Tag: Cisco

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and IoT technologies, global digital transformation has entered a new phase of competition for smart environments and cross-domain talent. Cisco and Jintai Technology officially launched the "Asia Bay AIoT Ecosystem Development Base and R&D Center" in Kaohsiung, integrating local and international innovation capabilities to promote the implementation of smart harbor applications. With cybersecurity, AIoT, and data governance at its core, it aims to become a key base for Taiwan's transformation into a major smart industry hub in the Asia-Pacific region. ▲Cisco and Jintai Technology launch Asia Bay AIoT Ecosystem Development Base and R&D Center in Kaohsiung. This project focuses on three major innovation platforms: a smart data platform, an AI decision-making platform, and a global maintenance support system. It connects 25 technology partners and 21 local companies, initially launching 12 smart application verifications at Kaohsiung Port Pier 70, covering scenarios such as personnel safety, ESG carbon emission monitoring, and hazardous gas detection. Through AI image analysis and digital twin technology, it aims to create replicable and exportable smart harbor module solutions. Cisco's Global Chief Innovation Officer, Guy Diedrich, stated, "Taiwan has demonstrated strong capabilities in digital economic development, and Kaohsiung, as the starting point of a smart hub, will leverage its AIoT ecosystem to drive industrial innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable development, consolidating its strategic position in the Asia-Pacific smart industry." ▲Cisco currently provides numerous application technologies in the AIoT field, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). In addition to industrial implementation, the base has simultaneously launched a talent development program, aiming to train 5000 AIoT professionals within two years and assist 1500 technical personnel in obtaining Cisco international certifications. Furthermore, by combining local universities, vocational training institutions, and international curriculum resources, Kaohsiung will be promoted as a hub for smart industry and cybersecurity talent in the Asia-Pacific region. Future efforts will also include overseas visits and the introduction of international instructors to broaden the global perspective of local talent. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai pointed out, "This is a significant milestone for Kaohsiung as it transforms from an industrial city into a smart technology hub. Through collaboration with Cisco and Jintai Technology, the Kaohsiung Smart Harbor Project has gradually yielded results. In the future, we will continue to strengthen our strategic layout in AIoT, ecosystem, and talent to cultivate momentum for industrial upgrading." Jintai Technology Chairman Wu Hsing-ho emphasized, "The Asia Bay Base is not only a technology research and development site, but also the starting point for verifying, replicating, and promoting smart harbor solutions. We hope to export Kaohsiung's successful experience to other international ports and smart industry scenarios, allowing Taiwan's AIoT solutions to go global." ▲ Combining AIoT technology applications allows real-time display of container throughput data in the Kaohsiung Port area, facilitating management personnel to monitor and understand the port's container handling operations. Currently, this project has attracted over NT$100 million in investment. In the future, Kaohsiung will serve as a demonstration node to promote the expansion of modular AIoT applications to other industries and international markets, strengthening Taiwan's global competitiveness in digital transformation and smart industries. With the official launch of the Asia Bay AIoT Ecosystem Development Base and R&D Center, Cisco, Jintai Technology, and local industry partners will continue to deepen their cooperation, from smart harbors and smart manufacturing to cross-domain cybersecurity and sustainable applications, comprehensively promoting the innovative implementation of smart industries and driving the new development of Kaohsiung's smart city. In the future, this model will be replicated in more fields, with Splunk becoming an important application technology asset. In a post-event interview, Cisco Taiwan General Manager Lin Yue-tian stated that the Asia Bay AIoT Ecosystem Development Base and R&D Center project had been in discussions with the Kaohsiung City Government for three years, and had also communicated with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and other agencies. This initiative aims to bring Cisco's numerous end-to-end AIoT technologies to practical application scenarios, and has chosen Kaohsiung Port's Container Terminal 70 (Hongming Terminal) for actual industry verification. This will improve the operational management efficiency of traditional ports through wireless paging and personnel monitoring, and enhance personnel safety and port utilization efficiency. ▲In addition to establishing the Asia Bay AIoT Ecosystem Development Base and R&D Center, Cisco Taiwan General Manager Lin Yue-tian has also implemented practical technology applications at Kaohsiung Port. Lin stated that Cisco had previously worked on a similar case in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and plans to replicate the same model in more areas of Taiwan, applying Cisco technology to traditional manufacturing, semiconductors, assembly, smart transportation, and even smart healthcare. Regarding the acquisition of Splunk, a visualization data business company, last year, Lin explained that the related technologies will become Cisco's main application assets, thereby driving the growth of cybersecurity, digitalization, and artificial intelligence applications.

