Cisco Unveils Secure Network Architecture: New Smart Switches, Secure Routers and WiFi7 Access Points

[Nomad76]

Cisco today unveiled a new network architecture to power the campus, branch, and industrial networks of the future. The new architecture delivers unmatched operational simplicity through unified management, next-generation networking devices purpose-built for AI workloads, and advanced security capabilities embedded into the network.

Cisco is setting a new standard for how organizations navigate the challenges of skyrocketing traffic, rising cyber threats, and critical uptime requirements created as enterprises rush to harness the potential of AI in the workplace. According to the Cisco IT Networking Leader Survey, 97% of businesses believe they need to upgrade their networks to make AI and IoT initiatives successful, and the stakes are high: a single severe outage can inflict nearly $160 billion in losses globally. Faced with these challenges, IT teams need a new approach to scale operations, reduce downtime, and unlock new levels of efficiency and innovation.

"As AI transforms work, it fuels explosive traffic growth across campus, branch, and industrial networks, overwhelming IT teams with complexity and novel security risks at a time when downtime has never been more costly," said Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer, Cisco. "With a new architecture, breakthrough devices optimized for AI, and AgenticOps, we're leapfrogging the industry and reimagining how networks are managed and secured."

Simplifying Operations with Unified Management and AgenticOps
Operational complexity is among the greatest challenges facing IT teams today. Cisco's unified management platform addresses this by bringing together management of Meraki and Catalyst devices, along with support for next-gen wireless, switching, routing, and industrial networks—all in a single platform that supports any cloud, on-prem, or hybrid deployment.

Cisco's unified management platform is further differentiated by ThousandEyes assurance—which now extends to mobile endpoints, and industrial IoT—and delivers deeper, more actionable visibility into enterprise networks and Microsoft Azure. A new ThousandEyes and Splunk integration adds real-time insights from network to application. This multilayered approach delivers comprehensive assurance and observability across both owned and unowned infrastructure, helping ensure consistent performance and operational resilience.

Supercharging the platform is AgenticOps, Cisco's AI-driven approach to running modern IT operations that turns real-time telemetry, automation, and deep domain expertise into intelligent, end-to-end actions—at machine speed and with IT teams still in control. Cisco's AgenticOps capabilities are powered by a new Deep Network Model—a domain-specific LLM trained on decades of Cisco expertise, from CCIE-level content to Cisco U. courseware.

The Deep Network Model also powers the Cisco AI Assistant, a natural language interface that identifies issues, diagnoses root causes, and automates workflows. The result is AI that understands networks and works the way IT does, reducing task time from hours to minutes. Also, Cisco is introducing the all-new AI Canvas, a new AgenticOps capability, a generative AI user interface for customer dashboards that enables NetOps, SecOps, and DevOps teams to collaborate, optimize operations, and reduce IT strain.

Next-Gen Network Devices Designed to Scale for AI
To meet the unprecedented demands AI workloads will place on networks, Cisco is unveiling purpose-built hardware that delivers low latency, high capacity, and robust security for the AI-powered enterprise. Each device is tailored to meet the specific demands of its environment:

• New Cisco C9350 and C9610 Smart Switches to Power Campus Networks: Cisco is launching a new generation of Cisco Smart Switches, powered by Silicon One, that delivers up to 51.2Tbps of throughput, below 5 microsecond latency and quantum-resistant secure networking to power high-stakes AI applications.
• New Cisco 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400 and 8500 Secure Routers: As AI transforms branch operations and customer interactions, new Cisco Secure Routers offer native SD-WAN and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) integration, next-generation firewall (NGFW), and post-quantum security into a single-box WAN solution—with up to three times the throughput of previous generations.
• Expanded Wireless Portfolio: Cisco is extending its Wi-Fi 7 portfolio with the Cisco Wireless 9179F Series Access Points for stadiums and large venues, and is delivering seamless, cloud-managed roaming for large campuses with the new Cisco Campus Gateway.
• Expanded Industrial Portfolio: To meet the rigorous performance and reliability demands of industrial AI use cases, Cisco is introducing new ruggedized switches in a variety of form factors to support applications including visual quality inspections and autonomous mobile robots. Additionally, new critical wireless use cases are now connected with the integration of Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul (URWB) together with Wi-Fi technology in a single access point.

