SPOTLIGHT: You Don’t Have To Pick Just One AI Network Presented by Cisco

About this episode

The episode discusses the evolving landscape of AI networking and the flexibility organizations have in choosing hardware solutions.

AI networking is quickly becoming a critical part of the enterprise. You need make the right choice about which hardware you want to use but you aren’t necessarily locked into a single choice. In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, brought to you by Cisco, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Scott Robohn and Richard Licon of Cisco as they discuss rapidly evolving landscape of AI networking, emphasizing that organizations no longer have to settle for a “one-size-fits-all” approach. They explore the shift from purely software-driven innovation back to high-performance hardware, where custom silicon like Cisco Silicon One and merchant silicon are becoming central to infrastructure. The conversation highlights how the transition from AI model training to real-time inferencing in 2026 demands more flexible and programmable hardware pipelines. By leveraging tools like P4 programming, network engineers can now adjust their infrastructure mid-cycle to optimize traffic patterns and ensure consistent job completion times as workload needs shift. The discussion also highlights Cisco’s strategic partnership with NVIDIA, offering customers a choice between distinct networking ecosystems…

People in this episode

Host: Tom Hollingsworth

Guests: Scott Robohn, Richard Licon

Topics covered

• AI networking
• enterprise technology
• hardware innovation
• programmable hardware
• network infrastructure
• Cisco and NVIDIA partnership

Keywords

• AI networking
• Cisco
• NVIDIA
• programmable hardware
• infrastructure
• custom silicon
• network engineers

Sponsors

Cisco

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NVIDIA

Products: Cisco Silicon One, Cisco Nexus 9100, Spectrum-X silicon

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