Run Fast, Secure Apps at the Edge with Cisco Smart Switches

It’s a typical day across a dynamic network environment—sprawling university campuses, bustling corporate branches, and distributed workspaces all pulsing with activity. In every corner, users connect a growing array of devices: laptops, mobile phones, IoT devices, and collaboration tools. Applications critical to productivity demand constant uptime, while security threats and support requests keep IT teams on alert. Whether supporting classrooms, meeting rooms, or remote offices, IT faces rising pressure to deliver seamless connectivity, safeguard sensitive systems, and troubleshoot issues quickly—all while managing limited resources.

For decades, network switches have excelled at one job: moving packets at incredible speed and scale. While switches evolved to include features for improved security and manageability, fully securing and managing networks often required external software and dedicated appliances. Cisco Smart Switches change that paradigm with something different: edge compute built directly into the switch. This allows applications to run locally at the access layer, extending intelligence to wherever users and devices connect.

“The switch is no longer just a pipe; it’s a distributed platform
where security, telemetry, and analytics run closer to users and devices.”

Why edge intelligence matters now

Traditionally, advanced functions like firewalls, monitoring, and log-handling lived on separate appliances in a centralized data center—a workable model when applications were simple and traffic predictable. Today, SaaS, IoT, and hybrid work have stretched networks in every direction. Hairpinning traffic just to enforce a policy or collect a log adds cost, delay, and risk.

Cisco Smart Switches flip the script by embedding edge compute capabilities directly into the switch itself, bringing intelligence closer to the edge, where it makes the most impact.

• Firewall at the edge: Whether it’s separating guest devices from sensitive internal systems in a branch office or keeping student and faculty networks isolated on campus, Cisco Smart Switches enable firewall enforcement and microsegmentation right at the access switch. With the firewall running directly on the switch, protection extends seamlessly across all locations, stopping lateral movement before it spreads.
• Troubleshooting made simple: When users report that business applications or collaboration tools are running slow, IT no longer needs to guess whether the issue lies with local connectivity, the ISP, or a cloud provider. With a ThousandEyes agent embedded in the switch, IT teams gain instant visibility at the first hop, pinpointing the root cause—no truck roll required.
• Logs under control: Across campuses and branch locations, vast amounts of log data are continuously generated by connected devices and users. Sending every DHCP request upstream can overwhelm SIEMs and drive up ingestion costs. With Cisco Smart Switches, logs can be filtered and summarized locally, so only anomalies and spikes are forwarded. This saves bandwidth and ensures that security teams get the data that matters most.

The switch is no longer just a pipe; it’s a distributed platform where security, telemetry, and analytics run closer to users and devices. Cisco Smart Switches give IT a blank canvas to innovate, allowing them to deploy software where it has the greatest impact—at the edge.

More ways Cisco Smart Switches raise the bar

Running applications on the switch is the headline. Cisco Smart Switches also address everyday challenges and scale with ease.

• Stacking without headaches: Terabit-class interconnects and shortest-path forwarding make it easy to scale networks without adding complexity. A stack of switches acts as one logical unit, streamlining operations as environments grow.
• Power that keeps up: With Wi-Fi access points and IoT devices demanding more power, Cisco Smart Switches deliver up to 90W UPOE+ per port and pool redundancy across the stack—ensuring devices stay powered while Cisco SmartPower features reduce waste.
• Security and visibility built in: Every port becomes an enforcement point with zero-trust policies and PQC-ready encryption. Flexible Cisco IOS NetFlow services and application recognition provide live traffic insights, enabling IT to detect issues and anomalies at the edge without waiting on centralized probes.

These capabilities are fundamental—not bolt-ons—ensuring that Cisco Smart Switches deliver more than edge compute alone. They raise the bar for scalability, sustainability, and security across the entire network. This sets the stage for the bigger transformation: switches evolving from hidden plumbing to active platforms that drive innovation.

From network transport to network platform

Cisco Smart Switches transform switches into platforms for innovation rather than just transport. Instead of shipping traffic across the network for processing, the switch itself can enforce policies, monitor performance, and host third-party tools—right where users connect. This shift has big implications:

• Move traffic more efficiently: Policies enforced at the edge eliminate detours and improve performance.
• Troubleshoot issues faster: Vantage points from ThousandEyes embedded in the switch provide immediate answers about application health.
• Strengthen security: Firewalling and microsegmentation at the edge contain threats before they spread.
• Lower operational costs: Consolidating appliances, reducing SIEM ingestion, and cutting energy consumption with SmartPower all contribute to leaner operations.
• Gain deeper visibility: With built-in application recognition and telemetry, the network delivers real-time insights.

This is not an incremental upgrade; it’s a new way of thinking about the access layer—switches as intelligent, distributed platforms that deliver security, visibility, and performance exactly where they’re needed.

The foundation for what comes next

Cisco Smart Switches go beyond a simple upgrade. They bring edge compute, advanced security, and deep visibility directly into the access layer, transforming switches from network plumbing into powerful, adaptable platforms.

With intelligence at the edge, networks become faster, safer, easier to operate, and more sustainable. IT teams gain the flexibility to run essential software where it’s needed, all while preparing for the next wave of Wi-Fi 7, IoT, and AI.

The result is a stronger foundation—networks that deliver today and adapt seamlessly to tomorrow.

Explore the latest in edge intelligence with the modular

Cisco C9610 Series Smart Switches and the stackable

Cisco C9350 Series Smart Switches.