As AI technology continues to drive industrial innovation, Cisco held its 2025 Ecosystem Innovation Summit in Taiwan today (July 10th). The summit not only provided in-depth insights into future network architecture trends and cybersecurity needs, but also showcased numerous AI-centric innovative applications in collaboration with ecosystem partners, comprehensively outlining the smart infrastructure required for enterprise digital transformation. Cisco emphasized that with the accelerated deployment of generative AI, intelligent agents, and data-driven applications, enterprise networks not only need greater resilience but also intelligent and automated defense mechanisms. According to the "2025 Global Network Trends Survey," as many as 79% of Taiwanese enterprises experienced significant outages in the past year due to network attacks, misconfigurations, or traffic congestion, highlighting the challenges and urgency faced by Taiwanese enterprises in their digital transformation. The survey also indicated that 98% of Taiwanese enterprises believe that a modern network is the cornerstone for deploying AI, IoT, and cloud computing. ▲The "2025 Global Network Trends Survey" indicates that 98% of Taiwanese enterprises believe that modern networks are the cornerstone for deploying AI, IoT, and cloud computing. ▲It also points out that many current network infrastructures cannot meet the operational needs of AI. To address this, Cisco has proposed a new generation of solutions for the multifaceted needs of data centers, smart workplaces, and security in the AI ​​era. These include network architectures with automated management and AI detection capabilities, the new Room Vision PTZ smart camera, and a conversational management interface centered on Cisco AI Canvas and integrating deep network models, enabling enterprise IT teams to respond to complex operational needs more quickly and efficiently. In terms of security, Cisco's newly launched 6100 and 200 series firewalls, combined with Hybrid Mesh Firewall and Universal ZTNA zero-trust access architectures, address advanced AI-driven threats. Integrated with platforms such as Security Cloud, Splunk Observability, and ThousandEyes Assurance, they help enterprises comprehensively understand network health and strengthen digital resilience. ▲Cisco has proposed a new generation of solutions to address the multifaceted needs of data centers, smart workplaces, and security in the AI ​​era. Cisco is also actively expanding its local ecosystem, collaborating with partners such as Lingqun Computer, Zero One Technology, and VAST Data to create practical applications. Lingqun is using SysTalker to create a locally deployable AI assistant for applications in government, healthcare, and customer service scenarios; Zero One is integrating Cisco UCS and Nexus architecture to build a flexible AI data center, enhancing anomaly detection and intelligent analysis; and VAST Data, in collaboration with Cisco, has launched the high-performance server EBox, optimized for handling large amounts of AI data. Lin Yue-tian, General Manager of Cisco Taiwan, stated that while AI applications bring innovative business opportunities, they also amplify the risks of cyberattacks and misconfigurations. Only through modern, intelligent network infrastructure can enterprises steadily advance their digital transformation, balancing revenue growth and operational security, and further strengthening the global competitiveness of Taiwan's industries. Cisco will continue to deepen the integration and innovation of AI, networking, and security, working with more ecosystem partners to promote a smart ecosystem and create a new digital landscape for industries.

