Cisco's unified SASE now integrates with its Viptela SD-WAN

Cisco’s unified SASE solution, Cisco+ Secure Connect, now supports integration into Cisco SD-WAN fabrics using Viptela technology. The unified solution converges networking and security to provide customers with a single platform and a streamlined operational model that simplifies and scales the visibility, management and control over a hybrid work environment. Cisco says its converged operating model also provides IT teams with enhanced visibility and control over the network, making the experience easy for them to manage.

Two additional news items from this week's Cisco Live event in Amsterdam:

• Cisco introduced new cloud services in IoT Operations Dashboard to increase industrial asset visibility, securely manage assets from anywhere and provide Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) customers with a seamless path to cloud automation for Operational Technology (OT) teams.
• Cisco ThousandEyes introduced support for OpenTelemetry, unlocking internet and cloud intelligence across a wide range of monitoring and IT platforms for expanded visibility, correlated insights and optimized digital experiences.

https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2023/m02/cisco-connects-and-protects-with-new-cloud-tools-across-networking-security-and-operations-to-provide-greater-visibility-and-control-over-networks.html

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T-Mobile builds cloud native 5G converged core with Cisco

T-Mobile US has deployed what is described as the world’s largest highly scalable and distributed nationwide cloud native converged core gateway using Cisco’s flagship networking solutions including the Cisco 8000 Series routers, 5G and 4G packet core gateways, Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS), and Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches with Cisco Network Services Orchestrator for full stack automation.   

The fully automated converged core architecture is based on Cisco’s cloud native control plane, optimized with Kubernetes orchestrated containers on bare metal, freeing up over 20% of the CPU (Central Processing Unit) cores. 

“T-Mobile customers already have access to the largest, most powerful 5G network in the country, and we’re innovating every day to supercharge their experience even further,” said Delan Beah, Senior Vice President of Core Network and Services Engineering at T-Mobile. “This cloud native core gateway takes our network to new heights, allowing us to push 5G forward by delivering next-level performance for consumers and businesses nationwide while setting the stage for new applications enabled by next-gen networks.”

“Our strategic relationship with T-Mobile is rooted in co-innovation, with a shared vision to establish best practices for 5G and the Internet for the Future,” said Masum Mir, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Networking Provider Mobility. “This is the type of network every operator aspires to. It will support the most advanced 5G applications for consumers and businesses today and enables T-Mobile to test and deliver new and emerging 5G and IoT applications with simplicity at scale.”

https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2022/m12/t-mobile-and-cisco-launch-world-largest-cloud-native-converged-core-gateway.html

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Cisco posts quarterly sales of $13.6B, up 6% yoy

Citing an “easing supply situation,” Cisco reported first quarter revenue of $13.6 billion, up 6% year-over-year, net income (GAAP) of $2.7 billion or $0.65 per share, and non-GAAP net income of $3.5 billion or $0.86 per share.

“Our fiscal 2023 is off to a good start as we delivered the largest quarterly revenue and second highest quarterly non-GAAP earnings per share in our history,” said Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco. “These results demonstrate the relevance of our strategy, our differentiated innovation, and our unique position to help our customers become more resilient.”

“We delivered strong results in Q1 and continued to make progress on our business transformation,” said Scott Herren, CFO of Cisco. “Our annualized recurring revenue increased to more than $23 billion, with product ARR growing 12%. This, together with our significant backlog, strong RPO, and easing supply situation, provides us with great visibility and predictability, and supports our increased full year guidance.”

Highlights

• Product revenue up 8% and service revenue was flat. 
• Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR) was $23.2B, up 7% y/y; Product ARR up 12% y/y o Software revenue of $3.9B, up 5% y/y; Software subscription revenue up 11% y/y
• Revenue by geographic segment was: Americas up 5%, EMEA up 11%, and APJC was flat. 
• Product revenue performance was led by growth in Secure, Agile Networks up 12%, End-to-End Security up 9%, and Optimized Application Experiences up 7%. Internet for the Future was down 5% and Collaboration was down 2%.
• On a GAAP basis, total gross margin, product gross margin, and service gross margin were 61.2%, 59.2%, and 67.3%, respectively, as compared with 62.4%, 61.5%, and 65.2%, respectively, in the first quarter of fiscal 2022.
• On a non-GAAP basis, total gross margin, product gross margin, and service gross margin were 63.0%, 61.0%, and 68.8%, respectively, as compared with 64.5%, 63.8%, and 66.5%, respectively, in the first quarter of fiscal 2022.
• Total gross margins by geographic segment were: 63.0% for the Americas, 63.3% for EMEA and 62.3% for APJC.

https://investor.cisco.com/home/default.aspx

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Cisco to open silicon design center in Barcelona

Cisco  announced plans to launch a center for the design of next generation semiconductor devices in Spain.  The announcement was made by Chuck Robbins, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Cisco, in a meeting with H.E. Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain.

