Cisco's AI Play: Less Skynet, More Swiss Army Knife

Welcome to WebexOne 2024! 🎉

What a fantastic week at Webex One. These are like less formal Cisco Live's for me...in the sense that I love getting to catch up with physical humans, ask better questions and complain about how much my feet hurt. So many great 'Cisconians' (as I think they say it now), but also what a great time catching up with some of my favorite video crew members. The OG Steve Ewertz, his brother Mikey, Peter Homer, Denver Bob (not the same as Bob Denver)...Bob Tatlock, your go to DP for the Denver area at 1080 studios. Shout out to the incredible hostess I have been looking forward to teaming on camera for the first time: Dania Denise. She turned out to be more gracious and talented than I had even been lead to believe. Also, our PA Rylee B. She continues to work with Steve Ewertz and Stefan from StrangeMedia originating from a chance meeting via a San Jose based Cisco office ambassador I was talking with back during our remote only productions of Webex One. So cool to see her growing her film career and just being a joy to work with all week.

AI Circus: A Deep(ish) Dive into WebexOne 2024

Cisco just made a splash at WebexOne 2024, and let me tell you - they're going all-in on AI. While they stopped short of calling it Skynet (thankfully), their latest suite of AI features shows they're not just dipping their toes in the water - they're doing a full cannonball into the AI pool.

The level of AI integration they're showcasing would make even the most enthusiastic Silicon Valley pitch deck blush. But unlike those often overblown startup promises, Cisco's bringing some serious enterprise-grade muscle to the table.

Beyond the usual AI branding exercise, Cisco appears to have invested significant effort in developing features aimed at practical business applications. Whether that turns out to be revolutionary or just really good marketing... well, time will tell.

Let's dive into the specifics of what caught my attention at WebexOne 2024. From AI agents that might actually understand what you're saying to ceiling microphones that track you like a well-meaning stalker, here's my take on the announcements that matter.

The Star of the Show: Webex AI Agent

Let's talk about that moment when you spot a suspicious charge on your credit card - you know, the one from "Definitely Not Crime LLC" for $899.23. Traditionally, this meant spending your lunch break explaining to customer service why no, you didn't actually authorize that purchase. Cisco's new Webex AI Agent aims to change that narrative.

What's compelling here is how the system handles natural conversation, even when you're in panic mode. Rather than forcing you through a rigid script, it processes your concerns in real-time, handling everything from card cancellation to expedited replacement. And perhaps most mercifully, it accomplishes all this without subjecting you to endless loops of hold music. The rollout is scheduled for Q1 2025 - though as anyone in tech knows, that timeline comes with the usual "subject to change" disclaimer.

AI Agent Studio: Enterprise-Grade Automation Made Accessible

Remember when building AI solutions required either a computer science degree or a small fortune in consulting fees? Cisco's new Studio platform aims to democratize AI development through a low-code/no-code approach. By simplifying the development process down to visual programming, they're putting powerful automation capabilities within reach of business teams. The inclusion of native integrations with Salesforce and ServiceNow suggests Cisco understands exactly who their enterprise audience is and what they need.

The AI Assistant: Redefining Meeting Intelligence

Cisco's enhanced AI Assistant isn't just another note-taking bot - it's more like having a highly competent team member dedicated to making your meetings actually productive. It tackles the usual meeting headaches head-on: accurately identifying speakers in busy rooms, creating summaries that actually capture the important points, and even managing the flow of webinars. Perhaps most impressively, it provides "warm start" summaries during call transfers, eliminating those awkward "what did I miss?" moments that plague handoffs.

The Ceiling Microphone Pro: Smart Audio Gets Smarter

The days of looking like you're speaking into a TV dinner tray might finally be behind us. Cisco's new Ceiling Microphone Pro brings intelligence to audio capture in a way that fundamentally changes how we think about meeting room acoustics. The system actively tracks speakers as they move, adapts to room conditions in real-time, and works seamlessly with Cisco's camera systems to create a more natural meeting experience. It's the kind of technology that just works - without requiring everyone in the room to be conscious of its presence.

The Contact Center: Making AI Actually Helpful

Cisco's approach to contact center technology feels less like a robot takeover and more like giving agents a really smart assistant. By providing context summaries of customer interactions, agents can finally say goodbye to that painful "could you repeat your entire life story" moment. The system offers suggested responses that actually make sense in context, while simultaneously keeping an eye on agent wellbeing. It's refreshing to see technology that acknowledges both sides of the customer service equation - helping customers get better service while ensuring agents don't burn out explaining the same concept for the hundredth time.

The Infrastructure Stuff (Yes, This Part Matters)

While it might not make for exciting headlines, Cisco's rollout of Smart Diagnostics in Control Hub and ThousandEyes integration is quietly revolutionary for IT teams. Think of it as giving your network administrators Superman's x-ray vision - they can now spot and diagnose problems before they become your problem. It's the kind of behind-the-scenes upgrade that makes network engineers genuinely excited while making everyone else's work life subtly better.

What It All Means (Real Talk)

What we're seeing from Cisco isn't just another tech giant jumping on the AI bandwagon - it's a methodical integration of AI into tools that businesses actually use. According to analyst Irwin Lazar, this approach is more evolutionary than revolutionary, and that's not a bad thing. In a landscape where some companies are still trying to figure out what AI means for their business, Cisco is delivering practical solutions to real-world problems.

Workspace Designer deserves a quick mention here - it's another tool that shows Cisco's commitment to practical innovation rather than just chasing buzzwords.

A Quick Dallas Detour

Speaking of winners, my hometown Dallas Cowboys managed to snag the "Customer & Employee Experience Standout" award. While this hasn't exactly turned around their current season, it's nice to see them winning something. (There's always next week, right?).

The Bottom Line

What Cisco unveiled at WebexOne 2024 is essentially a Swiss Army knife for the modern workplace - packed with tools you didn't know you needed but will wonder how you lived without. Whether you're managing a global team, running customer service, or just trying to make it through your daily meeting schedule without losing your mind, there's something meaningful here.

Disclaimer: No actual AIs were harmed in the making of this article, though several did complain about having to generate their own meeting summaries.