Cisco has launched an intent-based networking solution designed to be intuitive and adapt; a new approach claimed to be one of the most significant breakthroughs in enterprise networking. “This new network is the result of years of research and development by Cisco to reinvent networking for an age where network engineers managing hundreds of devices today will be expected to manage 1 million by 2020. ... Today companies are managing their networks through traditional IT processes that are not sustainable in this new age. Cisco’s approach creates an intuitive system that constantly learns, adapts, automates and protects, to optimize network operations and defend against today’s evolving threat landscape.”

This approach is believed to change the fundamental blueprint for networking, says Cisco: “The intuitive network is an intelligent, highly secure platform—powered by intent and informed by context.”

— Intent: “Intent-based networking allows IT to move from tedious traditional processes to automating intent, making it possible to manage millions of devices in minutes—a crucial development to help organizations navigate today’s ever expanding technology landscape.”

— Context: “Interpreting data in context is what enables the network to provide new insights. It’s not just the data that’s important, it’s the context that surrounds it—the who, what, when, where and how. The intuitive network interprets all of this, resulting in better security, more customized experiences and faster operations.”

— Intuition:” The new network provides machine-learning at scale. Cisco is using the vast data that flows through its networks around the world, with machine learning built in, and unleashing that data to provide actionable, predictive insights.”