{"id":9982,"date":"2022-02-04T23:47:07","date_gmt":"2022-02-04T23:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/04\/super-bowl-offers-just-one-example-of-ciscos-vision-for-the-converged-secure-network\/"},"modified":"2022-02-04T23:47:07","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T23:47:07","slug":"super-bowl-offers-just-one-example-of-ciscos-vision-for-the-converged-secure-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/04\/super-bowl-offers-just-one-example-of-ciscos-vision-for-the-converged-secure-network\/","title":{"rendered":"Super Bowl offers just one example of Cisco\u2019s vision for the converged, secure network"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When an estimated 100 million viewers<\/a> tune in to watch this month\u2019s NFL Super Bowl, they will be seeing more than the Los Angeles Rams squaring off against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for the championship of professional football. They will be watching a massive network in action run by Cisco Systems Inc.<\/p>\n

The stadium\u2019s firewalls, routers, switching, telephony, Wi-Fi 6 and 4K video distribution are supported by Cisco<\/a>. Nearly all of the signage within SoFi is digital, with 2,600 4K video displays<\/a> located throughout the concourses. And all purchases are cashless, furthering the need for a robust in-stadium network with 2,500 access points<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SoFi Stadium, which opened in 2020, is a prime example of what the confluence of internet of things, video, cloud and mobility can provide in a network-driven model. For Cisco, it is also a demonstration of the hybrid future, where a single converged network connects every TV, point-of-sale system, and collaboration Wi-Fi endpoint with users.<\/p>\n

\u201cNetwork modernization is critical to the digital future of almost all businesses, no matter what,\u201d said Zeus Kerravala<\/a>, founder and principal analyst with ZK Research and a contributor to SiliconANGLE, following a private tour<\/a> of the facility in December. \u201cSoFi Stadium gives us a view of what\u2019s possible \u2014 not just in entertainment, but everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

TheCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media\u2019s live streaming studio, will be taking a closer look at Cisco\u2019s evolving business model during \u201cThe Network: Powering Hybrid Work\u201d event<\/a> on Feb. 15.<\/p>\n

Leveraging ACI and Meraki<\/h3>\n

In recent years, Cisco has undertaken its own journey, experiencing the transition<\/a> from a high-margin hardware model to a business based on software subscriptions and strategic acquisitions. It has maintained a strong position<\/a> in the networking market while shifting to a new framework where customers expect software-defined networks and virtualized services.<\/p>\n

At the core of Cisco\u2019s approach are its Application Centric Infrastructure<\/a>, or ACI, and Meraki<\/a>, a cloud infrastructure startup acquired<\/a> by the networking giant in 2012.\u00a0Cisco\u2019s Cloud ACI provides automated network connectivity<\/a>, consistent policy management and simplified operations for multicloud environments. It supports Cisco\u2019s belief<\/a> that customers want centralized management of hybrid cloud computing, where software defined networks can be deployed and governed across multiple clouds and on-premises environments.<\/p>\n

The Meraki cloud solution is a centralized management service<\/a> designed to manage network devices on a single, secure platform. Its portfolio covers a wide range of hybrid work solutions, including wide-area networks and IoT technologies.<\/p>\n

Recent data<\/a> provided to SiliconANGLE by Enterprise Technology Research showed that Meraki had gained strong spending momentum among enterprise customers. This includes major firms such as Comcast Inc., which leveraged Cisco Meraki in the deployment<\/a> of VPN gateways to facilitate remote work during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeraki arguably is one of the best acquisitions in Cisco\u2019s history, perhaps rivaling Kalpana and Grand Junction, which resulted in the creation of Catalyst switches,\u201d Kerravala said in a recent conversation<\/a> with SiliconANGLE. \u201cMeraki\u2019s revenue is comparable and might be larger than security, so that shows you the momentum it has.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Meraki and ACI have played central roles in the development of Cisco\u2019s presence in software-defined networking, which automates, provisions, manages and programs enterprise networks. The company bolstered its presence in the SDN space with the acquisition of Viptela Inc.<\/a> in 2017.<\/p>\n

