Name: Simplify IT with Advanced SD-WAN Automation
Start: 2024-04-17T18:00:00Z
End: 2024-04-17T18:00:50.000Z
Location: BrightTALK
Rating: 5

Our webinar series features experts and leaders sharing opportunities and innovations that transform how organizations connect, grow, and succeed globally. From security solutions to workplace design and independent analysis, we have curated a collection of forward-thinking discussions that cover a wide range of topics impacting technology today.

As AI adoption surges, more data is generated and consumed at the network edge. To keep pace, infrastructure must be deployed closer to data sources and edge architectures must evolve with flexibility and scale. In this interactive fireside chat, join leaders from Cisco, Nutanix, and GigaOm to explore the fast-changing landscape of edge technology.  

 We'll dive into the expansion of AI-driven workloads and discuss why unified, hyperconverged edge architectures are essential for supporting them. You'll discover how Cisco Unified Edge and Cisco Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) with Nutanix deliver secure, scalable, and simplified edge deployments. Plus, we'll examine full-stack use cases across key industries and discuss why an AI-ready edge is crucial for enterprise growth. 

In this session, you'll learn about: 

- Key benefits and features of unified, full-stack, and unified edge solutions   
- Critical business criteria for evaluating and deploying modern edge architectures   
- Edge computing and AI use cases in retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and more   
- Why Cisco Unified Edge and Cisco HCI with Nutanix are the right choice for scalable, secure enterprise edge deployments

The Evolving Role of Edge Computing in an AI World: Fireside Chat with GigaOm

Dive into the world of AI observability where every millisecond truly counts. This webinar unveils how comprehensive observability is not just a luxury, but a necessity for empowering your AI workloads.

We will explore the innovative architecture and tangible advantages of Cisco AI PODs combined with Splunk Observability, showcasing their seamless integration. Discover how this powerful duo transforms the ""black box"" of AI systems into a transparent, manageable environment, enabling you to master the complexities of AI infrastructure and ensure peak performance. 

During this webinar, you will:

- Learn how to unify observability across your entire AI stack, from LLMs to network fabric. 
- Discover strategies to accelerate troubleshooting and pinpoint AI performance bottlenecks with precision. 
 Understand how to deploy AI with confidence using scalable Cisco AI PODs and Splunk integration. 
- Gain insights to transform your IT operations into a high-performance AI ""pit crew,"" reducing costly downtime.

Every Millisecond Matters: Observability for AI Workloads

Today's threats don't wait—and neither can your defenses. As attacks grow more sophisticated and vulnerabilities emerge across every corner of your network, visibility and rapid response are essential.

Harnessing Threat Intelligence in Hybrid Mesh Firewall

In this webinar, hosted by Cisco & Qumulo, you will learn how organizations like yours can simplify data management, reduce costs, and meet performance, security, and compliance requirements with Qumulo and Cisco.

Come see this partnership in action:

- Unify your data: Create a seamless and affordable data experience that spans your entire operation–from your core systems to the cloud and even the edge.
- Power the future of AI: Build a data solution that delivers incredible speed and massive scale, ready to fuel your most ambitious Enterprise AI initiatives.
- Modernize your infrastructure: Replace old, clunky storage with the latest in flexible, powerful infrastructure that grows with you.
- Integrate with ease: Discover how to effortlessly integrate your existing backup solutions like Commvault, Veeam, or Rubrik with the combined strength of Cisco UCS + Qumulo.
- Optimize your Splunk: Get the most out of your Splunk SmartStore solution with expert insights.

Cisco UCS with Qumulo: Bridging the Enterprise Data Gap from Edge to Core to Cloud

AI projects stall without the right foundation. This webinar shows how Cisco AI PODs deliver an integrated, tested solution for AI at any scale.

