Vaccaro's post on autonomous troubleshooting.]
Experience Metrics transforms thousands of network, application, and user signals into unified, real-time views focused on what matters: user experience, capacity, roaming performance. This is cross-domain telemetry at work: aggregating signals across networking, security, applications, and collaboration to inform intelligent action.
In campus and branch networks, improved AI-driven packet analysis accelerates troubleshooting while continuous configuration recommendations keep networks optimized based on live operational data. Teams describe what they need in natural language, and the system generates production-ready Agentic Workflows that shift operational burden from humans to machines.
The AI Assistant in Catalyst Center brings AgenticOps to on-premises networks, which delivers natural language interaction to accelerate troubleshooting and root cause analysis.
For industrial environments, where human oversight is non-negotiable, automated monitoring empowers front-line technicians to diagnose issues and implement fixes without escalation.
This is trusted, closed-loop execution where machines handle day-to-day work while teams maintain control of outcomes.
Security Fused Into the Network
In an agentic world, security must live in the network itself, making rapid decisions based on identity, context, and risk.
With IOS XE 26, we're enabling full-stack post-quantum cryptography to protect networking devices, data in transit, and control plane traffic with NIST-approved algorithms. This capability builds on the post-quantum ready network devices we launched last year to meet emerging post-quantum compliance requirements.
Security Service Insertion in IOS XE 26 intelligently steers traffic to firewalling and advanced security services as necessary, letting the network decide what needs inspection. This works with existing firewall configurations and supports both macro- and micro-segmentation without requiring redesign, adapting to campus and branch environments and factory floors alike. [For a deeper look at how we're securing the campus foundation with post-quantum cryptography and intelligent security insertion, see Michael Dickman's post.]
Devices Ready for AI
Last year, we introduced a refreshed portfolio of networking devices: Wi-Fi 7 access points, Smart Switches, Secure Routers, and industrial ethernet and wireless devices. Today, we are expanding this line-up with Cisco 8100 Series Secure Routers available in multiple form factors, including models purpose-built for DSL to fiber modernization and variants with integrated Wi-Fi and 5G for flexible connectivity. We're also introducing a new Campus Gateway for flexible cloud management of access points for mid-sized sites.
Connected Intelligence Across Collaboration
Beyond the network itself, collaboration devices are becoming execution platforms for intelligent experiences. The Room Kit Pro G2, leveraging NVIDIA technology, delivers 25 times more AI processing power, supporting more Room Vision PTZ cameras, Ceiling Mic Pros, and Table Mic Pros to cover the most complex spaces. The peripherals connect to the Room Kit Pro G2 through AV over IP architecture, radically simplifying deployment. Similarly, the Desk Pro G2 introduces a dual-lens camera with true-to-life color, bringing Distance Zero capabilities to huddle rooms and individual workspaces.
These devices enable new agentic experiences, including a Translator Agent for Webex Suite that provides real-time speech-to-speech translation across meetings and calls.
For Webex Contact Center, we are introducing AI Routing that uses real-time context to match callers with resources (human or AI), and AI Forecasting and Scheduling that improves staffing accuracy and lowers costs.
Deployment Flexibility for Sovereign Environments
For many organizations (governments, regulated industries, critical infrastructure operators), data sovereignty and control aren't negotiable. They need deployment flexibility across cloud, hybrid, on-premises, air-gapped, and sovereign environments.
UCM 16 provides hypervisor flexibility and federal certifications for on-premises calling deployments. Webex Calling Hybrid extends cloud-delivered AI capabilities like AI receptionist and customer assist to on-premises environments without forcing full migration to the cloud. For meetings in highly restricted environments, Webex AI Services on Cisco AI Pod enables select AI-powered capabilities to run locally in air-gapped deployments.
[For a comprehensive look at how Connected Intelligence spans collaboration devices, contact center, and deployment flexibility, see Snorre Kjesbu's post.]
Enabling Teams to Operate at AI Scale
Whether it's network operators managing increasingly complex infrastructure or knowledge workers collaborating across language barriers, these capabilities share a common goal: enabling people to operate more effectively in environments transformed by intelligent systems.
Customers tell us the value isn't just in what these capabilities can do technically. It's in how they change what's possible operationally. Making expert-level troubleshooting available at every site, not just headquarters. Enabling frontline technicians to resolve issues without escalation. Breaking down language barriers in customer service. Turning expertise into infrastructure that organizations can deploy everywhere and supervise centrally.
At Cisco Live EMEA, we're demonstrating what becomes possible when workplace technologies are designed as an integrated platform for environments where autonomous systems operate alongside humans. The foundation we introduced last year continues to evolve with capabilities moving into production.