Cisco Live 2025: Networking Takeaways

Team thoughts & highlights

Christine Fierro, Sr. Director - Edge and Core Solutions

Another fantastic Cisco Live in the books! The opening keynote was jam packed with announcement after announcement. Every time I thought Jeetu was done, there was more! If you were unable to attend or happened to miss the keynote, I would highly recommend viewing it (plus the keynote deep dives), which can be found on demand on Cisco's website. It's time well spent.

With so many announcements, two things stood out to me: Unification and AI Canvas.

• Unification was the name of the game for Cisco Networking this year. They're bringing the Cisco and Meraki brands together into one Cisco brand from a management, license and hardware perspective in a way that will greatly simplify things for clients. They also announced Unified Branch — a solution that brings together the wireless, switching and routing components that are needed for a branch location — along with the new Cisco Secure Router as the newest addition to the portfolio.
• As if those weren't enough, the real star of the show was AI Canvas. AI Canvas is a game-changing differentiator for Cisco that will enable teams to solve problems faster. And not just with the network; AI Canvas brings together networking, security and observability data and allows teams to collaborate real-time to fix an issue, all while using the power of AI. I can't wait to see this implemented real-time.

While the announcements are a highlight, I'd be remiss if I didn't call out the importance this week has in relationships. It's always great to be able to spend time with colleagues and Cisco friends in person and this week didn't disappoint. Even though it was an exhausting week, I'm already looking forward to next year! 

Chuck Johnson, Core Networking Practice Manager

Cisco Live 2025 exceeded expectations — not because it was packed with new technology, but because the conversations, strategy and alignment across Cisco and WWT felt more focused than ever. 

Our GS&A Core Networking team arrived with a clear mission: to deepen our understanding of Cisco's direction around automation and to bring those insights directly into how we support customers and account teams. We spent the week engaging with Cisco's business units, and I'm proud of how collaborative, open and aligned those sessions were. 

One of the highlights for me was a business unit roadmap conversation. These weren't just check-ins; they were real sessions that advanced our strategy and solidified our partnership. 

We also had the opportunity to validate our own plans and bring field-driven input to Cisco's teams. Whether it was about specific product feedback or market opportunity the openness and mutual respect were clear. 

Curt Wagner, Core Networking Advisor

Cisco Live 2025 truly surpassed expectations. While new technology is always a draw, echoing Chuck, the most significant takeaway for me was the unparalleled focus and alignment in conversations and strategy between Cisco and WWT. 

Furthermore, it's important to acknowledge Cisco's ongoing commitment to their automation capabilities for Internet and Mass-scale Infrastructure (IMI) products. Even in the absence of immediate cloud management, Cisco is clearly intensifying its efforts to develop advanced automation for these critical infrastructure offerings, which will be vital for their larger service provider and enterprise clientele. 

Beyond the compelling technical advancements, the true value of the week lay in the invaluable opportunities for fostering and strengthening relationships. Connecting in person with colleagues and Cisco partners is always a privilege, and this year's event certainly delivered on that front. Despite the demanding schedule, the shared energy and collaborative spirit have already generated excitement for next year's gathering. 

John Chiarini, Principal Solutions Architect - Optical & Core Routing

Connecting with peers, partners and various Cisco leaders has always been a highlight at Cisco Live. We met with Cisco leaders from the Routing, Optical and Automation business units, focusing on the continued adoption of routing and optical convergence and developing cohesive management tools. A particular highlight was a conversation on go-to-market strategies focused on pricing and feature development models to meet our mid-market customers' budgets and needs — an area we believe has been overlooked. 

I was grateful to be invited to present in the World of Solutions Content Corner for the second year. This time, I collaborated with my colleague Mike DiVincenzo, focusing on how WWT and the Core Networking (Optical and Routing) team support our customers when designing, testing, learning, deploying and maintaining a Core Network.  

On the product front, Cisco's announcement of AI Canvas shows great promise for a unified management interface. AI Canvas goes beyond the "single pane of glass" management paradigm for a particular domain, such as Core Networking (Optical and Routing). It promises to bring elements like the network, security and telemetry into one collaborative space. 

I was also happy to see the continued growth of the 8000 routing platform based on Cisco's Silicon One chip. With the introduction of the 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400 and 8500 routers, Cisco continues to unify and streamline its routing and switching portfolio.