Specifically, Cisco plans to set up an engineering design center to design and prototype next generation semiconductor devices, under the framework of the Spanish strategic project for the Recovery and Economic Transformation of Microelectronics and Semiconductors (PERTE Microchip). The center will be co-located with the Cisco Innovation Center in Barcelona.

“Spain is on the way to become a key player in achieving the EU objective of reaching 20% of the world chip market by 2030. We have approved the program PERTE Microchip and have the roadmap, reforms and incentives in place to attract talent and strengthen the current Spanish ecosystem,” commented Pedro Sánchez. "The dedication of companies like Cisco will help strengthen our innovation ecosystem and be at the forefront of technological, industrial and social progress."

“Technology has the ability to help countries further their social and economic development and move even closer to an inclusive future for all. Today’s announcement reinforces Cisco’s commitment to support the digital ecosystem in Spain and across Europe,” Chuck Robbins said. “Semiconductors are essential to so much innovation, and our advances in this field help overcome the performance, economic, and power consumption limitations of current infrastructure. Cisco is thrilled to take an active role in addressing semiconductor supplies with the development of this design center, and we are also excited to be able to leverage talent across the globe and truly help build the internet of the future.”

https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2022/m11/cisco-to-launch-new-design-center-in-spain-for-next-generation-semiconductor-devices.html

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Cisco adds Sarah Rae Murphy to its board

Cisco announced the appointment of Sarah Rae Murphy to its board of directors. 

Murphy served in several executive roles during her 16 years at United Airlines, most recently as chief procurement officer and senior vice president of Global Sourcing. 

In addition to Murphy, Cisco board members include: M. Michele Burns, Wesley G. Bush, Michael D. Capellas, Mark Garrett, John D. Harris II, Dr. Kristina M. Johnson, Roderick C. McGeary, Chuck Robbins, Brenton L. Saunders, Dr. Lisa Su, and Marianna Tessel. 

http://www.cisco.com

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Cisco reports revenue of $13.1B, record product orders

Citing strong demand with record full year product orders and backlog, Cisco reported fourth quarter total revenue of $13.1 billion, flat compared with a year earlier. GAAP operating income was $3.4 billion, down4%, with GAAP operating margin of 26.2%. Non-GAAP operating income was $4.2 billion, down 4%, with non-GAAP operating margin at 32.4%.

Revenue by geographic segment was: Americas down 3%, EMEA up 8%, and APJC down 2%. 

Product revenue performance was led by growth in End-to-End Security up 20%, Optimized Application Experiences up 8%, and Collaboration up 2%. Secure, Agile Networks was down 1% and Internet for the Future was down 10%.

On a GAAP basis, total gross margin, product gross margin, and service gross margin were 61.3%, 59.1%, and 67.5%, respectively, as compared with 63.6%, 62.7%, and 66.2%, respectively, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021.

"We had a strong end to our fiscal year thanks to our Q4 performance. Our teams executed well in the midst of an incredibly dynamic environment, resulting in the highest full year non-GAAP earnings per share in the history of the company," said Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco. "Full year product orders and backlog are both at record highs and reflect the strong demand we continue to see for our innovation and the overall value we bring to our customers as they accelerate their digital transformation."

"Total revenue exceeded our expectations in Q4, as a result of our strong execution and the numerous initiatives we have taken to reduce the impact of the global supply situation," said Scott Herren, CFO of Cisco. "Our operational discipline is reflected in our healthy operating margin and strong cash flow generation, enabling us to return nearly $4 billion to our shareholders in Q4. And we continue to make good progress in our business model transformation with RPO of over $31 billion, which, coupled with our record backlog, provide us with substantial visibility and confidence in our future revenue."

