DNA is essentially a software driven approach which has marked a fundamental transition in the way we deliver networks. It was launched early this year with one thing in mind: to provide companies with a digital-ready network that allows them to thrive in the digital era. A network that is easy to deploy and manage. A network that is fast, secure and smart. A network that is a platform for insights and serves as the foundation for our customers to deliver great experiences to their customers, employees and citizens as a whole.

 

Traditional networks are not up to this challenge, as they were largely optimized for connectivity alone. With the explosion of devices, increased expectations of customers and ever-growing security threats, the network must become simpler for IT to manage and richer for Line of Business leaders to innovate and deliver greater customer experiences. That’s exactly what DNA does and how we at Cisco are innovating so that the network is a true strategic partner to any digital business!

 

An important aspect of DNA is that it reflects Cisco’s evolution – from being a pure hardware provider to a key player in the software space. Digitization is changing the world, and with that comes a need to shift our approach to meet evolving customer needs. Hardware will continue to provide the trusted foundation, whilst our software comes in to deliver business efficiency and simplicity – the extra edge businesses need to succeed. Cisco DNA is at the core of this change.

 

And while we often hear that Cisco entered the SDN space rather late, I think it’s a matter of getting it right rather than getting in first. Similar to how Apple wasn’t the first company to introduce smartphones or even the mp3 player. We wanted to provide the market with a comprehensive offering that’s different from the other SDN players – and you’ll see that in DNA. It distinguishes itself by the speed at which it allows businesses to operate. Imagine detecting and preveting threats pervasively across the network in real-time. Imagine being able to deploy a network in 10 clicks. We’re putting light-speed innovation in the hands of customers with Cisco DNA. Some success stories include bringing up 10,000 sites in just four months, automating branch deployment down to a matter of days or reducing bandwidth use by 30 percent.

 

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a digital-ready network to future business success. But research by IDC summarizes it brilliantly: Organizations who display a strong degree of alignment between their network and business strategies display double the rate of revenue growth relative to companies with only partial or no alignment.

 

This is why Cisco DNA is so crucial. Because it’s a competitive advantage. It allows for much simpler IT operations through automation and orchestration, unleashes the power of the network to secure enterprises and brings new tools to garner insights and deliver a personalized experience. This means businesses can rely on IT to implement new ideas much faster and create real impact in the market – often translated into new streams of revenue.

 

But keep in mind: DNA is only a year old. There are plans for the future to make it even more amazing. In a near future, we’ll be able to automate and virtualize just about anything, with a network that moves as fast as the business!