Last September, Cisco announced its $28 billion acquisition of Splunk, a data visualization company, to drive growth in cybersecurity, digitalization, and artificial intelligence applications. Following the completion of the acquisition in March, Cisco recently explained via online conference how the merger will create greater advantages. Dave West, President of Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China, and Simon Davies, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Splunk Asia Pacific, cited data indicating that over 29 billion connected devices are expected to be operational globally by 2027, generating massive amounts of data and necessitating robust network infrastructure and security measures. The combination of Cisco and Splunk's technological resources will leverage complementary strengths and create synergistic effects to accelerate data application growth. Especially in the current wave of data-driven artificial intelligence, leveraging Splunk's data visualization technology to extract useful data and drive AI application growth will be a key focus for Cisco's future development. Through Splunk technology, Cisco will be able to gain faster insights into useful information and discover security vulnerabilities via data visualization. It will also integrate its Talos threat intelligence capabilities with the Splunk platform to enhance network security defenses and simplify security operations. Dave West explained that the combination of Cisco and Splunk technologies will bring positive functional integration benefits to existing Cisco customers, enabling faster data visualization and decision-making. Furthermore, by leveraging Splunk's AI, network security, and visualization tools, combined with Cisco's security and network technologies, enterprises can build greater network resilience and focus on their core business without worrying about network infrastructure issues. Cisco will also enhance automated network response capabilities through generative AI technology, thereby strengthening the self-healing and automatic configuration of network infrastructure. This will ensure user data security within existing products and enhance information security protection capabilities through AI technology development. Currently, Cisco and Splunk have 75% overlap in their global partners. Future developments will further simplify the partner ecosystem, while also emphasizing the importance of partners in Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan. It is stressed that the merger will not affect existing collaborative businesses, and the two companies will continue to promote the development of data visualization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity technologies in the Asian region.

Cisco today (June 17) announced the launch of Taiwan Digital Acceleration (TDA) 3.0, focusing on sustainability, information security, and AI-driven smart transformation. This initiative aligns with Taiwan's vision of building advanced and resilient systems and builds upon Cisco's 27 years of investment in the Taiwan market. Since 2018, Cisco has been continuously promoting the Digital Acceleration program in Taiwan to deepen its local development and maintain alignment with the Taiwanese government's digital development policies. This includes collaborations with the Taiwanese government, industry leaders, ecosystem partners, and academic institutions, promoting green sustainability, information security, and AI-driven smart transformation. Guy Diedrich, Cisco's Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, stated, "Cisco continuously supports transformation initiatives around the world through its global resources. Our commitment to Taiwan demonstrates Cisco's confidence in Taiwan's potential to become a leading technology market. The Digital Accelerator Program is not just an investment, but a collaboration that fully leverages Cisco's expertise, rich global ecosystem, and innovative spirit to ensure Taiwan remains at the forefront of digital innovation." In the previous Taiwan Digital Accelerator Programs 1.0 and 2.0, Cisco collaborated with 16 industry partners, successfully advancing and completing 24 projects. Key achievements include establishing a smart city solutions demonstration center in 2019, building Taiwan's first 5G open architecture "enterprise private network" platform in 2020, and creating a digital mobile medical vehicle to improve healthcare quality. In 2021, Cisco further established a high-speed computing AI information center to enhance smart healthcare applications, and in 2022, it used VR solutions to support international training in offshore wind power, while also applying smart network technology to smart ship management. By 2023, Full Stack Observability (FSO) technology will be used to enhance the stability and resilience of the financial industry and promote the digitization of healthcare resources and create a better life for seniors through smart technology. For the past 27 years, Cisco has played a key role in Taiwan's digital development, investing heavily in various industries to create a smarter and more inclusive digital future. This includes the Taiwan Digital Accelerator Program, now in its sixth year, which continues to strategically address the urgent needs of Taiwan's digital transformation. With the pace of innovation accelerating, Cisco's Taiwan Digital Accelerator Program 3.0 will focus on three key areas of current concern to government and industry leaders: sustainability, information security, and AI-driven smart transformation, as follows: • Green Sustainability: Cisco aims to collaborate with the Kaohsiung City Government to launch a smart port solution at Kaohsiung Port, promoting safe and automated operations. This solution can also help companies monitor energy usage to calculate emissions. The plan also includes collaborating with financial institutions to promote sustainable workplaces, supporting Taiwan's goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. • Information Security: Cisco plans to partner with the government to cultivate technology talent, helping to address the global talent shortage. Furthermore, Cisco plans to collaborate with relevant technology associations to establish a cybersecurity center in Taiwan to enhance cyber threat intelligence gathering and cyber preparedness. • AI-Driven Smart Transformation: This plan aims to transform urban infrastructure through AI-driven solutions in areas such as smart cities and transportation. Cisco is collaborating with the Taiwanese government to enhance traffic management and safety through connected road networks, advanced traffic monitoring systems, and optimized traffic signal services, ensuring smoother traffic flow and improved road safety.

