Cisco unveiled a new edge computing platform aimed at supporting distributed AI workloads across enterprise environments. The new Unified Edge system combines compute, networking, storage, and security in a single platform designed to run AI inferencing closer to where data is generated.

The platform launch marks Cisco’s latest move to extend its AI and networking portfolio beyond the data center. The company said Unified Edge is designed for settings like retail stores, hospitals, and manufacturing plants ​​– environments that increasingly rely on agentic AI applications that are capable of making autonomous decisions at the network edge.

Cisco executives said the new platform addresses mounting infrastructure constraints that have slowed AI adoption. According to the company, more than half of enterprise AI pilots are “stalling” in part because traditional data centers can’t handle the bandwidth and latency requirements of distributed AI.

“Today’s infrastructure can’t meet the demands of powering AI at scale,” Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel explained. “As AI agents and experiences proliferate, they will naturally emerge closer to where customers interact and decisions are made. … That’s where compute needs to live.”

Patel in September said he sees AI as triggering “three traffic waves” that will stress existing network architecture – from chatbots to sustained agentic traffic to pervasive real-time edge inference.

Unified Edge’s architecture integrates compute and GPU resources with Cisco’s networking and SD-WAN technologies, and offers zero-touch, pre-validated configurations to roll out AI applications. It supports centralized management through Cisco’s Intersight platform, as well as end-to-end observability via integrations with Splunk and ThousandEyes.

Security features include zero-trust protections, tamper-proof features, and policy enforcement extending across distributed environments.

The Unified Edge release builds on Cisco’s push to position itself as a key infrastructure provider for AI-driven enterprises. The platform is orderable now and is expected to be generally available by the end of the year.