The Cisco Partner Summit took place last week, November 3–5, at the San Diego Convention Center and we were there! Focused on the theme “Powering the Digital and AI Era,” the event centered on Cisco’s strategy to address the growing gap between AI ambition and infrastructure readiness. The 2025 AI Readiness Index, released during the summit, shows that only 28% of organizations believe their current systems can support AI at scale. This data point framed much of the discussion, emphasizing the need for secure, scalable, and efficient infrastructure.
Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins opened the event by describing the AI transition as one of the largest technology shifts in decades, with potential economic impact in the trillions. He stressed that networking, security, and compute must evolve together to support distributed AI workloads—especially at the edge, where low latency and real-time processing are critical.
A central announcement was Cisco IQ, an AI-driven operations platform that unifies data from Splunk, ThousandEyes, and Intersight. The system provides predictive analytics, automated issue detection, and full-stack observability across hybrid environments. Live demonstrations showed Cisco IQ identifying performance degradation in a retail supply chain, forecasting capacity needs, and triggering automated adjustments before disruptions occurred. Another example highlighted energy optimization in a data center, reducing power consumption by dynamically scaling resources based on workload patterns.
The platform integrates with existing Cisco tools and supports third-party data sources, making it adaptable to diverse IT environments. Its focus is on turning telemetry into operational decisions—helping IT teams move from reactive troubleshooting to proactive management.
Another major reveal was Cisco Unified Edge, a new infrastructure platform designed specifically for distributed AI. It combines networking, compute, storage, and security into a single edge-optimized system. The architecture supports low-latency AI inference for applications like autonomous systems, industrial automation, and real-time analytics.
In one demo, a warehouse robot used edge-based AI to detect an obstacle, reroute its path, and update inventory systems—all within milliseconds. The platform achieved up to 68% lower latency compared to cloud-only inference in benchmark tests. Security is built in via a Splunk-powered fabric that enforces zero-trust policies without compromising performance.
Cisco also expanded its training curriculum with new AI-focused certifications in edge infrastructure and predictive operations. These programs include hands-on labs using Cisco IQ and Unified Edge, aimed at building practical deployment skills.
Sustainability was a recurring topic. Sessions showed how AI-optimized networking can lower energy use in large deployments. One case study detailed a global enterprise that reduced data center power consumption by 22% after implementing dynamic resource scaling with Cisco IQ.
Demo stations throughout the venue featured practical applications:
On-demand replays of all keynotes and technical sessions are now available through Cisco’s Transform portal.
The summit made one thing clear: AI isn’t just about models and algorithms—it’s about the infrastructure that enables them to run reliably, securely, and efficiently at scale. Cisco IQ and Unified Edge represent concrete steps toward that goal, with immediate relevance for organizations planning AI deployments in 2026 and beyond.
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