EU regulators have approved Cisco's $280 billion acquisition of Splunk, a data visualization company, as it does not pose a competitive threat and the merger does not create potential competition issues. Cisco stated that the acquisition is expected to be completed as early as the first or second quarter of this year. Following the merger, Cisco is expected to become one of the world's largest software companies and accelerate the transformation of its existing businesses, thereby creating more revenue opportunities. Cisco believes that the acquisition of Splunk will enhance organizational security and digital resilience, and by integrating Cisco's business with Splunk's content, it will provide more comprehensive visibility data in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. This will not only make it easier for enterprises to grasp the business opportunities behind the data but also facilitate their digital transformation and drive the development of massive artificial intelligence technologies through data content. The transaction will be conducted at $157 per share. If the acquisition is successfully completed, Splunk President and CEO Gary Steele will join Cisco's leadership team and report to Cisco Chairman and CEO Chuck Robbins.

Following layoffs announced by major tech companies like Google, major networking provider Cisco is also reportedly planning another round of layoffs to restructure its business, potentially affecting thousands of employees. Reuters reports that Cisco will be conducting large-scale layoffs, though the exact number of affected employees has not yet been confirmed and is expected to be announced along with its latest quarterly financial results. Cisco currently has approximately 84,900 employees worldwide. In 2022, it laid off as many as 4000 employees, affecting about 5% of its workforce, and in 2023, it also laid off several hundred employees. This latest round of layoffs is reportedly for organizational restructuring and a shift towards more growth-oriented businesses, but Cisco has not responded to market rumors. Due to the impact of factors such as the pandemic, war, and financial crises in recent years, many large technology companies, such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, have successively laid off employees. Many reasons include the need to streamline operations after the pandemic, following increased recruitment, and the need to restructure existing businesses, leading to job changes for many employees and necessitating organizational restructuring through layoffs. According to statistics from Layoffs.fyi, approximately 1191 technology companies laid off more than 260,000 employees in 2023 alone, and more than 100 technology companies have laid off more than 30,000 employees so far in 2024.

Cisco recently announced its acquisition of Splunk, a San Francisco-based security and visibility data services provider, for approximately $280 billion. The acquisition will be valued at $157 per share. Upon successful completion of the acquisition, Splunk President and CEO Gary Steele will join Cisco's leadership team, reporting to Cisco Chairman and CEO Chuck Robbins. The merger is expected to make Cisco one of the world's largest software companies and accelerate the transformation of its existing businesses, thereby creating more revenue opportunities. Cisco believes this transaction will enhance organizational security and digital resilience, and by integrating Cisco's business with Splunk's, it will provide more comprehensive visibility data in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. This will not only make it easier for enterprises to grasp the business opportunities behind the data but also facilitate their digital transformation and drive the development of massive artificial intelligence technologies through data content.

Cisco announced its new SiliconOne series of network chips for artificial intelligence supercomputing systems and is testing them with major cloud service providers, competing with Broadcom and Marvell in the market. In addition, Cisco announced the launch of its next-generation network switches, the G200 and G202, which can connect 32000 GPUs in series and support data transfer speeds exceeding 51.2 Tbps. These switches are designed to meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence computing and machine learning applications, and boast reduced overall data exchange frequency, improving overall operational efficiency and reducing power consumption. Cisco has already partnered with five major cloud service providers for testing, but has not disclosed their names.

