Inside Cisco’s Makeover: Targeting AI With Deeper Stack Integration

InnovationCloudInside Cisco’s Makeover: Targeting AI With Deeper Stack IntegrationByR. Scott Raynovich,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. R. Scott Raynovich is the Founder and Chief Analyst at Futuriom.comFollow AuthorJun 11, 2026, 01:24pm EDTJun 11, 2026, 01:25pm EDTWASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 15: Chairman and CEO of Cisco Chuck Robbins speaks at the Semafor World Economy 2026 summit on April 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWith Cisco's share price riding the AI wave to new all-time highs, it's clear the company has been effective at positioning itself for growth and success in the AI era. What’s next?Cisco is ready for the agentic AI era, with a portfolio that spans networking infrastructure, cybersecurity, observability, and collaboration tools. It’s more diverse than some direct AI plays, and it now has the benefit of an enterprise networking refresh cycle, which enjoys the tailwind of AI but is not dependent on it. This was reflected well at the Cisco Live conference last week, as Cisco executives framed launches of new AI infrastructure products as a demonstration of the company’s successful transformation. At the same time, leaders outlined cautions about the AI boom, saying the company has positioned itself to survive any outcome. Cisco shares recently hit all-time highs on gains in AI infrastructure sales. Forbes.comCloud Control Drives Integration At Cisco Live in Las Vegas, the launches included Cisco Cloud Control, a centralized, AI-enabled management platform for all Cisco products and services that serves as the linchpin of the new strategy. This is a big step to solving many challenges Cisco has had in integrating its wide portfolio of products, acquired through dozens of acquisitions over many years. Cloud Control includes AI Canvas, which manages agentic operations across the network, as well as Control Studio, a toolkit for building custom AI agents. Anothe...