Highlights of Cisco Live 2025

This year’s Cisco Live took place in San Diego, offering a welcome change from the usual Las Vegas venue. The milder summer weather, scenic environment, and relaxed atmosphere contributed to a more enjoyable overall experience. 

The event maintained its familiar structure by featuring a broad selection of sessions and numerous product announcements. Here's an overview of highlights from my experience at Cisco Live 2025. 

Hands-On Opportunities 

I attended several sessions, but the most valuable experiences were the walk-in labs and in-depth, 4-hour technical labs. These hands-on opportunities allowed for deep exploration of key technologies.  

My Cisco technology focus areas included:  

• Application Centric Architecture (ACI) a software-defined networking (SDN) solution for data centers designed to simplify, optimize, and accelerate application deployment 

• ACI Policy-Based Redirect (PBR) a feature that allows traffic to be redirected to specific Layer 4 to Layer 7 (L4-L7) devices, rather than through traditional routing tables 

• Secure Firewall for powerful integrations between core networking functions and network security 

• Wireless that now provides the cutting-edge advantage of Wi-Fi 7 access points 

• Meraki SD-WAN that delivers robust security intelligence and high-quality user experience 

• Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) a component of internet routing that enables different autonomous systems to communicate with each other 

• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) that provides secure, identity-based access to applications and resources for users and devices, regardless of location or type  

• Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) for comprehensive automation and visibility, along with consistent operations for hybrid cloud environments 

• ThousandEyes for end-to-end visibility into all aspects of digital experience delivery with AI-powered issue detection and automation capabilities  

New Cisco Network Hardware Accessible through Meraki Dashboard 

At this year’s conference, Cisco announced that new Cisco network hardware is now accessible through the Meraki Dashboard, including the C9350 and C9610 switches, as well as new Wi-Fi 7 access points.  

Cisco introduced enhancements such as BGP support, routed ports, and a new Command Line Interface (CLI), the primary text-based interface used for configuring, monitoring, and managing Cisco network devices, such as routers and switches. Additionally, the 8000 series routers are now supported. 

AI Integration for Cisco 

AI was a major theme throughout the event. Cisco unveiled advanced AI capabilities aimed at improving troubleshooting and proactively identifying potential issues.  

Of particular interest was the integration between Splunk and ThousandEyes. A new ThousandEyes app for Splunk enables streaming integration and supports a Distributed Tracing Service Map.  

By combining ThousandEyes network and internet performance insights with Splunk's data analytics and visualization capabilities, Cisco enables users to gain a unified view of their digital stack, identify issues quickly, and improve overall user experience. 

Cisco also announced that AI functionality will soon be embedded across most routing and switching platforms, providing enhanced analytics and diagnostics. AI-driven networking performance improvements were also highlighted, including Intelligent Packet Flow for real-time traffic steering. 

Staying Current with the Evolution of Network Technology

As always, the event was highly educational. Cisco Live 2025 provided an excellent opportunity to stay current with emerging network technologies and reconnect with peers in the industry. 

If you missed out on Cisco Live in San Diego or want to revisit some sessions, you can still access them through the On-Demand Library. You can also follow Learning Maps to experience curated collections of on-demand technical sessions from the San Diego conference. 

In the wake of the conference, your company probably wants to explore some of the new Cisco network technologies that were announced and covered in sessions. ProActive Solutions can help you get started. We offer consultative services for networking that leverage Cisco technologies to keep your company current with the latest developments in collaboration, connectivity and network security. 

Find out how new Cisco technologies fit into your company’s network strategy. Ask for a consultation from ProActive.