Security Integrated Seamlessly into the Network
Today's enterprise networks face a complex and dynamic security landscape. To combat these continually evolving threats, Cisco is integrating advanced security seamlessly into the network, and is unveiling new protections across three critical layers:

• Securing Network Infrastructure: New Cisco Live Protect provides kernel-level compensating controls, block exploits and defend campus switches and routers—without requiring reimaging or downtime.
• Defending Data in Transit: To safeguard data in transit, Cisco has added post-quantum-ready MACsec, WAN MACsec, and IPsec encryption to defend against "harvest-now, decrypt-later" attacks. In addition, the new Cisco C9000 Smart Switches are Hypershield-ready. This will help enhance network segmentation to contain threats at machine speed.
• Protecting Users, Endpoints, and Applications: Starting from a strong foundation of microsegmentation, AI-powered device classification, and common policy, Cisco is extending protections for every device and application connected across the network. With intelligence from Cisco Identity Services Engine, Cyber Vision, and Cisco Talos combined with Cisco Secure Access SSE, organizations can enforce security effectively at every point in the network.

"Organizations are at a critical juncture. The promise of AI is immense, but the reality is that existing enterprise networks are simply not equipped to handle the scale, security, and reliability requirements that AI demands," said Matt Eastwood, IDC. "Cisco's new secure network architecture marks a critical evolution in networking and provides a future-ready foundation for enterprises to confidently embrace AI without sacrificing performance or security."

Availability
With hardware orderable this month through Cisco or Cisco certified partners, this new architecture is powered by a single platform, with unified management, licensing and support, and the flexibility to deploy in the cloud, hybrid, or on-premises. The unified management platform is available now, Cisco AI Assistant is in public beta, and Cisco AI Canvas will be tested with select customers this fall.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[bonehead123]

"Unified" usually means vendor lock-in....with proprietary stuff, which in simpler terms translates to: "pay us for every device, every connection, every client & every step along the way, or we will brick your sh^t from afar, and there won't be crap you can do about it....

EXCEPT....pay me, you fickle biotchies...

I sincerely hope this is not the case here, but knowing some of the crap I've heard about their tactics in the past, it would not surprise me one bit

 

[Nomad76]

I sincerely hope this is not the case here, but knowing some of the crap I've heard about their tactics in the past, it would not surprise me one bit

I also hope this isn't the case, but if it turns out that way, it won't be a "big" surprise either..

 

[dir_d]

I know the new 9350 has adopted the Meraki licensing model. Licensing is per device as well no more perpetual licensing. It can be a AP controller like the other Meraki switches as well.

 

[remixedcat]

"Unified" usually means vendor lock-in....with proprietary stuff, which in simpler terms translates to: "pay us for every device, every connection, every client & every step along the way, or we will brick your sh^t from afar, and there won't be crap you can do about it....

EXCEPT....pay me, you fickle biotchies...

I sincerely hope this is not the case here, but knowing some of the crap I've heard about their tactics in the past, it would not surprise me one bit

Cisco/Meraki yes
Ubiquiti no

With Ubiquiti is all local control w optional remote management thru Ubiquiti's ui web redirect to your own hosted console. No subscription unless you get the cybersecure additional signatures addon and it's 99/yr vs meraki's 450 a year for the mx64 and ms2208p i had

I switched to Ubiquiti UCG-ULTRA and USW-ULTRA-60W to replace those merakis and still saved 100 bucks. And no renewal software license w Ubiquiti. You buy it it's yours! The controller is hosted on your own device locally!

And you have several methods to control. A cloud gateway which is a router and your unifi controller, a cloud key usb/poe stick that hosts your controller, or software that runs on your pc that hosts the controller. Their UXG line needs an external controller like the ones I mentioned. But the UCG line has controller built in.

 

[Prima.Vera]

Did they launch any new very low latency switches?

 

[remixedcat]

Did they launch any new very low latency switches?

I think so. They also have aggregation ones too

 

[loztagainman]

Cisco/Meraki yes
Ubiquiti no

With Ubiquiti is all local control w optional remote management thru Ubiquiti's ui web redirect to your own hosted console. No subscription unless you get the cybersecure additional signatures addon and it's 99/yr vs meraki's 450 a year for the mx64 and ms2208p i had

I switched to Ubiquiti UCG-ULTRA and USW-ULTRA-60W to replace those merakis and still saved 100 bucks. And no renewal software license w Ubiquiti. You buy it it's yours! The controller is hosted on your own device locally!