See how unified infrastructure powered by NVIDIA AI Enterprise cuts project risk and speeds up time-to-value. Explore actionable steps to future-proof your AI operations:

- Deploy AI workloads 50% faster with plug-and-play bundles. 
- Eliminate integration complexity with pre-validated systems. 
- Ensure compliance and robust security across your AI stack.
- Scale infrastructure for evolving AI and business needs.

Register now to discover a smarter, simpler approach to enterprise AI.

Cisco AI PODs: Accelerating AI Adoption from Inferencing to Large-Scale Training

As the AI era accelerates, network complexity is intensifying—straining NetOps teams and enterprise IT leaders. This “new normal” demands ultra-fast, intelligent management from teams facing silos and skill gaps.

In this on-demand video, ESG spotlights agentic AI, the next evolution of GenAI, and how Cisco is driving this transformation with AgenticOps. Powered by our Deep Network Model, AgenticOps fuses decades of networking expertise with advanced automation and seamless cross-domain collaboration.

Join Cisco and ESG experts to discover why 90% of enterprises view networking as more critical than ever in the AI era. Learn how Cisco AgenticOps helps close IT team skill gaps, eliminate silos, and accelerate issue resolution.

Here's what you'll take away from the session: 

- A deeper understanding of how agentic AI capabilities are an evolutionary leap from rule-based and ML-driven GenAI 
- Insights into the non-negotiables of agentic AI, including architecture, specialized models, and operator interfaces 
- A primer for how Cisco Deep Network Model, AI Assistant, and AI Canvas meet these requirements right now 
- Real-world use cases to leverage Cisco AgenticOps and transform the efficiency and productivity of your NetOps teams

Beyond GenAI: Put an End to Network Complexity with AgenticOps

The demands of cloud and AI are shattering the limits of traditional, fragmented branch networks, creating a bottleneck to performance and growth. Watch our conversation with guest Brandon Butler from IDC to learn how to simplify, automate, and secure your branch infrastructure, delivering flawless digital experiences and airtight security—with a unified branch network architecture. 

You will learn:

- Why siloed branch infrastructure falls short for modern digital and AI workloads 
- How a unified branch architecture improves both performance and security 
- Ways to automate branch deployments and troubleshooting and empower lean IT teams 
- Strategies to future-proof your branch network operations

From Fragmented to Future-Ready: Unified Branch IT for the AI Era

A recent survey shows only 13 percent of organisations feel prepared for AI. This session explores practical approaches to simplify AI deployment, improve security, and manage costs. 
 
Key topics include: 
 - Streamlining AI infrastructure and automation 
- Strengthening security from model to network 
- Scaling and optimising resources for better efficiency 
 
What you’ll walk away with: 
- Practical ways to simplify and automate AI infrastructure deployment 
- Best practices for securing your models and data at every layer 
- Tips to optimize resource utilization for cost and energy savings 
- Methods to future-proof your compute stack for next-gen AI workloads

Strategic Compute for the AI Era: Unlocking Performance and Simplicity with Cisco UCS

AI is transforming every industry, but it also brings new challenges in scale, efficiency, and security. Enterprises are asking: how do we train larger models, accelerate generative AI, and ensure data security while controlling costs?
Cisco is addressing these critical challenges with the launch of the Cisco UCS C880A M8. This new server redefines enterprise AI infrastructure by featuring the NVIDIA HGX B300 air-cooled platform and 6th Gen Intel® Xeon® processors.
Join us to explore key AI challenges today, from compute density to sustainable cooling and enterprise data security. We will dive into technical innovations including Intel Xeon 6th Gen's Priority Core Turbo (PCT) technology for optimized performance, and NVIDIA HGX B300's breakthrough GPU interconnect bandwidth for large-scale AI training. Discover Cisco’s design advantages, from integrated management with Intersight to deployment-ready scalability.

Reshaping the Future of AI with Cisco, Intel, and NVIDIA: Introducing the UCS C880A M8 with NVIDIA HGX B300

Can you keep up with segmentation in today’s fast-paced IT landscape? Is it possible to make segmentation simple, scalable, and secure as new applications, devices, and users emerge every day? We think so.

