Cisco Live 2025: Insights on elevating AI, connectivity and innovation
Cisco Live 2025 asked one big question: “What’s Next, Starts Now.” The answer? AI is transforming everything, from data centres to workplaces, and organisations need trusted partners to navigate this change.
Optus was proud to stand alongside Cisco, showcasing how our partnership helps businesses maximise their Cisco investment and prepare for the AI era to 6,000+ attendees in Melbourne, Australia.
A week of innovation and insights: Why it matters for IT leaders
The keynote delivered by Ben Dawson (President, Asia Pacific, Japan & Greater China), Jeff Schultz (SVP, Portfolio Strategy), and Jacqueline Guichelaar (SVP & GM, Customer Experience, APJC) made one thing clear: AI is rewriting the rules of business, and the network is the glue that holds this future together. For organisations, the need to act is real.
Below are the key takeaways from the Cisco Live 2025 Melbourne Keynote session:
1. The network is the foundation for AI success
Secure connectivity isn’t just plumbing – it’s the enabler of digital resilience and future-proof workplaces. Networks unify data centres, cloud, and edge, ensuring performance and security for AI workloads. For boards and CIOs, network modernisation should be a strategic priority. This is where Optus delivers unmatched value.
2. AI is the opportunity of a generation
IDC predicts $22.3 trillion in economic benefit by 2030, yet only 13% of organisations are truly AI-ready. For executives, this means embedding AI into business strategy now. For IT leaders, it means building the infrastructure and skills to operationalise AI at scale.
3. Security is non-negotiable
It was said, 82% of organisations faced AI-enabled attacks last year, but only 14% felt prepared. Cisco’s approach: fuse security into the network to stop lateral movement and protect workloads. For leaders, this means security must shift from a siloed function to an embedded capability across the enterprise.
4. Infrastructure needs a rethink
From multi-data centre architectures to edge computing, the network remains the backbone of AI operations. Cisco showcased innovations like the Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA, AI Pods for simplified deployment, Unified Edge for real-time decisions, and Smart Switches with Hybrid Mesh Firewall. For IT leaders, this is a call to re-architect for agility and scale.
Optus at Cisco Live: A partnership designed for success
Our stand theme said it all: “Maximise your Cisco investment with Optus Managed and Professional Services.” With over 25 years of partnership, 675 Black Belt certifications, and 12 Cisco Powered Services, Optus delivers the expertise and scale to help organisations unlock the full potential of Cisco technology, including Meraki Managed Services and Digital Experience Monitoring with ThousandEyes.
Our demos brought innovation to life throughout the week and the team spent time showcasing these to customers, including:
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Threat Monitoring & SOC Services – Proactive security aligned to NIST frameworks.
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Meraki Managed Services – End-to-end lifecycle management for rapid on-boarding and enhanced operations.
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Digital Experience Monitoring with ThousandEyes – Ensuring performance and assurance across complex environments.
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Agentic Ops & AI-driven workflows – Automation and AI for operational simplicity.
These experiences reinforced our commitment to delivering operational simplicity, security assurance, and innovation at scale.
Fireside chat with Uniting: AI transformation in action
One of the standout moments was our content session with Uniting NSW.ACT. Hosted by Optus’, Stuart Pritchard, Vice President Major Accounts, Enterprise and Business, this fireside chat featured Craig Mendel, Senior Manager – IT Customer Experience, Uniting NSW/ACT, and showcased how a purpose-driven organisation partnered with Optus and Cisco to deliver an AI-enabled, cloud contact-centre transformation.
Key highlights from the session included:
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Partnership in action: Uniting, Optus and Cisco co-created an ecosystem aligned to mission and purpose.
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Practical AI adoption: Going live with “Jeanie,” an AI agent now handling thousands of client interactions.
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Change that sticks: Bringing 250 agents and the wider care community on the journey through trust, advocacy and continuous improvement.
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Award-winning innovation: Uniting earned a 2025 Webex Customer Award for this achievement.
Craig shared valuable lessons on cultural change, building trust, and starting small with AI to make real impact. His advice, which resonated strongly with the audience: define the problem clearly, anchor to mission, bring your team on the journey, and build trust with strong partners.
Find out more
AI is reshaping workplaces and data centres. Organisations need trusted partners to navigate complexity. Together, our joint solutions empower businesses to move from pilot projects to production-ready AI strategies, ensuring competitiveness in a rapidly evolving digital landscape for the thousands of organisations we support every day. Request a call back below if you would like to learn more about what we offer in partnership with Cisco.
Optus Enterprise
For over 30 years Optus has helped organisations of all sizes to transform their customer and employee experiences.
Trusted by Australia's largest enterprises and government departments, Optus helps businesses improve employee retention and engagement, boost customer satisfaction, and drive operational efficiency.
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