Mike DiVincenzo, Technical Solutions Architect - Core Routing

I attended several sessions, including SRv6, Cisco 8000, Advanced BGP, and 400/800G Optics. These sessions covered a wide range of topics and provided valuable insights into the latest technologies. The Cisco 8000 sessions covered all the latest products available, while the 400/800G session explored the latest optics. The one-on-one sidebar sessions with SPBU were particularly helpful, as they allowed me to discuss the latest trends. 

John Chiarini and I presented at the Content Corner on Monday afternoon, focusing on MLMV and Core Networking capabilities in our Advanced Technology Center (ATC). The session was well-received by the audience. 

The two meetings with Cisco Meet the Executive and Whisper suites were the most beneficial. We were able to discuss some of the upcoming automation features that Cisco will be introducing and delve into the Crosswork model. We also discussed pricing and adoption strategies, particularly for smaller midsize organizations. 

Alex Oler, Sales Advisor - Campus & Branch

What a great week at Cisco Live! This year, Cisco unveiled a suite of transformative networking innovations, underscoring its commitment to redefining the future of connectivity. The convergence of Meraki and Catalyst platforms took center stage, offering a unified approach to seamless networking. By integrating the simplicity of Meraki's cloud-managed solutions with Catalyst's enterprise-grade capabilities, Cisco is enabling organizations to harness the best of both worlds. This convergence not only simplifies operations but also enhances scalability and adaptability. 

Along with the innovation of one converged platform was the introduction of SD-WAN management through the Meraki Dashboard — a leap forward in network orchestration. This integration empowers IT teams with a streamlined interface to manage wide-area networks efficiently, reducing complexity and expediting deployment.

Cisco's focus on edge security was equally compelling, as demonstrated by the inclusion of a dedicated processor within the SD-WAN box. As IT deptartments push to provide more services at the edge this is designed to bolster security measures at the network edge, offering robust protection against cyber threats without compromising performance. With edge security becoming a critical aspect of modern networking, the processor ensures real-time threat mitigation while maintaining seamless data flow. This development reaffirms Cisco's strategic emphasis on safeguarding networks in an era where connectivity and data protection are more intertwined than ever. 

What a great week to collaborate with WWT, customers and Cisco. The time together was invaluable and Cisco has really taken much of the feedback that partners like WWT and customers have provided to deliver on some exciting innovations in 2025! 

Bob Hrbek, Campus & Branch Practice Manager

Last year, I left Cisco Live wondering whether we'd accidentally wandered into an AI conference. This year, networking took the spotlight again, but with a major twist: AI is no longer the sideshow or the headliner. It's the engine under the hood. 

For me, 2025's Cisco Live marked a return to core networking innovation, now deeply augmented by automation, unified platforms, and embedded intelligence. Three themes really stood out: 

1. Unified infrastructure that actually feels unified: The convergence of Catalyst and Meraki isn't just branding, it's material. From the Meraki dashboard and the newly launched Campus Gateway, to simplified branch architectures with embedded security, Cisco is delivering the "one network, one interface" story more credibly than ever before. It's not perfect yet, but you can feel the traction.
2. AI that works for the operator, not just the analyst: AI Canvas caught my eye — finally, a collaborative space where networking, security and observability data converge in real-time, driven by AI but anchored in practical workflows. Beyond Canvas, we're seeing tools like AgenticOps, AI-RRM and predictive pathing for SD‑WAN, these are features that reduce toil instead of adding dashboards.
3. Hardware that's built for scale and edge use cases: The launch of the 9350 switch with integrated DPUs and the second-gen Secure Router series shows Cisco's investing heavily in the edge. The AP 9179F adds Wi‑Fi 7 readiness to outdoor environments with software-controlled beam patterns, these aren't incremental updates; they're foundational. And demos like the AI-powered IoT robotic guitar tuner? Flashy, yes — but a live example of UCS, fabric, and automation in harmony.

Put simply, networking is back, but leaner, smarter and more integrated than ever. And Cisco's direction feels more aligned than I've seen in years, both across product teams and with partners like WWT. The pace of innovation is impressive, but so is the clarity. 

