At the end of October, more than 1,900 Cisco partners gathered in person in Los Angeles, while an additional 5,000 joined virtually from around the world for the 2024 Cisco Partner Summit. The resounding message of the summit: Cisco and its partners thrive better together. During the opening keynote, under the event’s theme, Forward as One, CEO Chuck Robbins reaffirmed Cisco’s commitment to being a partner-led organization focused on tackling the most pressing challenges of today’s digital age.
Building Trust and Innovation in Partnerships
Kicking off the opening keynote, Rodney Clark, SVP of Partnerships and Small & Medium Business at Cisco, set an optimistic and grateful tone by likening the synergy between Cisco and its partners to a long-standing relationship. Despite challenges, in the end, it is strengthened by shared successes. “Like any relationship, we have to continue to grow together. We have to push each other to continue to accelerate innovation,” he said.
Clark emphasized Cisco’s commitment to fostering trust and empowering partners to deliver customer value. With $50 billion in FY24 global partner bookings—89 percent of total global product and service bookings, Cisco’s partner-led approach is at the heart of its success. “Forward as One implies that we at Cisco are providing value to you in our relationship, and that we will continue to do everything we can to earn your loyalty and trust,” Clark said.
A Moment of Inflection: Embracing the AI Revolution
Robbins took the stage to highlight AI’s transformative potential, calling it one of the most significant technological shifts in decades. “We are at this moment of inflection. It’s an exciting inflection,” Robbins declared, comparing the immense potential of AI, which is expected to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, to the internet explosion of the 1990s. Yet, despite its promise, fewer than 15 percent of organizations feel prepared to implement AI solutions.
To bridge this readiness gap, Robbins outlined Cisco’s comprehensive strategy, centered on delivering the robust infrastructure, integrated technologies, and AI-ready solutions needed to empower its partners and customers. He shared how this involves getting back to the core of what they do — “deliver the best infrastructure on the planet” to ensure customers are prepared for the challenges and opportunities of AI.
A key element of this strategy is Cisco’s largest-ever acquisition, Splunk, finalized in FY24. Robbins explained how Splunk bolsters Cisco’s ability to consolidate data, strengthen digital resilience, and secure AI operations—essential capabilities for organizations operating in this new technological landscape.
Robbins stressed that security must be at the forefront of AI innovation, noting the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. “The bad actors are using it, and if we don’t use it as an industry, if we don’t use it together to help our customers defend against the bad actors, they will lose and we will lose,” Robbins warned. To combat this, Cisco is leveraging AI to enhance its security offerings, ensuring customers can protect AI models, whether deployed in the cloud or on-premises.
Driving Customer Value Through Unified Platforms
Jeetu Patel, Cisco’s Chief Product Officer, joined Robbins on stage to further delve into the vital role of security in a rapidly digitizing world. “Security is the critical infrastructure for the critical infrastructure,” Patel remarked, emphasizing the importance of consolidating fragmented solutions into cohesive platforms.
Forward as One: A Path to Success
Cisco’s expanded security portfolio, bolstered by Splunk, positions it as one of the largest security vendors globally. Patel highlighted Cisco’s ability to deliver compounded value by integrating innovations across networking, compute, algorithms, and data. “Our platform advantage is second to none,” he said, pointing to new releases like the Secure Service Edge (SSE) portfolio as examples of Cisco’s leadership in the security space.
The theme Forward as One is more than just a rallying cry; it represents Cisco’s strategy to collaborate closely with partners to drive meaningful outcomes for customers. Throughout the 2024 Cisco Partner Summit and beyond, the message is clear: Cisco and its partners are united in their commitment to building a more secure, innovative, and digitally resilient future.
With AI and security as focal points, Cisco and its partners are well-positioned to lead through one of the most significant technological transitions in history. Together, they are poised to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and power an inclusive future for all. Watch the first keynote along with other clips from the 2024 Cisco Partner Summit for more insights and exciting announcements.
