Cisco has expanded its Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA, giving enterprises a framework for deploying artificial intelligence across their entire infrastructure — from central data centers to local sites where data is generated and decisions are made. The company made the announcement in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 31, 2026.
The expanded architecture targets enterprises, neoclouds, sovereign clouds, and service providers. Moreover, it aims to compress AI deployment timelines from months to weeks while embedding security from the start.
Secure AI Factory Extends AI to the Enterprise Edge
The Secure AI Factory now supports NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs across the Cisco UCS and Cisco Unified Edge portfolios. As a result, enterprises can run mission-critical AI workloads at the edge without the energy cost and footprint of data center-scale hardware. Use cases include real-time video analysis on factory floors and AI inference in hospital environments.
Next-Generation Switching for Large-Scale AI Workloads
Cisco introduced a new 102.4Tbps Cisco N9100 switch powered by NVIDIA Spectrum-6 Ethernet switch silicon to support demanding AI workloads. This joins the generally available 800G N9100 powered by NVIDIA Spectrum-4 Ethernet switch silicon, expanding the high-speed networking options available to AI infrastructure operators.
Furthermore, Cisco Nexus Hyperfabric — now part of Cisco Nexus One — will support Cisco N9000 Series switches, including the N9100 Series powered by NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet silicon. The integration converts a multi-vendor deployment process into a single full-stack solution, reducing IT burden and cutting deployment times.
Security Embedded Across Every Layer
Cisco stated that cybersecurity cannot be treated as an afterthought as AI models become high-value assets and AI agents operate more autonomously. The company said it is embedding protection into the fabric of the Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA to guard against both external threats and rogue agent behavior.
Specifically, Cisco AI Defense will support and secure NVIDIA’s OpenShell runtimes — part of the NVIDIA Agent Toolkit — adding controls and guardrails to govern agent actions. This extends Cisco’s security coverage to the agentic layer of AI infrastructure.
“Most organizations understand the potential for AI to transform their businesses, but they’re navigating how to deploy the technology safely and at scale. In partnership with NVIDIA, we’re solving that challenge with an architecture that sets a new standard for performance — making it simpler to deploy, operate, and secure AI infrastructure.”
Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO, Cisco
“AI factories are transforming every industry, and security must be built into every layer — from silicon to software — to protect data, applications, and infrastructure. Together, NVIDIA and Cisco are building the secure foundation for AI infrastructure — core to edge — so companies can scale intelligence with confidence.”
Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO, NVIDIA
Context and Industry Outlook
The expansion reflects a broader industry shift toward distributed AI inference, where workloads must run closer to the data source rather than exclusively in centralized facilities. Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) has operated for more than 40 years and positions this architecture as a response to the growing demand for AI deployments that balance performance, scalability, and security.
The announcement aligns with the increasing adoption of cybersecurity-integrated AI frameworks across the technology sector, as organizations seek to move AI projects from pilot phases into full-scale production environments. Cisco did not disclose pricing details for the expanded portfolio.