Stay ahead of the curve with Cisco Hybrid Mesh Firewall. Join our webinar and learn how leading organizations overcome complexity, ensure compliance, and protect what matters most. Get expert insights and see how to transform your security strategy, no matter where you are in your segmentation journey. 

Learn how: 

- AI and machine learning deliver unmatched insights into apps, dependencies, users, and devices 
- Agent and agentless methods enable tailored segmentation, from macro to micro, for your environment 
- You can simplify policy controls within Kubernetes environments

Simplify End-to-End Segmentation with Cisco

How many firewall policies do you have? How many are redundant? How many overlap? 

Automatic policy optimization is just one of the benefits of migrating to intelligent cloud management—and you can take advantage of it for free. 

During this webinar you'll learn about the AI-driven benefits of migrating and your options, including keeping your existing on-premises firewall management center (FMC) appliance or going fully cloud.

Benefits of Intelligent Cloud Management for Cisco Secure Firewall

With today’s distributed application environments and remote teams, attack surfaces are bigger, more varied, and more exposed than ever—while AI-powered apps bring new security risks that old-school firewalls can’t handle. That’s why organizations like yours need flexible, built-in hybrid mesh firewalls to stay ahead of modern threats. 

In this session, experts from Cisco—a recognized leader in the 2025 IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Enterprise Hybrid Firewall—will show you how to map your firewall plan. Learn how to implement a hybrid mesh firewall solution, the critical capabilities for a successful hybrid mesh firewall strategy, and why Cisco is uniquely positioned to meet you where you are on your hybrid mesh firewall journey. 

We’ll review: 

- All the benefits of intelligent cloud management—go from Cisco AI Assistant to 99.99% uptime SLA without a dedicated HA setup  
- A cost comparison of the migration options including licensing and operating costs 
- An overview of the migration steps to intelligent cloud management for each option

Hybrid Mesh Firewall: Getting Started and Critical Capabilities

AI-driven workloads, dynamic applications, and an expanding threat landscape are redefining the expectations placed on enterprise networks. Meeting these demands requires rethinking how infrastructure is designed—and how NetOps and NetSecOps teams approach scale, performance, and risk. 

Join Cisco presenters, Sanjay Kapoor, Senior Director of Solutions Marketing, and Grant Shirk, Senior Director of Product Marketing, for a conversation exploring the long-term implications of AI on enterprise networking. We'll share a perspective on where the industry is headed, what organizations should be doing to prepare, and how concepts like AgenticOps and AI-driven operations are starting to change the model. 

You'll also get a first look at AI Canvas and AI Assistant—powered by the Cisco Deep Network Model—to see how teams can troubleshoot and resolve issues faster than ever, with shared context across networking, security, and operations. 

Plus get a taste of how Nestlé, the world's largest food and beverage manufacturer, transformed global network infrastructure and operations with Cisco SD-WAN and AI.

The AI-Ready Blueprint: Future-Proofing Networks for the Agentic Era

Campus networks are under pressure—increased AI workloads, hybrid work, and a rising tide of IoT devices are reshaping traffic patterns and overwhelming legacy infrastructure.Traditional bolt-on security can't keep up with new risks or scale. Operations are stretched thin, policies are inconsistent, and performance gaps disrupt productivity.

Join this session and learn how to streamline operations, power high-speed connectivity, and truly protect the AI-ready campus with security fused into the network fabric. 

You'll walk away knowing exactly how to:  
- Protect hybrid, remote, and on-campus users with zero-trust enforcement everywhere they connect 
- Detect and stop threats faster at the edge with smart switches featuring onboard telemetry and security 
- Extend campus security and segmentation seamlessly to branches, WAN, and beyond 
- Safeguard sensitive data and AI workloads at scale without sacrificing performance 
- Secure and segment unmanaged IoT and OT devices automatically at scale, reducing operational complexity

Campus Chaos? Simplify Secure Networking for the AI Era

In the rapidly evolving AI era, your organization's most valuable asset—its data—often remains locked away in legacy systems, out of reach for modern AI applications. Many enterprises struggle with data fragmentation, complexity, and the high costs associated with AI initiatives, leading to a significant percentage of projects failing to reach production.

