Cisco Introduces AI-First Approach to IT Operations
At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco announced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains. Central to this paradigm are the Cisco AI Assistant, Cisco AI Canvas, and the Deep Network Model, each playing a role in redefining modern IT workflows.
AgenticOps: A New Paradigm for IT Operations
AgenticOps represents Cisco’s vision for an AI-driven operational model where intelligent agents autonomously manage and optimize IT tasks. This approach leverages real-time telemetry, automation, and deep domain expertise to deliver intelligent, end-to-end actions at machine speed, all while keeping IT teams in control, Cisco said.
Key components of AgenticOps include:
- Cisco Ai Assistant: A conversational interface that identifies issues, diagnoses root causes, and automates complex workflows.
- Cisco Ai Canvas: A shared, interactive workspace featuring a generative UI that unifies data across networking, security, and observability domains.
- Deep Network Model: A domain-specific large language model (LLM), a specialized LLM trained on Cisco’s networking knowledge, including CiscoU and CCIE materials, built on over 40 years of Cisco expertise.
Cisco AI Assistant: Conversational Control Across the Ecosystem
The Cisco AI Assistant serves as the foundational layer of AgenticOps, providing a natural language interface that allows IT professionals to interact with their systems more intuitively. By leveraging the Deep Network Model, the AI Assistant can:
- Quickly identify critical issues and diagnose root causes.
- Assist with network configurations and policy management.
- Automate routine tasks, such as NAC configurations or switch migrations, reducing task time from hours to minutes.
- Provide actionable insights and recommendations, enhancing decision-making processes.
By integrating deeply into Cisco’s platform, the AI Assistant ensures that IT teams can easily incorporate its capabilities into their existing workflows, streamlining operations and improving efficiency.
Cisco AI Canvas: A Collaborative Workspace for Cross-Domain IT
Building upon the AI Assistant, the Cisco AI Canvas introduces a generative user interface designed to facilitate real-time collaboration among NetOps, SecOps, and application teams. Key features of the AI Canvas include:
- Integration of real-time telemetry from sources like Meraki, ThousandEyes, and Splunk, providing a unified view of the IT environment.
- Dynamic generation of dashboards and visualizations tailored to specific incidents or workflows.
- Advanced reasoning models that break down troubleshooting into structured steps, guiding teams through diagnostics and remediation.
- Collaborative features that allow team members to share dashboards, invite collaborators, and persist sessions across time.
- Execution capabilities that enable the AI Canvas to implement configuration changes or execute runbook steps upon team agreement.
By centralizing data and collaboration tools, the AI Canvas empowers IT teams to resolve issues more efficiently and with greater transparency.
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