Cisco-Nvidia team up on AI partnership

By Jon Swartz

Cisco Systems Inc. and Nvidia Corp. on Wednesday announced their first formal partnership on -- what else? -- AI.

The companies have worked together for years, but the official accord includes a new Cisco (CSCO) device for hybrid work powered by Nvidia (NVDA).

In essence, Cisco is building a set of devices packed with AI features, according to Cisco executives.

"In today's hybrid world, for people to want to come to the office, it needs to be designed for today's needs," Jeetu Patel, Cisco's executive vice president of security and collaboration, said in an interview. "This requires more than a camera and monitor. Workspaces need to be reimagined and reconfigured to provide seamless and immersive-collaboration experiences."

The integration of video devices supporting AI and machine learning should benefit hybrid workers in enhanced audio-visual presentations and interoperability across different technology platforms, Patel said. New wrinkles include a ambient noise reducer and a live transcript and summary that keeps participants up to date on what's going on in the meeting.

"Loading these devices with Nvidia is a core differentiator from its competitors, and Nvidia is embedded in so many technologies," Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst at ZK Research, said in an interview.

Nvidia has been busy the past year inking AI deals with the likes of ServiceNow Inc. (NOW) and Adobe Inc. (ADBE).

"Edge AI is playing a vital role in bringing autonomy and improving productivity across many industries," Deepu Talla, vice president of embedded and edge computing at Nvidia. "Cisco and Nvidia have been pioneering the use of AI to enhance collaboration in the workplace, and the new line of products will bringtransformative technology to this space."

-Jon Swartz

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10-25-23 1131ET

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