Join Cisco and VAST Data, powered by NVIDIA, for an insightful webinar that will transform your approach to AI. Discover how our joint solution is changing the game by simplifying the path from decades of accumulated data to powerful AI-driven insights.

In this webinar, you will learn:
The Untapped Opportunity: Understand why your existing data is the biggest untapped opportunity in the AI era and how to turn it from a cost center into a strategic value driver.
Overcoming Hurdles: Gain insights into common challenges like data fragmentation, locality, unstructured data, and skills gaps, and how our integrated solution addresses them.
Simplified Deployment with AI Pods: Explore how Cisco's pre-tested, pre-configured AI Pods, combined with VAST Data's scalable storage and NVIDIA's AI Enterprise software, provide a turnkey, high-performance infrastructure for your AI workloads.
Real-World Use Cases: Hear practical examples and success stories from the media and entertainment world, demonstrating what's possible when you start with your data, not just your infrastructure.
Scalability & Efficiency: Discover how our architecture ensures linear scalability for both performance and cost, making your AI journey predictable and affordable.
The Secure AI Factory: Learn how Cisco's broader portfolio integrates security and observability to provide a comprehensive and robust AI environment.

This session is essential for business leaders, IT decision-makers, and AI/ML practitioners looking to accelerate their AI initiatives and unlock the full strategic value of their enterprise data.

Unleashing the Future of AI Infrastructure with Cisco and VAST Data

Are you ready to modernize your WAN and design a future-ready network so you can achieve greater resiliency? If yes, you're in the right place. Watch this webinar to discover the power of Cisco SD-WAN and how customers like Nestlé have embraced it to build a future-ready network that is simpler, smarter, safer, and has delivered 99.97% availability for global operations. 

We'll explore how Cisco SD-WAN:

- Enables simplified network operations and WAN management with flexible connectivity, centralized control, and zero-touch provisioning 
- Enhances performance and user experiences with AI-driven automation, predictive path optimization, and end-to-end visibility 
- Delivers secure built-in next-gen firewall, SASE-ready architecture, and identity-based micro-segmentation 
- Empowered global leader Nestlé to design a future-ready network and achieve 99.97% availability

The recipe to avoid downtime: Cisco SD-WAN, with special guest Nestlé

The global landscape of artificial intelligence is increasingly shaped by nations' pursuit of AI sovereignty, reflecting a critical intersection of technological advancement and national interests. As countries compete to develop AI capabilities, organizations—particularly multinational corporations—face complex challenges in navigating diverse regulatory frameworks and competing national interests. In this session, Cisco provides practical insights into implementing AI sovereignty solutions while maintaining operational effectiveness across international borders. The discussion offers valuable perspectives on balancing technological innovation with regulatory compliance and national security requirements in the evolving landscape of sovereign AI.

Mastering Sovereign AI: Across Global Businesses and Government Landscapes

In this webinar, manufacturers will understand best practices in adopting a robust, scalable and Secure AI Factory within their organizations.  Our session will include how to organize for adopting AI capabilities and then how to successfully deploy new AI capabilities such as GenAI, RAG, Inferencing and Digital Twin across all aspects of their value chain, from R&D through operations and supply chains and including customer satisfaction.  Throughout our webinar, we will share trends in AI, real world examples and the eco-systems needed to build and sustain AI as a business function and not just as a tech project.

AI in Manufacturing – how manufacturers can benefit from a comprehensive AI strategy

The rapid adoption of cloud technology by organizations has led to a shift towards both single and multi-cloud environments. Unfortunately, this shift has also resulted in cloud misconfigurations, which are one of the top risks associated in the cloud. Cloud misconfiguration refers to any errors or gaps in the security measures of a cloud environment. 

