'Meraki's use of AI and analytics enables more efficient network operation'

Tahawul Tech

6 days ago

Amer Sethi, Executive Territory Manager, Cisco Meraki and Sherif Azzam, Business Unit Manager, Comstor, Saudi Arabia outline the benefits of Cisco Meraki and how it enables a unified vision for future-ready workplaces in the KSA and beyond.
Answered by Amer Sethi, Executive Territory Manager, Cisco Meraki
How does Cisco Meraki fit into Cisco's overall vision for the future-ready workplace in 2025 and beyond?
A key theme of Cisco's vision is breaking down silos between networking, security, observability, and collaboration. Cisco highlighted that it is unifying its products into a single platform experience. Cisco announced that it has a specific focus on delivering a unified cloud management platform that brings together management of campus networks (Cisco Catalyst and Meraki), data centre fabrics (Nexus ACI and NX-OS), WAN/branch networks, and industrial IoT – all through one interface. This platform also converges security and observability, meaning tools like Cisco ThousandEyes (for performance visibility) and Cisco Secure Cloud analytics are built-in. This will matter for customers because this convergence means a 'single pane of glass' to run their entire infrastructure. Consistent policy, configuration, and monitoring can be applied across on-premises and cloud environments. A unified platform with common data also unlocks better AI-driven insights – since the Cisco AI Assistant and Canvas can draw on telemetry spanning the whole environment. Ultimately, Cisco's platform approach aims to kill complexity: simplifying operations for overwhelmed IT teams and ensuring that adding new technology (like an AI workload or a security microservice) doesn't require a separate management silo. By unifying domains that were historically separate, Cisco helps enterprises be more agile and future-proof in how they deploy and secure technology
What are the key trends driving Meraki's innovation roadmap, especially in cloud-managed networking and security?
Cisco Live 2025 in San Diego showcased Cisco's strategic vision for the coming era, centred on the rise of AI and the need for fundamentally new approaches to networking and security. Cisco executives emphasized that we are entering the 'agentic AI' era – a time when AI agents, bots, and autonomous applications will work alongside humans. This shift demands reimagining network architecture to handle unprecedented scales of data, automation, and security challenges Cisco's vision is to meet this challenge by unifying platforms and embedding intelligence across its portfolio, so networks can be more adaptive, secure, and easier to operate in the AI-driven future
Can you share details about the latest advancements, such as Wi-Fi 7 solutions, AI-enabled cameras, and unified licensing?
Wireless networking took a leap forward with the introduction of Wi-Fi 7 technology in Cisco's portfolio, aimed at extremely high-density and high-capacity environments. Cisco launched the Cisco Catalyst CW9179F access point, the industry's first enterprise Wi-Fi 7 AP tailored for large venues (such as stadiums, auditoriums, transportation hubs, and sprawling campuses). This access point supports all the new features of Wi-Fi 7, including 4K QAM modulation and multi- link operation, and uniquely offers software-controllable antenna patterns. It has 16 spatial streams across the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and newly opened 6 GHz band, plus dual 10 Gbps uplink ports and even a built-in GPS receiver for accurate positioning and outdoor frequency coordination. In addition, Cisco introduced the Cisco Catalyst Wireless Gateway appliance, capable of managing up to 5,000 APs and 50,000 clients in a single network with seamless roaming (up to 1,000 client roams per second), designed for very large campus wireless deployments. All this technology matters because, Wireless is the primary access method for most users and devices today – and Wi-Fi 7 represents a major jump in wireless capacity and speed (with over 30 Gbps theoretical throughput on one AP). By bringing out a Wi-Fi 7 AP, Cisco enables enterprises to start adopting the latest standard and be ready for new devices that support it. The CW9179F is engineered not just for raw speed but for reliability in challenging environments: its unique antenna can be tuned via software to focus coverage where needed, which is invaluable in a stadium or conference where crowds gather in one area and then disperse. This flexibility improves user experience by reducing dead spots and interference. The high client capacity and roaming performance address a typical pain point in large venues where thousands of users move and demand connectivity – the network can handle fastmoving clients (like people walking through an airport) without drops. For everyday workplaces, these advancements mean an office or campus can support more devices (IoT sensors, AR glasses, high-def video calls) concurrently and do so with lower latency (important for interactive applications). Moreover, Cisco's new wireless gateway/controller significantly simplifies operations at scale – large organizations can manage their entire wireless estate as one fabric, with consistent security and roaming, rather than segmented clusters of controllers. Together, Cisco's Wi-Fi 7 AP and the enhanced wireless control infrastructure ensure that the wireless network will not be the bottleneck as workplaces add more people, devices, and data-heavy applications in the coming years.
