Last month Kieran Hannon (ITSUS Cyber Security Engineer) and I had the opportunity to attend Cisco Live in Amsterdam, one of the most anticipated networking and security events of the year, and let’s just say – it did not disappoint! As a long-time Cisco partner, staying ahead of the latest innovations is essential for us, and this year’s event was filled with insights, innovations, and plenty of great conversations. Let’s take a look back at some of the highlights.
Our 4-day agenda was packed with keynotes, breakout sessions, and hands on labs. Some key focuses this year for us and our customers was Cisco Catalyst Center for network management, DevOps, and software-defined access solutions. These technologies are transforming how businesses manage and secure their networks, and being at Cisco Live provided some fantastic insights into their latest developments.
In this article, I’ll break down the highlights, share what’s new, and talk about how these advancements in network automation and security can help businesses simplify network management and boost security.
The Cisco Live Experience | Learning, Networking & Innovation
We had a packed itinerary, and kicked off the week with Cisco’s Crisis Response team where we got a behind-the-scenes look at how Cisco deploys mobile communications in harsh environments, alongside the additional logistics that go into a rapid response to crises.
We also spent time in the “World of Solutions”, Cisco’s vast exhibition floor where vendors and partners showcased their latest technologies. Walking around this space gave us a view of the innovative solutions available today, as well as a glimpse of where the industry is headed.
Tuesday’s keynote introduced some game-changing technologies, including Cisco’s N9300 Smart Switches with Hypershield, allowing firewalling capabilities directly on the network via onboard DPUs. This is a huge leap forward, enabling organisations with large estates to have dedicated firewalls for each microservice without the need for a second device.
Later that day, I participated in a Red Hat lab on Event Driven Ansible for Cisco routers and switches. This comprehensive lab was particularly exciting as I explored how automation can self-remediate network failures, reducing downtime and improving overall efficiency.
Wednesday was a day very much focused on NetDevOps and network automation best practices and discovering new ways of working, including a session on NetBox (a network source of truth tool), which I hadn’t used before, but I came away from the session convinced that it is an essential tool which I will be using in future projects. It was also eye-opening to see how other network automation engineers approach pipelines and how they use tools to the best of their ability to ease network operations.
In the afternoon I attended a session held by the Tech Advocate team showing off some advanced Git techniques which I’m looking forward to applying to our own automation projects in the future.
Thursday was our final day at the convention centre as we were jetting off on Friday, and it didn’t disappoint. I focused on test automation, starting with a hands-on lab on pyATS for network testing, followed by a session on Robot Framework, another powerful tool for automating network validation. Both of these tools are invaluable additions to a CI/CD pipeline, ensuring consistent and reliable deployments.
Thursday evening, however, was a stark contrast to the tone of the previous few days with the annual Cisco Live Celebration being held in the largest of the conference halls. A brilliant chance to network with other IT professionals, share experiences, and unwind after the intense but rewarding week.
Key Takeaways | Catalyst Center
Cisco Catalyst Center continues to evolve, and this year’s updates bring even more powerful capabilities, including:
- Layer 2 configuration on wired components and the ability to configure Wireless LAN Controllers both directly through the GUI
- Wireless LAN Controller configuration now manageable through the same interface
- A mention of expanded features for ThousandEyes was also slated for the next major release, (although details on the specifics were a bit sparse)
These improvements bring Catalyst Center closer to becoming the true single pane of glass for network management, making it easier for teams to configure and monitor their entire infrastructure in one place.
Key Takeaways | Network Automation
Automation was a major theme throughout the week, and we attended multiple sessions for automating the configuration, deployment, and testing of networks. Through these sessions we were able to explore various tools that are shaping the future of network management:
- NetBox – a powerful network source of truth tool
- Ansible – for configuration management and automation
- PyATS & Robot Framework – essential for automated testing and validation
- Kubernetes – for managing containerised network functions
By integrating these tools, businesses can achieve a high level of automation, reducing manual intervention, minimizing the risk of human error, improving the scalability of network operations, and enhances overall efficiency and performance across the network. Even for tools we were already familiar with, Cisco Live gave us new insights and best practices that we’ll be bringing back to the team and improving the quality of work we deliver to our customers.
What This Means for Businesses
So why does all of this matter? Our customers and our business benefit significantly from the enhanced knowledge and skills gained in network automation and DevOps, particularly through experience with tools like NetBox, Ansible, pyATS and Kubernetes. Exposure to cutting-edge technologies, such as Cisco’s N9300 Smart Switches and Event-Driven Ansible makes sure that ITSUS remains at the forefront of innovation, enabling better decision-making and implementation of more advanced solutions.
Final Thoughts
Cisco Live 2025 was an incredible experience, packed with learning opportunities, hands-on labs, and invaluable networking. The advancements in network automation, security, and management reaffirm why staying at the forefront of technology is crucial for delivering the best solutions to our customers.
As we integrate these insights into our projects, we’re excited to help businesses leverage automation, enhance security, and streamline their network operations like never before. If you’re looking to modernise your network infrastructure, we’re happy to chat!
Sam Hall is DevSecOps Engineer with expertise software development, automation, and network security. He specialises in designing and implementing secure applications, leveraging data visualisation and automation to optimise network operations.