And you have several methods to control. A cloud gateway which is a router and your unifi controller, a cloud key usb/poe stick that hosts your controller, or software that runs on your pc that hosts the controller. Their UXG line needs an external controller like the ones I mentioned. But the UCG line has controller built in.

Why are you comparing Ubiquiti to Cisco? They aren't even close. You aren't anywhere near close on feature sets.... It's like saying "Oh, you use a customised pick up for your work as an arborist? Why not just buy this Kia Pico? It's great!"

 

[remixedcat]

Why are you comparing Ubiquiti to Cisco? They aren't even close. You aren't anywhere near close on feature sets.... It's like saying "Oh, you use a customised pick up for your work as an arborist? Why not just buy this Kia Pico? It's great!"

I was addressing a Unified approach is not always locked into the way Cisco does things, not a direct comparison between the two. Since ubiquiti unifi has single pain of glass management across the whole range.

 

[loztagainman]

I was addressing a Unified approach is not always locked into the way Cisco does things, not a direct comparison between the two. Since ubiquiti unifi has single pain of glass management across the whole range.

yes, and as per my comment that's not a comparison that makes any sense. If you said Juniper or something, fair enough. Instead you are talking about a platform that most in my space consider to be "prosumer". The features aren't even at a 1/10.

 

[remixedcat]

yes, and as per my comment that's not a comparison that makes any sense. If you said Juniper or something, fair enough. Instead you are talking about a platform that most in my space consider to be "prosumer". The features aren't even at a 1/10.

Well Cisco meraki doesn't have a real zone based firewall, which for the price they charge should have had from the get go. My UCG-ULTRA which was 120 bucks has one. The firewall rules are way more granular on the UCG-ULTRA vs the mx64. Juniper is part of HP now and it's gotten more pricey and more locked in like Cisco is

 

[loztagainman]

Well Cisco meraki doesn't have a real zone based firewall, which for the price they charge should have had from the get go. My UCG-ULTRA which was 120 bucks has one. The firewall rules are way more granular on the UCG-ULTRA vs the mx64. Juniper is part of HP now and it's gotten more pricey and more locked in like Cisco is

Meraki is a slither of Cisco.... you aren't comparing similar things here.

 

[remixedcat]

Meraki is a slither of Cisco.... you aren't comparing similar things here.

They target similar markets.

 

[loztagainman]

They target similar markets.

Only meraki. A tiny slither of their market. And lets face it, that's before you start to get into what Cisco provide support wise. Unifi aren't even close. It's literally like comparing a small green grocer to a wallmart.

 

[remixedcat]

Only meraki. A tiny slither of their market. And lets face it, that's before you start to get into what Cisco provide support wise. Unifi aren't even close. It's literally like comparing a small green grocer to a wallmart.

Well if you have good enough networking skills the only support you really need is someone to RMA a defective or bricked unit.

And that can be easily done w Ubiquiti and you can buy a cold spare and it is still cheaper than cisco/meraki is. Then when the unit you're using kicks a bucket you can just fire up a cold spare and then RMA the other one. That's the only support you need if you got good networking skills. That and bug reporting.

 

[loztagainman]

Well if you have good enough networking skills the only support you really need is someone to RMA a defective or bricked unit.

And that can be easily done w Ubiquiti and you can buy a cold spare and it is still cheaper than cisco/meraki is. Then when the unit you're using kicks a bucket you can just fire up a cold spare and then RMA the other one. That's the only support you need if you got good networking skills. That and bug reporting.

I once trouble shooted a problem with 802.1x on ubiquiti wifi where devices sent logoff requests and weren't logged off the wifi. Ubi just didn't care.

Also, no.... i'm running equipment like nexus chassis, multiple line cards, physical AAA boxes in their dozens, switches in virtual stacks, physical stacks, firewalls doing 40gbps of IDS/IPS in HA, devices in highly redundant configurations. It's not good enough to just rely on RMA and cold spares, I need 4 hour turn arounds on some of this kit because we need to maintain that resiliency. And by the way, that's before we even start talking about the features I am using that Ubi just cannot offer... You seem to be talking about exactly what I mean, prosumer. I don't even like Cisco, but to try and say Unifi is a replacement for Cisco kit, feature set, service, and quality, is just absolute nonsense.

 

[Eva01Master]

Well if you have good enough networking skills the only support you really need is someone to RMA a defective or bricked unit.