Following the impact of the pandemic, Cisco returned to Taiwan after a three-year hiatus with the Cisco Engage Taipei event, themed "Vision for the Future." The event delved into four key trends: hybrid workspaces, smart applications, infrastructure, and digital security, providing in-depth analysis of how innovative technologies can help businesses build a more resilient digital foundation. To strengthen the local application of technology, Cisco promotes its Digital Acceleration Program globally, connecting its experts and global resources with partners in real estate, government, and academia to assist various markets in multifaceted digital transformation across infrastructure, transportation, and education. The Cisco Digital Acceleration Program has accumulated over 1400 ongoing or completed projects in 48 markets worldwide, benefiting approximately 60% of the global population. In 2018, Cisco officially introduced the Taiwan Digital Acceleration (TDA) program in Taiwan and continues to expand its investment to implement digital transformation in a maximized and efficient manner, benefiting both the public and private sectors and building digital resilience. Cisco technologies have made progress in the following major industries: • Smart Transportation: Enhancing the stability and reliability of information transmission and ensuring transportation safety. In the transportation industry, where even millisecond-level connection failures are unacceptable, stable networks play a crucial role. For example, the shipping industry relies heavily on communication technology to avoid collisions and emergencies where distress calls cannot be made. Cisco's Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul solution provides reliable, low-latency IoT connectivity, greatly improving the safety and efficiency of road and port operations. This technology can also be applied to other transportation systems such as subways and high-speed rail. • Financial System Stability: Ensuring the digital resilience and system visibility of financial transactions. For financial institutions with increasingly complex applications, transaction amounts can be determined within milliseconds, making the elimination of anomalies and latency a top priority. Cisco's AppDynamics and Thousand Eyes provide comprehensive visibility, allowing customers to easily manage systems, infrastructure, and security insights and detection within a single dashboard. This enables the creation of flexible digital platforms, improved service quality and operational efficiency, and increased enterprise competitiveness. • Wind Power Generation: Smart Networks Facilitate Remote Learning and Collaboration Needs. Remotely located wind turbines rely on high-bandwidth, low-latency communication networks, coupled with high-resolution real-time video monitoring and VR/MR collaborative applications, to achieve safe and efficient wind turbine operation, maintenance, and technical training. Cisco, with its innovative 5G core network solution, collaborates with partner vendors on 5G Open RAN, VR, and MR vertical integration solutions, enabling remote experts to collaborate with on-site technicians for timely monitoring, management, and maintenance of wind turbines; ...

In response to the post-pandemic work model, Cisco believes that even though more and more companies want employees to return to the office, it will still be necessary to maintain the flexibility of remote work so that employees can cope with various emergencies and keep the work running normally. Cisco has now proposed a new Webex Suite solution, which will make the flexible remote work model simpler and more natural. At WebexOne 2022, Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Cyber ​​Security and Collaboration at Cisco, stated, "Hybrid work has become more different and challenging than our traditional work models. Regardless of the type of work—frontline employees, knowledge workers, IT administrators, or call center staff—and regardless of where or how they work, everyone expects and deserves a good work experience. Therefore, we need comprehensive solutions, and only Cisco can provide such solutions through its integrated platform that combines collaboration software, devices, networking, and security technologies." According to statistics released by market research firm Frost & Sullivan in October of this year, approximately 98% of meetings are participated in remotely, but only 6.4% of meeting rooms offer video conferencing systems, allowing more people to participate in meetings online. Compared to working in the office, many people often face network connectivity issues and unintuitive interactions when working from home or remotely, which can also pose challenges to internal information security and management. This has led many companies to favor employees returning to the office in the post-pandemic era. However, Cisco's observations show that increasing flexibility in remote work can actually lead to higher employee productivity. While not all industries are suited to remote work, many companies clearly need to prepare for contingencies such as a resurgence of the pandemic or natural disasters, and are prepared to seamlessly transition to remote work. In this announcement, Cisco revealed a deep collaboration with Microsoft, enabling deep integration of Microsoft Teams with Cisco's Webex service, allowing for intuitive use across various Cisco conferencing systems. The new Cisco Room Kit EQ conferencing system further addresses the remote communication needs of large meeting spaces, making it easier for those in the office to discuss matters with those working remotely from home via video conferencing. Furthermore, Cisco presented a design blueprint for hybrid workspaces, based on its New York office deployment, to provide inspiration for more companies creating hybrid workspaces that integrate people, space, and technology, making collaborative work in a hybrid workspace simpler and more intuitive. Other updates include a whiteboard application that allows multiple participants to discuss together, and a Vidcast service that allows attendees to review the meeting later. Cisco also collaborates deeply with Apple on iOS 16.1 to enhance the ease of participation through Apple devices. Cisco further proposes using artificial intelligence for automatic noise reduction, enabling clearer audio discussions in online meetings, and even creating hybrid virtual online events through Webex Events and Webinars. Regarding security, Cisco adds audio watermarking and online IT guidance features, allowing enterprise IT administrators to easily ensure the security of meeting content and providing appropriate solutions to problems encountered in hybrid work environments. It also integrates with Cisco Spaces through Webex Control Hub to improve the work experience for employees in the office through data.