Cisco wins innovation award for modular Unified Edge AI platform

The shift toward agentic AI requires low-latency, high-density computing closer to endpoints, a requirement traditional edge hardware often fails to meet. By standardizing edge AI infrastructure with GPU performance and centralized observability, Cisco is targeting a market where Gartner predicts 75% of enterprise-managed data will be processed by 2028. For the streaming and video industry, this provides a scalable foundation for real-time computer vision and localized metadata processing without the latency of cloud round-trips. Watch for deployment velocity in retail and manufacturing as a signal for broader enterprise AI adoption at the edge.

The expansion into AI-native edge hardware comes as Cisco reports a significant 'network supercycle' driven by infrastructure upgrades. Per CNBC, May 2026, Cisco’s fiscal Q3 revenue reached $15.84 billion, buoyed by a 25% increase in networking product revenue specifically tied to AI data center buildouts. This growth aligns with a broader industry trend where legacy giants like Dell and HPE are also seeing record demand; per Forbes, June 2026, Dell reported its AI server revenue surged 757% year-over-year, illustrating the scale of the capital moving into specialized AI infrastructure.

Technological convergence is also sharpening the competitive landscape at the edge. Per a Gartner report from March 2026, over two-thirds of global enterprises are expected to deploy edge AI by 2029, a massive increase from the roughly 10% seen in 2025. This has led competitors like HPE to aggressively expand their stack, following the acquisition of Juniper Networks to combine secure AI-native networking with HPE's existing compute and storage portfolios (per Hudson Labs, March 2026).

Additionally, Cisco is prioritizing security and observability to differentiate its ecosystem. Following its $28 billion acquisition of Splunk, Cisco has integrated Splunk and ThousandEyes directly into its edge management workflows. Per TechTarget, June 2026, Cisco’s newest 'Cloud Control' platform represents an 'AgenticOps' shift, providing cross-domain visibility that links edge compute (Intersight) with centralized security and networking. This integration aims to solve the complexity of managing highly distributed AI environments which, according to IDC, May 2026, remain one of the primary hurdles for enterprise AI scaling.