News Summary:

• Cisco introduces Wi-Fi 7 access points, with the intelligence, security and assurance of Cisco’s advanced networking portfolio.
• New AI-native wireless is location-aware, instantly adapts to any environment and continuously optimizes—with the power of Cisco Spaces built in to create smart workplaces.
• Unified subscription and hardware give Cisco customers ultimate flexibility by offering a seamless wireless management experience across cloud, on-premises and hybrid networks.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 12, 2024 – Today, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) introduces new intelligent, secure and assured wireless innovations, with smart Wi-Fi 7 access points and unified subscription licensing that can enable smart spaces out-of-the-box. These innovations empower customers to solve for their connectivity, security and assurance challenges, while also providing a flexible foundation to future-proof their workplaces.

Wireless technologies have reshaped the world, from how and where work gets done, to how people shop and learn. Today, wireless innovations continue to blur the lines between physical and digital spaces, enabling organizations to transform their workspaces and create new digital experiences for an AI-driven era. While Wi-Fi 7 unlocks essential performance upgrades, a retailer reimagining the shopping experience, a manufacturer optimizing operations with precision asset tracking, or a hospital enhancing patient care all need more than just connectivity. They need an intelligent, secure and assured platform.

“Just about everything we do blends human behavior with sensors, cameras, or screens—physical experiences in an increasingly digital world. And Wi-Fi is at the center of it all,” said Jeetu Patel, Cisco Chief Product Officer. "With Cisco Wi-Fi 7 access points and Cisco Spaces, we are delivering the connectivity, assurance, and data that IT, real estate, and facilities teams need to reimagine employee and customer experiences everywhere."

SIMPLIFIED LICENSING, FLEXIBLE DEPLOYMENTS

The new Cisco Wireless Wi-Fi 7 access points bring the latest wireless standard to customers everywhere. Cisco’s new smart access points are manageable on-premises or through the cloud, with the ability to switch seamlessly between both. This flexibility is enabled through Cisco’s unified networking subscription – a single license that covers Cisco’s entire Wi-Fi 7 solution. This new Cisco Networking Subscription simplifies how customers do business with Cisco and allows organizations to confidently invest in wireless networks that can grow and evolve with their business.  

THE CISCO ADVANTAGE

The role of wireless is growing, as organizations rely on technology to enable their workforce and create differentiated experiences for their end customers. Cisco’s Wi-Fi 7-powered innovations provide customers a smart, scalable and experience-driven approach. Cisco’s offering is:

• Intelligent: Cisco’s new Wi-Fi 7 access points deliver one of the industry’s most intelligent wireless offerings, featuring AI-native performance optimizations and out-of-the-box self-configuration. The access points are global use and can auto-detect location as soon as they are plugged in. With access to the Cisco Spaces platform now included in the subscription license, customers now get an operating system to turn their workspaces into smart spaces.
• Secure: Powered by some of the industry’s most advanced threat detection capabilities, Cisco secures every connection with AI-native device profiling, threat prevention, and advanced wireless security and data encryption.  
• Assured: With Cisco ThousandEyes, customers can assure every connected experience using AI and automation to identify and remediate performance bottlenecks across wireless, owned and unowned networks – unlocking the ability to deliver exceptional digital experiences to every user, wherever they are.

ECOSYSTEM EMBRACES CISCO'S PLATFORM APPROACH

Today’s innovations underscore Cisco’s journey to deliver on its Networking Cloud platform approach. With AI-native intelligence embedded throughout, Cisco demonstrates its commitment to operational simplicity and security for customers and partners.

 “Fira de Barcelona hosts 270 events every year in Barcelona, including the flagship wireless connectivity technology event Mobile World Congress, and also conferences around the world” said Carlos Sanchez Baena, Telco Manager at Fira de Barcelona. “Executives from around the world convene to shape the future of wireless technology. So, it's critical we provide seamless connectivity across 500,000 square meters of our exhibition space. Only the most reliable, predictable, and secure wireless experiences will do. As high-bandwidth technology proliferates, the ability to support AR/VR and live-streaming is even more critical. That's why we're so happy Wi-Fi 7 from Cisco is here. They are the only provider we collaborate with for the most reliable, large scale and secure connectivity.”

“Cisco’s new global use Wi-Fi 7 AP’s and Unified Licensing approach are an exciting and welcome change that simplifies their solution and makes it easier for clients to consume,” said Christine Fierro, Sr. Director, Edge & Core Solutions, World Wide Technology. “We are excited to aid our clients in better understanding these new offerings and how they can streamline operations and drive efficiency within their network.”

“Wi-Fi is a ubiquitous technology that is critical enabler of everyday and mission-critical communications for organizations across the world. In recent years, the industry has seen increased adoption of networking platforms to take advantage of simplified operations, powered by AI,” said Brandon Butler, IDC Senior Research Manager covering Enterprise Networks. “Cisco’s wireless offering and unified licensing approach demonstrate the value of a platform approach for customers, granting them access to more flexibility, continued optimization and innovation.” 

Availability

The Cisco Wi-Fi 7 access points are available to order in November 2024 and will ship in December 2024.

Additional Resources:

• Executive Blog: Zero Friction Wireless for Smarter Workplaces, Lawrence Huang, SVP/GM, Cisco Networking - Meraki & Wireless
• Product Blog: Assuring Digital Experiences for Wi-Fi 7 and Beyond, Mike Hicks, Principal Solutions Analyst, Cisco ThousandEyes
• TechBeat Podcast: Talking Wireless Convergence, Open Roaming, 5G, and the future of Wi-Fi 7 with Matt MacPherson
• For more information on Cisco Live Melbourne, please visit The Newsroom

About Cisco 

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Forward-Looking Statements: This release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, among others, statements regarding Cisco’s future strategic investment plans to expand and develop secure and reliable AI solutions. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results due to a variety of factors, including, among other things, the ability of Cisco to achieve expected benefits of its investments, business and economic conditions and growth trends in its customer markets and various geographic regions, increased competition, global economic conditions and uncertainties in the geopolitical environment and other risk factors set forth in Cisco's most recent reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q, respectively. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on limited information currently available to Cisco, which is subject to change, and Cisco will not necessarily update the information.