We will begin by discussing the root causes of cloud misconfigurations. We will then review case studies of organizations that have suffered data breaches due to cloud misconfigurations, such as Capital One in 2019, eBay in 2014, and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2017. Finally, we will then walk through built-in tools provided by AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, that cyber professionals can leverage to mitigate security risks in the cloud. These tools are also known as Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tools.

Cloud Security Posture Management tools are automated solutions designed to identify misconfiguration issues and compliance risks in the cloud so that they can be remediated, reducing the risk of successful breaches. We will explore AWS Security Hub, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and Google Security Command Center, and review how each tool can be used to gain visibility into the current security posture of each respective cloud.  Furthermore, we will emphasize how these tools can be applied to determine alignment with relevant regulatory compliance standards and industry-standard benchmarks, as well as identify threats and potential security weaknesses. 

The key takeaways from this session are:
- Most cloud breaches are due to misconfigurations or human errors.
- Do not rely on your cloud service provider to secure your data (understand the shared responsibility model).
- You cannot protect what you do not have visibility into (CSPM solutions can help).
- Cloud security should begin with implementation of cloud governance.

Using Cloud Security Posture Management Solutions to Mitigate Misconfigurations

Ransomware attacks continue to escalate in the enterprise. Analyst groups report that such attacks were occurring every 11 seconds in 2021 with the frequency increasing all the time. Analysts further note mean recovery costs of US$1.82M, median payments of US$400K, and total 2023 ransom payments in excess of US$1 billion. It is a serious threat to the enterprise, and one that is growing every day.

Traditional, single-layer protection mechanisms (i.e., firewall) can be easy to circumvent by clever ransomware tactics (e.g., breaking up the ransomware into pieces and reassembling it once it passes through the firewall). This vendor-agnostic presentation will review the architecture and benefits of a multilayer, collaborate network-to-storage protection architecture that is starting to be implemented by some vendors and will likely become more commonplace going forward.

Defeating Ransomware: Exploring a Collaborative Network-to-Storage Architecture

Achieving network resilience is not just a matter of having the latest ransomware software or firewall technology. Building sustainability, environmental management and green technology into a network infrastructure can help ensure its survival and resilience. 

This session will examine strategies and technologies that not only bolster your network’s green attributes but also enhance its resilience. You’ll also be better prepared for network audits that examine the use of green technology.

Can Sustainability & Green Tech Help You Achieve Network Resilience? Of Course!

This panel discussion provides you with insights into:

1) How the successful integration of AI and automation into network operations:
• Improves situational awareness and decision-making ability
• Reduces the number of tools needed to diagnose and resolve problems
• Reduces troubleshooting time
• Identifies proactive actions to address issues before they become resource consuming disruptive problems

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can provide unprecedented visibility into network performance. During this discussion we will explore this and how leveraging AIOps Insights, a Verizon developed suite of AI powered network monitoring and management tools, is empowering our customer’s and their network performance.  Aggregating data from sources spanning the entire network stack, AIOps Insights presents a unified view of any Verizon customer’s network in an intuitive user interface.  Combined with advanced Machine Learning (ML) capabilities, AIOps Insights offers valuable insights into network health, identifies performance trends and helps analyze the root cause of problems while reducing customer network operations workloads.

2) How you can reduce your risk level and thus improve resiliency with a zero trust architecture.

A Zero Trust Architecture helps to prevent breaches by making applications, data and services essentially inaccessible to attackers while allowing trusted users to securely and directly connect to protected resources from virtually anywhere. During the second part of this session, learn about what Zero trust is, the benefits of a zero trust architecture and how it can transform your network security.