How is Meraki leveraging AI and analytics to enhance network security and operational efficiency?
AI-Driven Network Management and Performance Assurance: Meraki uses AI-powered channel planning algorithms that monitor network conditions and dynamically adjust frequencies to avoid interference, ensuring optimal wireless performance. This AI also adapts transmission power to comply with local regulations, improving network reliability and efficiency.
Advanced Analytics for Security and Operations: AI-enabled smart cameras analyse video feeds in real time to detect anomalies, unusual activities, and potential security threats. This transforms traditional surveillance into proactive security solutions that can trigger automated responses only when necessary, reducing manual oversight and improving threat detection.
Adaptive Policies for Security and Resource Optimization: Meraki employs adaptive policies that continuously monitor network activity and device behaviour to identify anomalies and automatically segment traffic to isolate threats. These policies also dynamically allocate network resources to prioritise critical applications, ensuring low latency and high reliability for IoT and edge AI applications.
AI and IoT Integration for Intelligent Insights: By combining AI with IoT data, Meraki systems can simulate environments, optimize configurations, and provide nuanced insights such as customer behaviour analytics (e.g., footfall, dwell time, and sentiment analysis). This helps organisations improve operational decisions and enhance user experiences.
Edge AI for Rapid Issue Diagnosis: AI operating at the network edge can quickly diagnose issues like power outages or connectivity problems with high accuracy, reducing alert fatigue by filtering out false positives and focusing on actionable insights.
Overall, Meraki's use of AI and analytics enables smarter, more secure, and efficient network operations by automating complex tasks, enhancing threat detection, and providing actionable intelligence for both security and operational improvements
For the future Cisco has announced that a new cloud-based management platform will bring together Cisco Meraki and Cisco Catalyst networks, plus wired, wireless, and SD-WAN, under one roof. In other words, whether an organization uses Meraki access points, Catalyst switches, or IoT/industrial networking, these can all be monitored and managed through a single interface with a common policy database. Cisco also integrated ThousandEyes internet and application monitoring into this platform, extending visibility from the campus LAN out to cloud services and remote users.
How is Meraki addressing the needs of both mid-market and large enterprise customers?
Cisco Meraki addresses the needs of both mid-market and large enterprise customers by offering a scalable, cloud-managed IT portfolio that simplifies network management, enhances security, and improves operational efficiency across diverse environments:
Scalability and Simplicity: Meraki provides a unified cloud-managed platform that supports deployments ranging from small to mid-size businesses to large enterprises with millions of users. This platform enables multi-site management through a single web-based dashboard, allowing IT teams to monitor and control networks remotely with ease.
Comprehensive Product Portfolio: The Meraki portfolio includes wireless access points, security and SD-WAN appliances, switches, endpoint management, smart cameras, and IoT sensors. This breadth of products supports various business sizes and needs, from high-density campus environments to ruggedized outdoor deployments.
Operational Efficiency and Automation: Meraki's cloud-first architecture offers zero-touch provisioning, automated troubleshooting, AI-driven network insights, and proactive alerts. These features reduce the need for on-site support and lower operational costs, which is especially beneficial for mid-market customers with limited IT resources and large enterprises managing complex networks.
Security and Compliance: Built-in security features include unified threat management, zero-trust enforcement, and integration with Cisco Talos threat intelligence. This ensures robust protection suitable for enterprises with stringent security requirements as well as mid-market customers seeking simplified yet effective security.
Flexible Management for Enterprise Needs: For large enterprises, Meraki supports hybrid management models, integration with Catalyst switching and wireless, and extensive API capabilities for automation and customization. This flexibility helps enterprises adopt cloud management at their own pace and scale.
