With a change of location but the same collaborative spirit, the Enterprise Networking Partner Virtual Team organizers delivered a superb EI PVT end-of-year meeting. This latest event was held at the Cisco office in Lisbon instead of the traditional Amsterdam location during the third week of November 2025. I had the pleasure of being there.
A lot of the information shared in the PVTs is confidential in nature, and we – as Cisco partners – are grateful for the trust Cisco places in us every day. But even if I can’t share all the details, I can give you a glimpse of the general trends in the world of networking. Interested?
The merge of all mergers
Cisco has made many acquisitions throughout the years. But one of the most successful of them happened many years ago. Yes, I am talking about… Flip Video cameras J. Only joking… I am talking about Meraki. This acquisition surpassed everyone’s expectations in terms of product offering, results, and usability. Meraki was kept separate and it thrived. But from the very beginning, there was always an overlap with the traditional Cisco portfolio. And for years, it was difficult to navigate which solution would fit each customer best.
Adding Artificial Intelligence magic
Cisco is taking a pragmatic approach to AI. With the increased complexity of today’s networks, extensive security policies, and diversity of use… the challenges can quickly multiply. Cisco’s goal is to leverage AI to give extra help to engineers to manage the network data and simplify everyday tasks. By adding AI magic to different tools, the intent is to assist engineers in configuration and troubleshooting tasks. We have only
begun to scratch the surface of what is possible with this technology. Cisco has taken the first steps in utilising AI in the world of networking and the future looks promising.
Quantum computing at our doorstep
One topic discussed repeatedly during the EI PVT that was slightly unexpected for me (although not completely new) was Post-Quantum cryptography. Quantum computing is still in development but steadily progressing. However, in the world of networking and network security, we are already preparing for it. There are mainly two reasons:
– Investment made into networking equipment today will have a shelf-life of three to five years for most organizations. Which means, the router you buy today, will still be around when quantum computers reach a wider audience.
– Malicious actors can potentially listen to network data exchange today, record encrypted packets and decrypt them later with the help of quantum computing. This technique is known as Harvest Now, Decrypt Later.
Outside of the presentations, I had the pleasure of meeting new and old friends between sessions. The interaction element of attending a live meeting is an excellent reason to be there. Questions and discussions in the room during sessions or during breaks are sometimes the most valuable part of the event. Last but not least, here are a few of my thoughts on the event itself:
1- Excellent choice of location.
Lisbon is a great location for many reasons: excellent food, friendly people, beautiful city, and warmer weather. But more than that… the EI PVT has been held in Amsterdam many times, and it is simply great to change the scenery. Talking to the Cisco team, the change was not easy, but the team delivered, and we are grateful for it. A big thanks to everybody involved in making these meetings happen.
2- The lack of women among the attendees.
I have been in the IT industry for more than 20 years. And in a room with more than 80 attendees, still being the only woman was definitely not a good feeling. There were female speakers from the Cisco side, but no other women from the partner/attendee side. Sometimes I do wonder if the IT industry is ever going to make real progress regarding diversity and inclusion… and to be honest, I am losing hope.