For its full FY 2022 fiscal year, Cisco total revenue amounted to $51.6 billion, an increase of 3%. On a GAAP basis, net income was $11.8 billion, an increase of 12%, and EPS was $2.82, an increase of 13%. On a non-GAAP basis, net income was $14.1 billion, an increase of 3% compared to fiscal 2021, and EPS was $3.36,  an increase of 4%.

https://s2.q4cdn.com/951347115/files/doc_presentations/2022/08/Q4FY22-Cisco-Earnings-Slides.pdf

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Cisco intros Webex Wholesale for Service Providers

Cisco launched a new Webex Wholesale Route-to-Market (RTM) for Service Provider. 

The new sales model includes a single commercial agreement with each partner and a self-service platform for Service Providers to deliver managed services for Webex, as well as the agility, scalability and flexibility to create their own co-branded offers.

The Wholesale partner program features consumption-based billing with fixed, predictable per-user/per-month package pricing and equips Service Providers with several invoicing options. The partner onboarding experience includes dedicated Cisco experts, paired with comprehensive online training and a robust set of migration and marketing toolkits to drive market demand and serve SMB customers.

Initial managed services packages for Webex that are available through the Wholesale RTM include:

• Webex Calling: Enterprise-grade calling and advanced collaboration with features for 1:1 and group messaging, file-sharing, and secure basic video conferencing for up to 100 users, for a complete PBX replacement, including multi-device support, visual voicemail, intelligent call routing and more.
• Common Area Calling: Calling built for shared use and common area locations and phones.
• Webex Meetings: A premium meeting and messaging experience with meetings allowing up to 1000 users. Also includes AI-driven intelligence with Webex Assistant, Slido, remote desktop control, moderator controls and more.
• Webex Suite: Encompasses all the above with premium calling, messaging and meetings, plus advanced features that are engaging and inclusive.

"By tapping into the brand power of respected Service Providers and combining it with our inclusive Webex technology, rapid innovation, and complete collaboration portfolio, we are creating winning partnerships that address the communication needs of small and medium-sized businesses and help them thrive in a hybrid work world," said Jeetu Patel, Cisco EVP and GM, Security & Collaboration.

https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2022/m07/cisco-equips-service-provider-partners-with-new-managed-services-offering-for-webex.html

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Cisco boosts its Routed Optical Networking solutions

Cisco is rolling out a number of enhancements to its Routed Optical Networking portfolio with new products and features, including a new Cisco NCS 1010 open optical line system, Bright ZR/ZR+ pluggable optics, and expansion of Cisco Crosswork Automation portfolio.   

"Cisco is committed to powering an inclusive future for all, where everyone has access to quality internet, and that requires fundamental changes in networking,” said Bill Gartner, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Optical Systems and Optics, Cisco. “Cisco Routed Optical Networking takes a less is more approach, offering communication service providers the critical components they need to speed transitions to a more efficient way of building and operating networks, reducing legacy technology and focusing on sustainable components that will save money and save the environment." 

Enhanced Capabilities for Cisco Routed Optical Networking include: 

• NCS 1010 Open Optical Line System for Optimized Transport: Designed to scale for capacity at speed, the Cisco NCS 1010 leverages both C and L-band to double fiber capacity; Powered by the Cisco IOS-XR operating system, it is an open networking platform to help customers deploy Cisco Routed Optical Networking in both green and brown field deployments. 
• New Bright 400G ZR/ZR+ Pluggable Optic: The Bright 400G ZR/ZR+ pluggable optic can be deployed in any DWDM network, regardless of vendor. 
• Private Line Emulation: Standardized private line emulation (PLE) will support the move of legacy bit transparent services over an IP/MPLS infrastructure. 
• Cisco Crosswork Network Automation: Cisco Crosswork Automation now provides multi-layer automation for assurance and provisioning, and optical automation for Cisco’s entire optical portfolio. 
• Sustainability: Cisco networking analysis and modelling shows improved solution sustainability with up to 45% in power savings and up to 70% space savings. 
• New Cisco Customer Experience (CX) Advisory Service: Cisco CX is providing advisory, planning, solution validation, and expanded support services to help customers with their architecture transitions. 

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/service-provider/routed-optical-networking/index.html#~what-is-routed-optical-networking

Cisco's P100 routing silicon brings 112G SerDes and 19.2 Tbps

Monday, October 25, 2021  Cisco, Routing, Silicon  

Cisco has begun sampling its latest P100 routing silicon, the 11th device in the Cisco Silicon One family which debuted in December 2019.The 7nm Cisco Silicon One P100 boasts the industry’s first 112G Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) high bandwidth routing silicon, achieving full-duplex 19.2 Tbps of capacity. It features Cisco's second-generation P4 run-to-completion engine coupled with large table scale and deep buffers.Cisco says its P100 device...