The combination of Viptela\u2019s support for complex network topologies and Meraki\u2019s capabilities in cloud-based management tools propelled the development of Cisco\u2019s software-defined platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe adoption of SDN has been gaining momentum, and this has been Cisco\u2019s core for some time,\u201d said Daniel Newman<\/a>, principal analyst at Futurum Group and CEO of Broadsuite Media Group, in an interview with SiliconANGLE. \u201cIt\u2019s been one of the market connection points for the company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Platform approach for security<\/h3>\n

Cisco\u2019s software business is also intertwined with its security practice, a key part of the firm\u2019s strategy and one that has seen several quarters of growth, according to ETR\u2019s data<\/a>. Cisco\u2019s challenge is to rise above the noise of an industry with over 3,500 security point-solution vendors<\/a> and counting.<\/p>\n

Security has become a sizable business for Cisco. The company claims 300,000 security customers, with protection for 61 million endpoints and 840,000 networks, according to one recent report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cisco\u2019s strategy for its security offering is based on a platform approach. Customers can choose which security solutions they desire, from user access and endpoint protection to locking up apps and data. In 2020, Cisco incorporated<\/a> its security products into a single, cloud-native platform branded as SecureX.<\/p>\n

During Cisco Live in Barcelona two years ago, the company highlighted a number of innovations<\/a> in the security space, including a new security architecture for industrial IoT clients, leveraging its Edge Intelligence software. More recently, Cisco announced a \u201cre-imagining of hybrid work\u201d<\/a> through multiple improvements to its Secure Access networking platform, including Wi-Fi 6E products, a private managed service for 5G, and a series of new Catalyst network switches.<\/p>\n

Cisco\u2019s Talos Intelligence Group is one of the largest<\/a> commercial threat intelligence teams in the world. The group has been tracking increasing use<\/a> of cloud technologies by threat actors that has made it more difficult to track attackers\u2019 operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have to invent new ways of detecting,\u201d said TK Keanini<\/a>, chief technology officer of the Security Business Group at Cisco, during an interview<\/a> with SiliconANGLE. \u201cDirect inspection is a thing of the past; we just can\u2019t depend on it anymore. We have to have tools of inference, and it\u2019s given rise to a lot of innovation in behavioral science.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strength in silicon<\/h3>\n

Cisco is also adding to a market trend exemplified by major tech players, such as Amazon Web Services Inc.<\/a> and Apple Inc.<\/a> It is developing its own processors.<\/p>\n

In 2019, Cisco announced<\/a> that it would enter the networking chip business with the launch of Silicon One. The new chip offering is a unified, programmable networking ASIC designed for next-generation 5G networks and routers.<\/p>\n

Cisco\u2019s foray into silicon allowed the company to revamp its webscale business<\/a>, delivering large-scale cloud computing resources and infrastructure within enterprise IT. The firm\u2019s FY22 Q1 earnings noted 200% growth<\/a> in webscale, a reflection of Cisco\u2019s strategy to provide a family of processors that can power every type of device.<\/p>\n

Cisco will celebrate its 40th birthday<\/a> in just two years, a solid run in an industry known for rapid technology shifts and persistent disruption. Cisco has seen the rise of hyperscalers over its nearly four decades of existence, and it has carefully cultivated its own relationships with the major cloud providers.<\/p>\n

The firm has collaborated with AWS on an integration<\/a> with its Edge Intelligence software, extended<\/a> its SD-WAN technology deeper into Microsoft Azure, and pursued a similar arrangement<\/a> with Google Cloud. As Cisco transitions its business model to become more software subscription-driven, it must still navigate the massive enterprise shift to digital and the cloud, and these partnerships will be key.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe public cloud leadership inside an enterprise is becoming more influential,\u201d said Futurum\u2019s Newman. \u201cCisco has to understand the influence and importance that hyperscalers provide. Having a complementary role has been a strategic action for years now, and Cisco clearly understands the importance of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo: Cisco<\/h5>\n
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