Cisco and AI chip firm SiMa AI announced a strategic partnership to bring AI capabilities to Industry 4.0 environments.
The collaboration involves the integration of Cisco's IE3500 switch portfolio with SiMa AI’s Modalix AI Machine Learning System on a Chip (MLSoC). It promises real-time AI inference at the edge with the "energy efficiency" touted by SiMa AI.
SiMa AI has run a DeepSeek small language model under a 10-watt power envelope on the Modalix chip, though this doesn't seem to have been independently verified.
By minimizing power consumption in energy-intensive industrial settings, it is possible to enable on-site deployment of predictive maintenance, quality inspection, anomaly detection, and process optimization without the problems of cloud latency and high electricity costs.
The partnership highlights the ruggedized nature of Cisco's IE3500 switches, which provide power over one cable to simplify deployment. It also notes the role of Cisco Secure Equipment Access (SEA) in management at the edge, with administrators managing the AI platform and other devices across the network.
Arguably, the backbone of Industry 4.0 is powered by the use of edge AI, as it further develops smart manufacturing and industrial automation use cases.
Cisco has already entered the industrial field, having expanded its Catalyst 9000 switching portfolio in recent years with a focus on utilities, roadways, railways, oil, and gas.
But with the SiMa AI collaboration, the networking giant offers an edge-based, silicon AI offering as a burgeoning Industry 4.0 demands further integration of 5G, edge computing, and precision networking from the market.
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