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DT runs with Cisco 8000 Series routers

Wednesday, October 20, 2021  Cisco  

One year after introducing its 8000 Series routers, Cisco confirmed that Deutsche Telekom (DT) has now deployed the new platforms, which feature Cisco Silicon One Q200 series chips, to boost its network performance and reach – now supporting 246M mobile customers, more than 27 million fixed-network lines and 22 million broadband lines. Deutsche Telekom worked closely with Cisco to move from redesign to full provisioning in under four monthsThe...

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Cisco to acquire Sedona for IP/optical network automation 

Tuesday, May 11, 2021  Cisco, Israel, Mergers And Acquisitions, Sedona, Start-Ups  

Cisco announced plans to acquire Sedona Systems Ltd., a start-up offering multi-layer IP/optical network automation and control solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.Sedona, which is based in Ramat Gan, Israel, is known for its Hierarchical Controller (HCO) that enables multi-vendor, multi-domain automation, and software-defined networking. The Sedona NetFusion platform automatically discovers, aggregates and analyzes network data from multiple...

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Cisco unveils Routed Optical Networking 

Tuesday, March 30, 2021  #CiscoLive, Cisco  

Cisco announced a number of  Internet infrastructure products and technologies including a new Routed Optical Networking solution featuring Acacia pluggable optics and Cisco’s full mass-scale routing portfolio. The company claims its integration of routing and optics will lead to savings of up to 46% over traditional, layered IP + optical product architecture.At its virtual Cisco Live! event, the company said Acacia’s pluggable coherent optics,...

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Cisco envisions unified Catalyst + Meraki + Nexus cloud management

At its Cisco Live event in Las Vegas, Cisco outlined its vision for cloud-managed networking with a unified technology experience.  The idea is to enable customers to securely, logically, and seamlessly transition toward more cloud-based operating models.

Specifically, Cisco unveiled new cloud management capabilities that provide a unified experience across the Cisco Meraki, Cisco Catalyst and Cisco Nexus portfolios and a new Cisco ThousandEyes product to proactively forecast and optimize WAN performance.

“Our customers choose to run their businesses on Cisco technology because we sit at the intersection of networking, security and cloud,” said Todd Nightingale, EVP and GM, Cisco Enterprise Networking & Cloud. “We believe the network is the foundation for the modern enterprise and must deliver agility through simplicity. Cisco is addressing our customers' most important concern, which is managing complexity through smart, data-driven platforms that power a digital business.”

Cloud Management for Cisco Catalyst will enable customers to now monitor select Catalyst Switches and manage new Catalyst Wireless devices through the Meraki dashboard, bringing increased visibility and flexibility to the customer experience. 

Cisco Nexus Cloud is a cloud-managed platform delivered as-a-service. Powered by Cisco Intersight for switching and multicloud management, Cisco Nexus Cloud will extend customers’ ability to manage across public cloud, private cloud and edge computing environments of any size or scale. Cisco Nexus Cloud is targeted for availability in the Fall 2022.

Cisco ThousandEyes WAN Insights is the first step toward delivering on the Cisco Predictive Networks vision. It proactively alerts IT teams to issues before they happen and harm user experience, offering policy recommendations and path optimization guidance. Alongside ThousandEyes’s unmatched view of Internet health and behavior, the addition of ThousandEyes WAN Insights helps to empower customers to maximize their Internet and Cloud-centric environments and deliver flawless digital experiences.

Cisco also unveiled a unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) subscription service.

https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2022/m06/cisco-delivers-simpler-smarter-networks-with-a-more-unified-experience.html

• Cisco Live reports an audience of 16,000.  Chuck Robbins' keynote and select sessions are available on-demand.  https://www.ciscolive.com

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Cisco launches AppDynamics Cloud for cloud-native observability

Cisco launched AppDynamics Cloud, a cloud-native version of its network traffic observability platform which can remediate application performance issues with business context and insights-driven actions.

Cisco says its AppDynamics Cloud accelerates detection and resolution of performance issues, before they impact the business or the brand, with intelligent operations. Investment protection is derived from continuous data integrations with OpenTelemetry  standards and technology partnerships with cloud solutions and providers.