Panelists:
Tony Harb: Director - Solution Architects, Australia/New Zealand, Verizon Business
Bert Lacher, Director - Technology Solutions, Data & Analytics, Verizon Business
Jeffrey Manning: Principal Architect - Network Security Services, Verizon Business

Enhancing Network Survivability & Efficiency Using AI Ops & Zero Trust Security

Secure access service edge (SASE) revolutionizes network security by integrating cloud-native security technologies like secure web gateway (SWG), cloud access security broker (CASB), zero trust network architecture (ZTNA), and firewall as a service (FWaaS) with wide area network (WAN) capabilities. This innovative framework ensures secure connections between users, systems, and endpoints to applications and services, regardless of their location. Introduced by Gartner in 2019, SASE offers enhanced agility, improved network performance, and comprehensive visibility and control across diverse IT environments.

Krishnendu De, the Head of Information Security at CESC Limited, a leading power generation and distribution company in India and former Senior Director of Enterprise Security Services at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), will address the importance of embracing modern inspection and validation techniques in today's fast-paced environment. With remote work on the rise and threats evolving rapidly, traditional methods may impede productivity, compromise security, and disrupt user experience. To maintain efficiency and ensure a smooth user experience, organizations must adopt contemporary approaches tailored to the requirements of remote workers.

In this presentation:  
1.      Discover the advantages of transitioning to a comprehensive SASE framework.
2.      Explore the essential five architectural components that form SASE, along with its various use cases and potential business advantages.
3.      Learn about common misconceptions and implementation hurdles, as well as the best practices for successful SASE integration.
4.      Find out how to select the right SASE provider for your organization's needs.

Enhancing Enterprise Performance and Security through Secure Access Service Edge

Abstract: In the rapidly evolving landscape of enterprise networking, organizations face the challenge of adjusting their SD-WAN strategies to thrive in a 5G era. This webinar aims to provide a comprehensive exploration of how SD-WAN, cellular, and Hybrid WAN solutions can optimize network performance amidst the power of 5G - which results in more use cases, easier management, and lower cost of operations.

Discussion topics will include:

-Leveraging the advantages of cellular connectivity, including increased flexibility, scalability, and resilience
-Decoding the power of SD-WAN when combined with 5G
-Understanding how hybrid WAN solutions enable 5G to complement wired connections

How Does SD-WAN Need to Change for Network Resiliency in a 5G World?

Modern products often have a complex web of stakeholder groups across business units and leadership. This makes aligning on a product vision challenging. In this presentation, Amritha Arun Babu, Technical Product Management leader, shares tactics for navigating a complex stakeholder ecosystem including:
- Stakeholder mapping to visualize influence and interest.
- Tailoring messaging and communication styles accordingly.
- Addressing conflicting needs through transparent prioritization.
- Using roadmaps, demos, and events to showcase value.
- Driving consensus with collaborative workshops.
- Empowering stakeholders as product advocates.

Attendees will learn a structured approach to managing diverse stakeholders effectively, gaining buy-in, and resolving conflicts through influence and transparency.

Managing Stakeholders in a Complex Product Ecosystem

Strategies for a Resilient Network

Which technologies are the key drivers for IT transformation? According to IDC, "IT organizations are prioritizing intelligent networking components and management systems that heighten network efficiency and effectiveness, staff productivity and impact, and digital innovation and success." 

In this webinar, you will get insights on:

·         Complexity in digital infrastructure
·         Keys to simplifying IT operations and solidifying service delivery
·         Benefits of simplified management for SD-WAN 
·         Cisco SD-WAN solution: intelligence and predictive automation for innovation

Speakers:
Brandon Butler | Research Manager, Enterprise Networks, IDC
Mark Leary | Research Director, Network Analytics and Automation, IDC
JL Valente | Vice President, Product Management, Cisco
Robert Tang | Product Marketing Manager, Cisco

Simplify IT with Advanced SD-WAN Automation

SD WAN

Digital Transformation

Network Architecture

IT Infrastructure

Network Management

Productivity

Network Security

IT Operations

Software Defined Network

Automation

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