Customer Support and Services: Meraki offers 24/7 global technical support with multi-language coverage, named support owners, and service level agreements, ensuring reliable assistance for all customer segments.
Business Outcomes Focus: Meraki tailors its approach based on where customers are in their cloud management journey. For mid-market customers, the focus is on full-stack Meraki solutions that simplify IT tasks through automation and AI. For large enterprises, the emphasis is on adopting Meraki dashboard for monitoring or full management, enabling cloud-enabled or hybrid network management strategies.
Overall, Meraki's cloud-managed platform and comprehensive product suite provide scalable, secure, and easy-to-manage networking solutions that meet the distinct operational and security needs of both mid-market and large enterprise customers
What should customers and partners expect next from Cisco Meraki in terms of future innovations or strategic priorities?
A new cloud-based management platform will bring together Cisco Meraki and Cisco Catalyst networks, plus wired, wireless, and SD-WAN, under one roof. In other words, whether an organization uses Meraki access points, Catalyst switches, or IoT/industrial networking, these can all be monitored and managed through a single interface with a common policy database. Cisco also integrated ThousandEyes internet and application monitoring into this platform, extending visibility from the campus LAN out to cloud services and remote users. Cisco is creating this so it can support customers who have long struggled with having multiple network management tools – one for wireless, one for switches, one for SD-WAN, etc. That fragmentation leads to inefficiency and blind spots. Cisco's unified platform approach means IT teams get consistent operations and assurance across the entire enterprise network. For example, an admin can define an access policy or segment once and have it automatically applied to campus Wi-Fi, branch routers, and even cloud edges. Troubleshooting becomes faster – if a user is experiencing poor application performance, the integrated ThousandEyes vantage points (even embedded now in new Cisco Wi-Fi 7 APs and in mobile devices) can quickly show if the issue is the campus network, the WAN, or an external SaaS. Having one cloud portal also eases the move to cloud-based networking for traditionally on-prem gear (Catalyst switches can now be managed with Meraki-like simplicity if desired). Ultimately, this reduces the skill barrier and operational overhead for managing large enterprise networks, making it easier to adopt new technology (like an AI app or new branch office) without adding complexity. It 'future-proofs' the workplace by ensuring the network can adapt – via unified management – to whatever comes next, be it more remote work, more IoT sensors in buildings, or new cloud apps.
Answered by Sherif Azzam, Business Unit Manager, Comstor, Saudi Arabia
How is Comstor KSA supporting its partners in taking Cisco Meraki solutions to their customers?
At Comstor KSA, we are deeply committed to empowering our partners to successfully deliver Cisco Meraki solutions to their customers. Our support strategy is multi-faceted and designed to address every stage of the sales and deployment process:
– Comprehensive Training & Enablement:
We provide regular training sessions, workshops, and certification programs to ensure our partners are fully equipped with the latest knowledge and skills on Cisco Meraki's cloud-managed networking portfolio.
– Pre-Sales and Technical Support:
Our dedicated team of Meraki-certified experts offers pre-sales consultation, solution design assistance, and technical support. This helps partners confidently position Meraki solutions and address complex customer requirements.
– Marketing & Demand Generation:
We collaborate with partners on joint marketing initiatives, including webinars, digital campaigns, and events. These activities help create awareness, generate leads, and drive demand for Cisco Meraki solutions.
– Demo Equipment & Proof of Concept:
Comstor provides access to demo equipment and supports proof-of-concept deployments, enabling partners to showcase Meraki's capabilities directly to customers and accelerate decision-making.
– Logistics Support:
We streamline the procurement process with efficient logistics, making it easier for partners to close deals and deliver projects on time.
– Ongoing Business Development:
Our account managers work closely with partners to identify new opportunities, provide market insights, and support business growth strategies tailored to Meraki's unique value proposition.
By combining these resources and expertise, Comstor KSA ensures our partners are well-positioned to deliver innovative Cisco Meraki solutions that meet the evolving needs of their customers.
Image Credit: Comstor & Cisco