AppDynamics Cloud ingests the deluge of metrics, events, logs, and traces (MELT) generated in this environment—including network, databases, storage, containers, security, and cloud services—to make sense of the current state of the entire IT stack all the way to the end user. Actions can then be taken to optimize costs, maximize transaction revenue, and secure user and organizational data.

AppDynamics Cloud supports cloud-native, managed Kubernetes environments on Amazon Web Services (AWS), with future expansion to Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and other cloud providers.

"AppDynamics Cloud delivers power and usability in a single, intuitive interface. It puts the focus where it needs to be—on 360-degree visibility and insights, and the ability to take action that leads to extraordinary application experiences every time," said Liz Centoni, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, GM of Applications.

The announcement was made at this week's Cisco Live event in Las Vegas.

https://www.appdynamics.com

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Cisco cuts revenue outlook to (1)% to (5.5)% decline

Citing solid demand and a $15 billion order backlog, Cisco reported $12.8 billion in revenue for its third quarter of fiscal 2022, flat year over year; GAAP EPS $0.73, up 7% year over year, and Non-GAAP EPS $0.87, up 5% year over year.  

The top-line revenue number missed earlier guidance of $13.34 billion.

• Total revenue was flat at $12.8 billion, with product revenue up 3% and service revenue down 8%. 
• Revenue by geographic segment was: Americas up 5%, EMEA down 6%, and APJC down 6%. 
• Product revenue performance was led by growth in Secure, Agile Networks up 4%, Internet for the Future up 6%, End-to-End Security up 7%, and Optimized Application Experiences up 8%. Collaboration was down 7%.

Cisco also cited progress on business model transformation with total Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR) at $22.4 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2022, up 11% year over year.

However, Cisco trimmed its Q4 guidance to the following:  

• Revenue: (1)% to (5.5)% decline year over year
• Earnings per Share: GAAP: $0.60 to $0.70; Non-GAAP: $0.76 to $0.84

FY 2022 Guidance:

• Revenue: 2% to 3% growth year over year
• Earnings per Share: GAAP: $2.75 to $2.85; Non-GAAP: $3.29 to $3.37

"We continued to see solid demand for our technologies and our business transformation is progressing well," said Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco. "While Covid lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine impacted our revenue in the quarter, the fundamental drivers across our business are strong and we remain confident in the long term."

"We delivered healthy earnings despite unanticipated disruptions through strong pricing and disciplined spend management," said Scott Herren, CFO of Cisco. "Our product backlog is well over $15 billion and product ARR and RPO again grew double digits. The continued progress in our business model transformation reflects the success of our strategy and underpins our long-term confidence."

https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2022/m05/cisco-reports-third-quarter-fy2022-earnings.html

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Cisco tunes its predictive analytics engine

Cisco is bringing together new predictive technologies with its broad portfolio of observability, visibility and intelligence technologies to improve reliability and performance across all operational scenarios. 

The idea is to offer a predictive analytics engine that leverages telemetry data with predictive models developed with customers across a variety of industry segments to predict user experience issues, providing problem solving options. 

“The future of connectivity will rely on self-healing networks that can learn, predict and plan,” said Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO, Cisco. “Our research for predictive networks has been tested and developed with customers, and early adopters are seeing major benefits saving them time and money. The industry has been waiting for secure, proactive networking and only Cisco can do it right.”

https://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_us/solutions/predictive-networks/index.html

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Comcast Business adds Cisco SD-WAN powered by Viptela

Comcast Business has begun offering Cisco SD-WAN powered by Viptela under its managed SD-WAN solutions portfolio. The collaboration expands Comcast Business’s ability to provide enterprise customers with comprehensive, global secure networking solutions with Ethernet, SD-WAN and security solutions – regardless of their existing infrastructure or vendor relationships.

Cisco SD-WAN powered by Viptela integrates cloud optimization, security, and advanced analytics. The solution enables micro-segmentation and identity-based policy management, extended end-to-end visibility into network health and performance, and integrated 4G LTE and 5G connectivity functionality.

“The expansion of our strategic partnership with Cisco to include Cisco SD-WAN allows us to offer our enterprise customers a broad portfolio of secure network solutions aligned to their unique needs and infrastructure requirements,” said Amit Verma, Vice President, Solutions Engineering and Technology, Comcast Business. “Our open, vendor-agnostic strategy combined with our access to affordable, reliable broadband technology, allows us to craft a solution that leverages the right mix of access technologies to help enterprises meet their objectives and simplify network management operations.”

