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Day one of Cisco Live 2017 is in the books, and our team is having a great time so far.

The day kicked off with an opening keynote from Cisco CEO, Chuck Robbins. He opened the week discussing Cisco’s new Network. Intuitive.The Cisco team has been busy the past few years rewriting IOS…yep, that’s rewriting IOS to a modern data model. No big deal, right? The new network is accompanied by a new command center, called DNA Center. The DNA Center provides streamlined analytics and is where customers declare intent that will be automated defined by policy. The new intuitive network is designed for today’s multi-cloud world. It moves workloads and provides greater visibility and security and policy preservation.

Robbins also highlighted the new platforms that accompany the Network. Intuitive. The catalyst 9000 series was designed by team that designs Ferrari. The Catalyst 9000 Series delivers high performance and functionality. These switches are built on breakthrough innovations in security, mobility, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the cloud.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, joined Chuck Robbins on stage to discuss “key features and security advancements for business in iOS 11 and through [Cisco and Apple’s] partnership”. Basically, Tim Cook is going to make an easy button for the Cisco Enterprise 😉

United HealthCare CEO, David Wichmann, also joined Robbins on stage to discuss technology, healthcare, and how Cisco making a difference in how healthcare is delivered.

Key takeaways from Robbins opening keynote were:

• We live in a world defined by less, but have the problem of more…more threats, more intelligence and we need a network to address more
• The network sees everything – 8.4 billion connected things 3.1 billion connected things in your network today
• By 2020 there will be 1 million connections per hour
• The new network has 99.5 efficacy determining malware in encrypted traffic
• 25 years of software have been re-written – the network has been redefined

Today’s showcase sessions included:

• Data & Application Mobility: Embrace Hybrid Cloud with Confidence: James Amies, Enterprise Architect and Eric Herzog, Vice President, Product Marketing & Management IBM Storage Systems and Software Defined Infrastructure discussed adoption of hybrid-cloud by both small and large sized companies to gain business advantage. They highlight was a successful implementation takes and how converged infrastructure from IBM and Cisco has evolved to address the needs of today’s businesses. This session empowered attendees to bring new levels of speed, agility and efficiency to the applications and workloads deployed across a hybrid cloud model.
• Dell EMC and Cisco Joint Innovations Driving IT Transformation: Jonathan Siegal, VP, Product Marketing, Dell EMC Converged Platforms and Solutions Division at Dell EMC discussed the Dell EMC VxBlock System converged Infrastructure. Dell EMC Vscale architecture now allows you to scale out data centers and share resources across converged, hyper-converged, and traditional infrastructure.
• Transforming the Network with Automation and Analytics: Scott Harrell, SVP.PRODUCT MANAGEMENT at Cisco discussed the analytics and automation of the next generation of networking. Focusing on making the network easier to consume, he shows how to solve today’s business problems by leveraging automation and analytics.
  • Developer's Delight: Cure your Hyperscale Envy: Roland Acra, SVP/GM.DATA CENTER BUSINESS GROUP at Cisco explores:
  • Opportunities and challenges in moving to a software-first, developer-centric infrastructure
  • Agility, consistency, and cost benefits from using Cisco’s data center technologies, including AppDynamics, Cloud Center, UCS, ACI, and Tetration
  • How to achieve the cloud-like benefits of rapid provisioning, application-focused intent, and data-driven policy in your data center
• The 90s Called...They Want Their Workplace Back: How to Create a New Work Paradigm: Jens Meggers, SVP/GM.CCTG at Cisco talks about the modern workplace and it’s collaboration needs – “modern tools that allow people to work naturally, easily, and on the go”. He shared how Cisco Spark is securely increasing communication, productivity, and employee satisfaction. He brought out and a Spark board for demo and discussed the idea of “empowered execution”.

Beyond all of the sessions our team explored the World of Solutions, engaged in the DevNet Zone, met some Cisco Live characters and survived the DevNet Escape Room! It’s safe to say Cisco Live Day 1 was a success, and our team is excited for what the rest of the week has in store!

Written By: Eden Penman, LookingPoint Marketing Manager