And that can be easily done w Ubiquiti and you can buy a cold spare and it is still cheaper than cisco/meraki is. Then when the unit you're using kicks a bucket you can just fire up a cold spare and then RMA the other one. That's the only support you need if you got good networking skills. That and bug reporting.

This is true just up to a certain size of network, with a low complexity; what the proper array of Catalyst and Nexus offer is waaay beyond what you can resolve if that's your plan for mitigation. It's not an attack, I'm Cisco cert in multiple paths and right now my network is running in Ubiquiti because it doesn't demand anything greater than, but oranges and apples.

 

[loztagainman]

This is true just up to a certain size of network, with a low complexity; what the proper array of Catalyst and Nexus offer is waaay beyond what you can resolve if that's your plan for mitigation. It's not an attack, I'm Cisco cert in multiple paths and right now my network is running in Ubiquiti because it doesn't demand anything greater than, but oranges and apples.

Precisely. I'm not trying to be a snob here, but it's an absurd comparison. Ducati happen to make bicycles. Surely that means they are the same as the bicylce brand Giant, right? I need a motorcycle with 200+ horsepower and advanced electronics... Giant surely offer such a thing, right? They make bicycles.

 

[remixedcat]

look guys I think you are missing my original point.... just because you have a unified interface doesn't mean you are locked into expensive support contracts and them bricking your device if you don't pay an expensive license for. That was my whole point. Yall went off on this comparison tangent unnecessarily.

ubiquiti pulls off one app and one UI to manage your whole network, and having remote access to configure network settings, without a pricey license that bricks your devices if you don't pay every year. yall though that having one unified user interface and manager requires a pricey contract.

 

[loztagainman]

look guys I think you are missing my original point.... just because you have a unified interface doesn't mean you are locked into expensive support contracts and them bricking your device if you don't pay an expensive license for. That was my whole point. Yall went off on this comparison tangent unnecessarily.

ubiquiti pulls off one app and one UI to manage your whole network, and having remote access to configure network settings, without a pricey license that bricks your devices if you don't pay every year. yall though that having one unified user interface and manager requires a pricey contract.

even cisco's bottom end is higher than ubis highest... i don't particularly like their license model, but you are simply not comparing things apples to apples

 

[remixedcat]

even cisco's bottom end is higher than ubis highest... i don't particularly like their license model, but you are simply not comparing things apples to apples

Did you even read my post at all?

"Unified" usually means vendor lock-in....with proprietary stuff, which in simpler terms translates to: "pay us for every device, every connection, every client & every step along the way, or we will brick your sh^t from afar, and there won't be crap you can do about it....

This was the post I referenced @loztagainman

 

[loztagainman]

Did you even read my post at all?


This was the post I referenced @loztagainman

Yes. You switched to Ubiquiti because you didn't need basically anything that Cisco offers, then promoted it as a replacement in what seemed like an advert, not realising that only SOHO and tiny simple networks (small hotels for instance) can do that switch. If you switched to Ubiquiti from Cisco, it's because you barely needed a network. Even that "single pane of glass" the crappy Unifi GUI offers, didn't use to support any of the features some of their other kit Ubiquiti provided.

You then went on to defend them as targeting "similar markets" of which only meraki even comes close to that, but even then the features of the meraki far outstrips ubiquiti, so no, it's not really a switch that makes sense if you need any of those features.

You then claimed that if you had sufficient network skills this somehow paved over all the issues with a potential switch from Cisco to Ubi. Patently absurd thing to say, which suggests to me you aren't using any of the features of some modern networks - which is completely fine, btw, it's horses for course. Just don't sit there and think others are not. If I had to build someone's campus network, I'm not going to be switching them Ubi from Cisco. If my mate Mike wants a guest wifi system, and two small networks for staff and servers divided by barely a firewall, then maybe Ubi is on the table. And yeah, in Mike's probably ok with just RMA process, and your company having loads of spares on hand for cheap switches.

Finally you circle back to your peice again, where you don't realise that despite the licensing bs, you are basically not making a sane comparison. And please, I'm not trying to be mean here, but they just aren't comparable. If you are moving to Ubi from Cisco, licensing wasn't the reason, and if it was, you were oversold in the first place. You didn't need the features, nor the support that Cisco can offer. And once again, I don't even LIKE Cisco... I don't want to defend this company.

 

[remixedcat]

I'm done with this conversation. Sigh.