“As businesses evolve their hybrid work models, IT leaders are being asked to extend the enterprise network to employees anywhere and ensure delivery of consistent application experiences to any location,” said JL Valente, Vice President, Product Management, Enterprise Routing and SD-WAN at Cisco. “Working with Comcast Business to offer advanced managed SD-WAN services based on Cisco technology demonstrates our continued commitment to help customers simplify their goal of providing secure access and the best user experience when connecting to cloud applications.”

In addition, the Comcast Business and Cisco managed services portfolio includes Cisco SD-WAN powered by Meraki and Comcast Business Teleworker VPN with Cisco Meraki.

Redefining the Perimeter with SD-WAN and SASE

Tuesday, September 07, 2021  Comcast Business, SD-WAN, Video  

 https://youtu.be/Zi1WGo58_xoWith the hybrid work environment, the convergence of security and networking has never been more present. In this video, Jeff Lewis, Vice President, Software Defined Networking – Products, Solutions and Operations at Comcast Business, discusses the evolution in the SD-WAN space and how the edge perimeter is being redefined with SA...

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Cisco enhances IoT Control Center subscription service for operators

Cisco is rolling out advancements to its internet of things (IoT) portfolio for service provider customers.

Cisco IoT Control Center, which is delivered as a subscription service, now offers a new simplified and secure connectivity management package purpose-built for lower complexity IoT devices. Cisco IoT Control Center manages nearly 200 million devices today, across all licensed cellular networks (LPWAN/4G/5G).

Cisco says its new offer reduces connectivity management complexity and costs, enabling service providers to drive new revenue streams and capitalize on new Mass IoT market opportunities.

"We strive to help our service provider customers enable new services and business outcomes for Mass IoT to simplify data collection from millions of devices," said Masum Mir, Vice President and General Manager, Cable, Mobile and IoT, Cisco. "With these enhancements to Cisco IoT Control Center, our customers can expand into the LPWAN market using a proven platform to help a broad range of growing industries realize what the future of mobile IoT can do to transform their business."

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Cisco unveils Wi-Fi 6E APs, Private 5G, Catalyst campus switches

by James E. Carroll

Cisco announced a set of new wireless networking and access innovations designed to power hybrid work, including the following:

Wi-Fi 6E (Catalyst 9136 and Meraki MR57) products designed for hybrid business environments requiring capacity that exceeds gigabit performance. 

Cisco Private 5G: a managed service delivered with global service provider and technology partners, including NTT and Logicalis as the first two announced partners. Cisco will provide a full-stack solution capable of scaling to 400 million users. he cloud management leverages the Cisco IoT Control Center.  

Catalyst 9000X Switches: New Catalyst 9000X models extend the switching family and deliver the backbone that provides the speed, bandwidth capacity, and scale needed to support 100G/400G network access for transitions to hybrid work in the campus and extending the branch with zero trust security and power efficiency.

Introduction of Cisco Silicon One to the Catalyst Switching Portfolio: Cisco Silicon One, originally deployed in web scale and service provider networks, continues to prove its capabilities and programming flexibility to support networking innovation across enterprise networks. The new Catalyst 9500X and 9600X Series switches are powered by the Cisco Silicon One Q200.

“Hybrid work doesn’t work without the network,” said Todd Nightingale, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Networking and Cloud, Cisco. “The capabilities of the network empower the capabilities of the workforce. These launches, powered by Silicon One, make hybrid work possible with unprecedented power, reliability, and most importantly, the agility needed to continue to adapt and change with our teams.”

https://newsroom.cisco.com/press-release-content?type=webcontent&articleId=2218514

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Verizon Business adds Cisco managed SD WAN services

Verizon Business has added Cisco managed SD WAN service, including options for 4G/5G connectivity, to its Network as a Service (NaaS) digitization portfolio.

