We’re witnessing an unprecedented technological inflection level—one which I imagine represents the best worth creation alternative in a era. The staggering magnitude of worldwide AI investments—Apple’s $500B, France’s $100B, Stargate’s $500B—indicators a basic shift in how know-how will reshape our world. With this transformation comes mounting calls for for efficiency, sustainability, and safety that require modern options at a scale we’ve by no means seen earlier than.
At Cisco Innovation Labs (CIL), we’re uniquely positioned to satisfy these challenges head-on, working globally however performing regionally to create options that reveal the artwork of the potential for our prospects and companions.
The Energy of Cisco’s World Innovation Engine
Our Innovation Labs function throughout 5 key international markets—Brazil, Canada, France, Spain, and the UK/Eire. Whereas bodily current in these places, we work with out borders, going wherever our prospects are. This international footprint permits us to rework Cisco’s international methods into native, customer-centric options.
What really units Cisco aside is our unmatched visibility into the digital panorama: over 100 million gadgets, 5 billion day by day risk analyses, and a presence in 95% of Fortune 100 firms. This wealth of information fuels our innovation with distinctive insights that few different firms can match.
We begin by designing with empathy for our prospects and the challenges they face. This customer-centric strategy ensures that our improvements deal with real-world wants and ship tangible worth.
Engineering-Led Co-Creation: A New Mannequin for Innovation
We’ve moved past conventional vendor partnerships to a mannequin of ecosystem-enabled resolution improvement. This shift has dramatically accelerated our time-to-market and elevated the impression of our improvements.
Let me share three breakthrough improvements occurring proper now that exemplify this strategy:
Quantum Safety for Governments, Protection Companies and Monetary Companies
Co-developed with Telefonica, Polytechnic College of Madrid, ID Quantique, LuxQuanta, it NOW, and ICFO
As quantum computing advances, it poses an existential risk to present encryption requirements. Governments, protection companies, and monetary establishments face a “harvest now, decrypt later” situation the place adversaries accumulate encrypted knowledge right this moment with plans to decrypt it as soon as quantum computer systems grow to be succesful.
Our Spain crew, led by Xavier Azemar, has been pioneering quantum-safe hyperlinks between knowledge facilities. We’re implementing each post-quantum cryptography (PQC) requirements like ML-KEM and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to create encryption that continues to be safe within the quantum period.
This work isn’t theoretical—we’ve already applied RFC 8784 in our merchandise, supporting guide pre-shared keys and dynamic key distribution. In partnership with firms like IDQuantique and Luxquanta, we’re creating options that meet probably the most stringent safety necessities from finance and authorities sectors.
Current developments underscore the urgency of this work. In April 2024, the European Fee printed suggestions for a coordinated implementation roadmap for post-quantum cryptography, whereas in August 2024, the White Home launched a report estimating that transitioning U.S. federal companies to post-quantum cryptography will value $7.1 billion between 2025 and 2035. Government Order 14144, signed in January 2025, directs the Federal Authorities to organize for this transition urgently.
Watch our Quantum Safety innovation in motion.
Morgan Photo voltaic Blinds: A Sustainability Breakthrough
Co-developed with Morgan Photo voltaic
Our Canada crew, beneath Justin Cohen’s management, has developed an modern strategy to good constructing know-how that’s remodeling vitality effectivity.
Working with Morgan Photo voltaic, we’ve developed AI-driven photo voltaic blinds that optimize vitality effectivity in business buildings. These aren’t simply passive window coverings—they’re clever energy mills that combine with Cisco’s digital constructing infrastructure.
The know-how combines IoT connectivity, AI-based automation, and real-time analytics to create an entire vitality administration system. Every blind generates energy with embedded photovoltaic cells whereas a Cisco-powered DC microgrid distributes and manages the vitality.
Our pilot set up at Cisco Canada’s Waterpark Place—already a LEED Platinum-certified good constructing—demonstrates outstanding outcomes. The system screens room occupancy by means of Webex sensors, optimizes vitality manufacturing, and considerably reduces consumption with real-time changes primarily based on circumstances.
The information is spectacular: our analytics present vitality manufacturing peaks of over 50kW per 30 days per set up, with reductions in thermal vitality that translate to substantial value financial savings and lowered carbon footprint. A single set up can considerably scale back greenhouse fuel emissions, representing annual financial savings
See the Morgan Photo voltaic Blinds in motion.
Absolutely Immersed AI-Prepared Information Middle
Co-developed with Complete Linux, Itrium, Intel, NVIDIA, and AMD
As AI workloads skyrocket, cooling conventional knowledge facilities has grow to be one among tech’s most vital challenges. Our France crew is pioneering the world’s first absolutely immersed knowledge heart, decreasing bodily footprint by 10x and vitality use by 1/3.
This breakthrough combines immersion cooling, Cisco Silicon One, and superior companions’ AI applied sciences to ship the 20x efficiency enchancment wanted for AI workloads whereas assembly sustainability objectives.
See the i-Cooling undertaking introduction.
The Associate Benefit in Innovation
For our companions, Cisco Innovation Labs gives distinctive benefits:
- Early entry to rising applied sciences – Work with options earlier than they hit the market
- Co-creation alternatives – Develop options alongside our engineers
- Direct buyer engagement – Remedy actual buyer issues in real-time
- Aggressive differentiation – Provide options that weren’t potential earlier than
This partnership mannequin creates a flywheel impact—the extra we collaborate, the sooner we innovate, and the extra worth we create for patrons.
The Path Ahead: Engineering Collectively
We stand at a singular second the place infrastructure, safety, and observability are converging in unprecedented methods. The AI transformation represents each a problem and a possibility for all of us.
At Cisco, we imagine engineering-led innovation is the important thing to addressing right this moment’s most complicated challenges. Our Innovation Labs are open for enterprise, able to collaborate with companions who share our imaginative and prescient of remodeling potentialities into realities.
Able to pioneer the subsequent breakthrough with us? Be part of Cisco Innovation Labs’ accomplice ecosystem and remodel your experience into market-defining options. Contact Simon Dyke to schedule a dialog and discover how we are able to engineer the long run collectively. Essentially the most highly effective improvements aren’t inbuilt isolation—they’re co-created with companions such as you.
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