Sam Clements, Technical Solutions Architect

With AI at the forefront of Cisco Live this year, it's sometimes easy to overlook some of the innovations that are here now, ready to tangibly solve connectivity and scale issues in some of the more complex network environments in the world. The world of AI has more functional adoption than any other industry, with technologies like AI-RRM handling much of the heavy math that was previously impossible with a static algorithm. While Cisco adopts agentic AI by way of Canvas and other user facing tools, we're already well ahead of that race with AI already powering many Wi-Fi networks, allowing us to turn our attention to some of those hardware announcements that enable us to build solutions at scale, which AI can drive. 

The first excitement comes from the announcement of the Cisco Wireless 9179F Access Point. This is the first outdoor (optional) Wi-Fi 7 AP on the market and is squarely aimed at LPV and stadium style deployments. Boasting a smaller form-factor than its predecessor the 9104, this fully integrated AP and antenna package brings some compelling innovations to bear on some issues that can feel fairly pedestrian. Firstly, integrated software controlled high-gain antennas allow us to choose between a narrow long-shot for coverage (think, deploying an AP in the rafters to cover a large seating area), and a shallower, but wider cell (think, deploying an AP in an auditorium on a sidewall). Couple these two options with the environmental pack and you now have an AP that can be used for standard power (read up on AFC here) and even FCC authorized outdoor use! This AP enables solutions that are pervasive Wi-Fi 7 throughout some of the most challenging environments. 

In the Wi-Fi industry however, we know it's more than just APs that make our networks go. From the new C9350 Smart Switches (discussed elsewhere in this article) to the newly launched Campus Gateway (CG) for cloud managed networks. The Campus Gateway slots into large campus networks that want to leverage the power of the Meraki dashboard and cloud management. If you're familiar with the Catalyst 9800 series of controllers, you're about halfway to a good understanding of what the CG is all about. If you've ever built a large campus network that's had to support seamless mobility from edge to edge, you've had to address data plane scaling issues. Commonly, this is done by either stretching big Layer 2 VLANs all over your campus or by tunneling all of your traffic (regardless of where or how the AP is connected to your network) and aggregating it all into one seamless roaming experience. The CG accomplishes exactly this latter function, but without some of the heavier burdens that commonly come with controllers. The onboarding and management experience of the CG is wholly different than it's parentage (the Catalyst 9800 WLC), in that you don't actually have to deal with policies, profiles, or really any of the other classic 9800 configuration models. All driven by the dashboard, a simple to deploy yet high-scale data plane aggregator is the cornerstone of a cloud-deployed campus network and can support up to 5,000 APs, 50,000 clients, and up to 200 Gpbs of throughput. These place the CG squarely in the high-performant large-scale campus aggregating, supporting the size and scale of Wi-Fi 7 and beyond. 

Nathan Nielsen, Principal Solutions Architect

Wow, what a week! I spent more time in the Whisper suites than in the breakouts this year, and the insights from the business unit/product teams were enlightening. With the convergence of product families like Catalyst and Meraki, and the overlap of others (e.g., Secure Router/Secure Firewall), the overall vision, strategy and end state were initially unclear to me. If I had to choose one word to describe my key takeaways, it would be "clarification." 

The announcements of AI Canvas, Agentic AI, Intelligent Packet Flow, AI-Ready Hardware, and others were incredibly exciting and game-changing. However, since other attendees will cover these in depth, I wanted to focus on my "clarifying" moments. 

Many Cisco customers and partners, including myself, often struggle to understand what is replacing what, where features are going, and the differences between overlapping products. In short, Cisco is considering all its customers and doesn't want to eliminate options that might exclude anyone. For instance, the Meraki dashboard will not replace Catalyst Center because integrating all Catalyst Center capabilities into the Meraki dashboard would compromise the simplicity that many customers desire. Conversely, some customers have complex networking scenarios that require a platform like Catalyst Center to manage and orchestrate numerous moving parts. 

Regarding feature overlap in hardware platforms, many core features and functionalities will be common across environments. However, integrating all features of a router, firewall and switch into one box would over-complicate things for customers. Similarly, some customers need standard features and functionality but also require a focus on specific features, like high-throughput SD-WAN with NGFW capabilities. For this reason, the look and feel will get much closer between management platforms and specific product lines, but the specific use cases will be taken into account, and an option should exist for each one of them. 