The new solutions include:

• Managed Cisco SD WAN for the Cisco Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms Family, and Integrated Services Router (ISR) 1000 and 4000 series, including management of the Cisco cellular Pluggable Interface Modules (PIM), and Cisco Catalyst Cellular Gateways. This new offer supports 4G and 5G cellular for gigabit connectivity to distributed cloud workloads. For a limited time, Verizon will provide customers one free Cisco Catalyst Cellular Gateway with each new Cisco SD WAN 3-year device license purchase.
• Verizon is delivering a Cisco SD WAN performance suite including Cisco Umbrella for cloud security, Duo for zero trust application access, and Thousand Eyes for network observability. This suite delivers the protection and visibility to enhance SD WAN security and performance while reducing customer costs.
• Cloud collaboration services with carrier-grade quality, reliability and security via Verizon’s fully private connection to Cisco Webex Calling and Webex Contact Center. Customers can capitalize on this private integration through wireline and wireless networks with Verizon Private IP and Verizon Wireless Private Network Traffic Management.

"In a hybrid work world, application performance and security are critical. We are committed to making it simpler for IT teams to deliver the best customer experiences,” said Todd Nightingale, EVP and GM, Enterprise Networking and Cloud, Cisco. “Verizon’s new Cisco managed SD WAN offer delivers cloud security and 5G capabilities, reduces complexity for customers, and enables private network connections to Cisco's Webex service cloud."

“Organizations are challenged with finding flexible and secure networking solutions that enable the rapid transition to hybrid cloud and hybrid work while maximizing application performance for their users,” said Massimo Peselli, senior vice president, Global Enterprise, Verizon Business. “The addition of these Cisco solutions builds on our longstanding history of co-innovation and provides customers with the agility and scalability to meet today’s needs while future-proofing their operations.”

https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-business-cisco-enterprise-service-offerings

Verizon to deliver global SD-WAN for FM Logistic

Tuesday, November 23, 2021  SD-WAN, Verizon  

Verizon Business has been selected by FM Logistic, an international supplier of supply chain services with a strong customer base in the consumer goods, retail, cosmetic, industrial and health sectors. It employs more than 27,200 people.The secure SD WAN network will run across FM Logistic’s operations in 14 countries and is a fundamental part of the company’s growth and ongoing digital transformation.“With new digital applications on the horizon...

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Verizon Business adds Fortinet to its SD-WAN portfolio

Wednesday, October 27, 2021  #SD-WAN, Fortinet  

Verizon Business has added Fortinet Secure SD WAN to its global SD WAN offering.“The quick transition to hybrid and/or remote working models opened new avenues for cyber threat actors,” said Sampath Sowmyanarayan, Chief Revenue Officer for Verizon Business. “Solutions like Verizon’s Software Defined Secure Branch with Fortinet add those layers of security that help safeguard your employees, your business and ultimately your customers against cyberattacks.” Fortinet...

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Cisco posts $12.9 billion in revenue, up 8% year over year

Cisco reported Q1 FY22 total revenue of $12.9 billion, up 8% year-over-year, with product revenue up 11% and service revenue up 1%. Earnings per Share were: GAAP $0.70 and Non-GAAP $0.82. On a GAAP basis, total gross margin, product gross margin, and service gross margin were 62.4%, 61.5%, and 65.2%, respectively. 

"In Q1, we had robust growth and continued strong demand despite the very dynamic supply environment," said Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco. "Cisco's technology sits at the heart of the accelerated digital transformation happening today. Our breakthrough innovation, strong demand, and the success of our business transformation position us well for another year of growth in fiscal 2022."

Some highlights:

• Revenue by geographic segment was: Americas up 5%, EMEA up 11%, and APJC up 15%. 
• Product revenue performance was led by growth in Secure, Agile Networks up 10%, Internet for the Future up 46%, End-to-End Security up 4%, and Optimized Application Experiences up 18%. 
• Hybrid Work was down 7%, as compared with 63.6%, 62.7%, and 65.8%, respectively, in the first quarter of fiscal 2021.
• Software revenue of $3.7 billion, with 80% sold as a subscription
• Cisco noted ongoing supply chain constraints yet said it was able to preserve healthy margins even though it has paid significantly higher logistics costs to get critical components to where they are needed. The company also said it has raised prices to offset its increased costs.

https://investor.cisco.com/events/event-details/2021/Cisco-Q1FY22-Earnings-Conference-Call/default.aspx

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DISH Wireless and Cisco target 5G enterprise services

DISH Wireless and Cisco announced a strategic agreement focused on enterprise 5G services in the United States. Some highlights:

• Go-to-market strategy: DISH will participate in Cisco’s Reseller and Managed Services Program
• Deployment of an intelligent transport network: Cisco is helping to plan, design and deliver an open, cloud-based network that will predict, self-heal and self-optimize with closed-loop automation for transport network slicing. 
• Co-innovation on virtual routing:  DISH’s 5G network will be powered with fully automated Cisco XRv9K virtualized routers running on AWS, along with virtual Cell Site Routers (vCSR) at the tower. 
• New operational models: Cisco is helping DISH build out a lean, world-class DevOps organization that drives automation and improves operational efficiency leading to faster time-to-market with new services, speed to revenue and return on investments. Key outcomes are CI/CD testing and zero-touch onboarding to enable DISH to quickly go from development to pre-production, as well as staging and testing directly to production. 
• Technology:  Cisco will support DISH with the following: IOS-XR operating system for 5G, backhaul and fronthaul transport via Cisco NCS series routers, segment routing for automated traffic management and network slicing, Nexus 9000 series with an Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) fabric for data center switching, and Cisco Crosswork Network Controller as the transport domain controller including automated service provisioning and assurance.  

“Cisco and DISH are disrupting the mobile and enterprise markets by launching cloud-powered 5G services in record time through innovative technologies, fostering new application development and improving the overall customer experience,” said Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO, Cisco. “Together, we look forward to helping businesses across industries transform their networks to support the evolution of hybrid work models, the transition to Network as a Service (NaaS) offers, and the expansion into new markets including IoT.”

“DISH has compiled an outstanding roster of partners in the wireless industry, and Cisco is a key player helping us launch a customizable, automated, 5G network optimized for enterprise performance,” said Charlie Ergen, Chairman, DISH. “Working with Cisco is central to achieving our goal of delivering a best-in-class experience for enterprises. Our ability to continually drive value and enhance capabilities for our customers is a key differentiator for DISH and positions us to disrupt the industry with more innovation, speed, agility and security.”

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AT&T Cybersecurity delivers new managed SASE with Cisco

AT&T is expanding its global, managed Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) portfolio with a new offering powered by Cisco.

AT&T SASE with Cisco is a converged network and security management solution that connects and protects enterprises with SD-WAN and security capabilities. The service includes expert policy design and configuration, and 24/7 network management.  

AT&T SASE with Cisco is immediately available through AT&T Business.   

Rupesh Chokshi, VP, AT&T Cybersecurity, states: "As a leading MSSP and trusted advisor, it’s important to provide customers with a choice of managed SASE solutions to meet their unique needs. Through our collaboration with Cisco, we’re offering an integrated, modern solution that addresses the connectivity and security demands of a multi-cloud, network environment while enabling innovation." 

Shailaja Shankar, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Security Business Group, states: "The shift to remote work has accelerated the need for SASE solutions so that users and devices are secure anywhere they work.  The AT&T SASE with Cisco offer will provide customers with an innovative way to gain seamless, secure access to any application, from any location in a way that is straightforward to procure, easy to set up, and simple to use and manage through a single cloud dashboard." 

https://cybersecurity.att.com/products/sase-with-cisco

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Meta deploys Cisco for Wedge400C Top of Rack (TOR) switch

At the tenth annual OCP Summit in San Jose, Cisco confirmed that Meta is deploying its Cisco Silicon One Q200L device along with the Wedge400C Top of Rack (TOR) switch. Cisco Q200L uses 7nm technology to provide a 12.8 Tbps solution for web scale switching and routing. The 12.8 Tbps Wedge400C supports up to 16 ports of 400G and 32 ports of 200G.

Meta worked with Cisco to develop and deploy two new next-generation TOR switches. The latest versions of Meta’s Wedge TOR, the Wedge 400 and 400C, offer higher front panel port density, and greater performance for AI and machine learning applications, while also enabling future expansions. The Wedge 400 and 400C have several improvements over the Wedge 100S, including 4x the switching capacity (upgraded from 3.2 Tbps to 12.8 Tbps), 8x the burst absorption performance, and a field-replaceable CPU subsystem.

“Cisco Silicon One is uniquely positioned in the industry to provide a common architecture across the entire network, enabling massive operational efficiencies for our customers,” said Rakesh Chopra, Cisco Fellow, Common Hardware Group Architecture and Platforming, Cisco. “The Q200L is an important part of Cisco’s expanding Silicon One product family and as part of our overall disagg component model, it provides Meta a building block to innovate on top of, at hyperscale efficiency and scale.”

https://newsroom.cisco.com/press-release-content?type=webcontent&articleId=2207937

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