{This is the 5th in a series of posts that explore the impact of the network on our world to mark the 40th anniversary of Cisco, previous chapters can be found here}
The centrality of the digital world now surpasses our physical world. Digital resilience and security are now more important than ever.
The network has made digital life fast, more reliable, and more transformative than ever. WiFi 7 and next-gen mobile make connections instant and streaming 4K movies, virtual reality meetings, and remote health monitoring routine. Networks are the backbone for autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and real-time applications, driving a truly hyperconnected world. Cisco’s SiliconOne G200 (2023) chip shattered the 51.2Tbps barrier and will power AI and machine learning workloads now and into the future.
AI emerged from the Big Data era already capable of “learning” from patterns and personalising services like Spotify playlists or Alexa voice assistants—all powered by networks. But it was generative AI that took the world by storm.
Transforming the 21st century:
The pace of digital transformation has not been equitable. A third of the world’s population remains unconnected to any form of digital life. Billions of people, cut off from the social and economic opportunities that come with digital connectivity. It’s a problem the world could solve tomorrow. But we’ll need collective action, political will, and the network to make it happen.
Convergence point:
GenAI has complicated a digital world already infested with cybercrime. Without a network that can connect and protect us, digital life is exposed to risk. Companies like Cisco are using convergence to meet the challenges head on and Cisco Hypershield is the world’s first AI-native security software that protects data, devices, and applications across clouds, data centres, and physical locations.
Next: Chapter 6: Act Two: Integrated, intelligent, intuitive
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