In conclusion, Cisco Live 2025 was a whirlwind of innovation and clarity. While the convergence and overlap of product lines initially seemed daunting, the insights provided by Cisco's teams have illuminated their strategic direction. Cisco's commitment to accommodating diverse customer needs without sacrificing simplicity or functionality is commendable. As we move forward, it's clear that Cisco is not just keeping pace with technological advancements but is actively shaping the future of networking. I look forward to seeing how these developments and unification initiatives continue to unfold. 

Bryan Ussery, Technical Solutions Architect

What an exciting Cisco Live! This was my first time using just the explorer pass, but it transformed my experience from being Cisco technology session-centric to more of a customer and partner-focused effort. 

In a partnership with both Cisco and AWS I was honored to speak at both AWS's booth and WWT's booth about the integration of Cisco SD-WAN with AWS and, more specifically, AWS's new Cloud Wan Service. In both sessions the seats for attendance were maxed out and quite a few customers stayed around for Q&A sessions afterwards. As more and more enterprises are looking to use the cloud for compute hosting services the need for substantial global cloud networking options has also arisen. AWS Cloud WAN aims to try and provide a faster, more available long-haul WAN service than is typically done with MPLS or DCIs today. I have written a Post-Live blog about this very topic: Cisco SD-WAN with AWS Cloud WAN.

The rest of my time at Cisco Live was largely taken up by customer and Whisper suite meetings. I held some meetings with previous customers about the trajectory of their network transformations. Many early adopters of SD-WAN are still using vEdge and/or routing platforms like the ISR 1100-6G. These platforms, while game-changing when they came out, are now becoming hardware limited in the features they can perform. There is also an avalanche of ISR4ks, arguably one of the greatest enterprise class routers of all time, about to go end of life/end of support.

In response to these opportunities Cisco unveiled its new Gen 2 Secure Router series (8100–8500), marking a significant evolution in its SD-WAN portfolio:

1. Native SD-WAN and SASE support: These routers come with native Cisco SD-WAN capabilities, simplifying deployments across branches and data centers. Integrated Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) features enable seamless policy enforcement and secure cloud access without additional hardware.
2. Built-in security with post-quantum protection: Cisco embedded post-quantum cryptography into the platform, preparing for future threats with IPsec and MACsec quantum-resilient encryption. The 8100–8500 routers also support Live Protect, enabling real-time threat mitigation without downtime.
3. High-performance edge connectivity: With up to 3x throughput compared to legacy ISR/ASR models, the new series supports multi-gigabit WAN links, 5G and cloud-scale VPNs — ideal for AI workloads, high-density sites and smart edge deployments.
4. Unified operations and AI-driven insights: Managed via Cisco SD-WAN Manager (vManage) and tightly integrated with ThousandEyes and Splunk, these routers bring observability, automation and assurance into a single pane of glass. They also leverage AgenticOps to enable AI-driven troubleshooting and intent-based operations.

To conclude, at Cisco Live I met with some of our Federal Department of Defense customers which, like our commercial clients, are mainly using the ISR 4k platforms today. The DoD and defense agencies in general have struggled to adopt SD-WAN due to their highly "air-gapped" nature and the limited availability of high security FedRamp cloud certifications.  

Cisco sees these customers and wants DoD agencies to take advantage of all that SD-WAN offers. Cisco SD-WAN is now certified with an ATO at the FedRamp Moderate level. Word on the whisper street (but not official yet) is that Cisco is seeking IL-5 FedRamp certification* for SD-WAN, which would break down a significant barriers preventing many agencies from adopting SD-WAN.  

• *DoD Impact Level 5 (IL5): FedRAMP Moderate ATO does not equate to DoD Impact Level 5 (IL5) certification. IL5 is a higher security standard used for handling sensitive government data such as CUI (controlled unclassified information) that requires greater protection than the Moderate level.

Cisco also emphasized SD‑WAN's versatility in Federal and industrial environments. A dedicated demo showcased deploying Cisco SD‑WAN overlay networks in air‑gapped or isolated OT networks, including full/partial air-gap setups without cloud connectivity and making use of the new on-prem ZTP service.