TLDR: At Splunk .conf25, Cisco unveiled its vision for ‘AgenticOps,’ emphasizing the integration of Splunk’s data capabilities with Cisco’s AI strategy. Key announcements included the Cisco Data Fabric, designed to unify machine data for AI, observability, and security, and new agentic AI solutions for automated threat detection and incident response. This move signifies a shift towards autonomous AI agents handling complex workflows, aiming to enhance enterprise operational resilience.
Boston, MA – At the recent Splunk .conf25 event, Cisco, following its $28 billion acquisition of Splunk in March 2024, laid out a comprehensive strategy for leveraging data and artificial intelligence to drive enterprise resilience. The conference served as a pivotal platform to showcase the deep integration between Cisco and Splunk technologies, focusing on what Cisco President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel termed the ‘second era of AI’ – one centered on ‘agents being able to conduct jobs and tasks for us almost fully autonomously.’
Central to this vision is the introduction of the Cisco Data Fabric, an architecture built upon the Splunk Enterprise and Cloud Platform. This foundational framework aims to simplify and unify how organizations manage and utilize the massive influx of machine data generated across servers, applications, networks, and edge devices. Patel highlighted that over 55% of data generated will be machine data, underscoring the critical need for a cohesive data strategy. The Data Fabric is designed to make this data easier to search, analyze, and apply in real-time for various purposes, including training AI models, anomaly detection, and coordinating digital services. Its core capabilities are already available, with further features slated for rollout through 2026. Future enhancements include a time-series foundation model, planned for release in November 2025, to improve anomaly detection, forecasting, and root-cause analysis.
The conference also spotlighted Agentic AI as a cornerstone of Cisco’s operational resilience strategy. This involves the deployment of AI agents to assist in detecting, triaging, troubleshooting, and remediating incidents automatically across observability and security domains. These agentic AI capabilities are either generally available or expected to roll out by the end of the year. For security operations, Cisco announced two new agentic AI-powered options: Splunk Enterprise Security Essentials Edition and Splunk Enterprise Security Premier Edition, part of the Splunk Enterprise Security 8.2 release. These offerings aim to unify security workflows, reduce alert noise, and cut investigation times from hours to minutes, allowing security teams to focus on higher-level decisions.
Another significant development is the upcoming Cisco AI Canvas, an AI-driven collaborative workspace for security and IT operations teams. Scheduled for integration with Splunk Cloud Platform in 2026 as part of the new Cisco Data Fabric, the AI Canvas will enable users to orchestrate analytical workflows using AI agents and a unified interface. It is envisioned as a ‘virtual war room’ where teams can co-investigate issues in real-time by aggregating and correlating data from Splunk and other sources.
Analyst reactions to the announcements were largely positive. Matt Eastwood, an analyst and senior vice president of IDC’s enterprise infrastructure and data center group, noted that a key question entering .conf25 was whether Splunk would maintain its distinct identity under Cisco. He found the message reassuring, stating, ‘Splunk is incredibly strategic to Cisco, and the brand and community remain critical.’ Eastwood also praised the Cisco Data Fabric for providing ‘partners a new architecture to unify machine data for AI, observability, and security,’ creating opportunities for MSPs and resellers to help customers break down data silos and leverage AI-driven resilience. The integration with Snowflake was also highlighted as a key tie-up for federated analytics, allowing data to be searched where it resides.
Also Read:
- HashiCorp Unveils Agentic AI Integration to Revolutionize IT Infrastructure Management
- MuleSoft Unveils Agent Fabric to Streamline and Govern Enterprise AI Agent Workflows
Overall, Splunk .conf25 underscored Cisco’s commitment to transforming into a platform company, leveraging Splunk’s robust data capabilities to deliver a unified, AI-powered approach to operational resilience across security, observability, and network infrastructure.
