Technology

Cisco Live 2024: Cisco Announces New AI-powered Innovations and Investments to Help Customers Unlock a More Connected and Secure Future

Published

2 years ago

June 4, 2024

News summary:

AI-powered innovations build customers’ digital resilience by uniquely combining the power of the network with industry-leading security, observability, and data, simplifying adoption, and offering visibility and insight across the entire digital footprint.Cisco Investments has launched a $1 Billion Global AI Investment Fund to advance industry innovation and customer readiness, and support Cisco’s strategy to connect and protect organizations in an AI-powered future.This year’s show headlined by keynote speakers, including Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins; 7x Super Bowl Champion, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist Tom Brady; and from McLaren Racing, CEO Zak Brown and F1 Team Driver Oscar Piastri.

LAS VEGAS, June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CISCO LIVE — Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) kicks off Cisco LIVE 2024 with new AI-powered innovations and investments that deliver a clear message: AI isn’t just the latest turning point in technology. It’s an efficient, intelligent source of digital resilience that can connect and protect entire organizations and power growth, scale, and an inclusive future for all.

At its premier networking and security event, Cisco is launching AI-enriched networking, security, and observability solutions across its entire portfolio. These are designed to give customers the visibility and insights they need to connect and protect their entire digital footprint and build digital resilience.

“We’re thrilled to share incredible innovation and new AI-powered capabilities for our customers this week at Cisco Live,” said Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO of Cisco. “Cisco is uniquely positioned to revolutionize the way infrastructure and data connect and protect organizations of all sizes, and we are confident we are the right strategic partner for our customers in this era of AI.”

Cisco Investments also announced a $1B global investment fund to expand and develop secure and reliable AI solutions. Cisco is making strategic investments in Cohere, Mistral AI and Scale AI that will advance several critical areas including customer readiness, compute infrastructure, foundational models, model development, and training.

Cisco’s Product Innovations Tackle Customers’ Core Challenges

Cisco customers are in the spotlight, showcasing the pivotal role Cisco plays as a crucial strategic ally in business and technology. Customers featured at Cisco Live include Steve Madden, Room & Board, Marriott, AT&T, Equinix, WWE, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park and McLaren F1 Racing.

Making AI easier with AI & Networking

Cisco Nexus HyperFabric AI clusters This breakthrough AI cluster solution with NVIDIA features a single place to design, deploy, monitor and assure AI pods and data center workloads. It guides users from design, to validated deployment, to monitoring and assurance for enterprise-ready AI infrastructure.Cisco Networking Cloud: New AI-native Digital Experience Assurance innovations from Cisco ThousandEyes unlock cross-domain assurance for Cisco Networking Cloud and beyond. Customers are now empowered to see and manage every enterprise, cloud, SaaS, and Internet network for exceptional digital experiences to every user, everywhere, every time.

Making AI safer with AI & Security

In an increasingly complex and hyper-distributed world, Cisco tips the balance of power in favor of the defenders with new capabilities across the Cisco Security Cloud Customers gain an AI-fortified security posture backed by market-leading firewall infrastructure, new sources of telemetry, superior network visibility, and AI-native management architecture.A little over one month after the launch of Cisco Hypershield, Cisco is announcing Cisco Hypershield support for AMD Pensando DPUs and Intel IPUs. It enables enterprises to realize an AI-driven, distributed security architecture that seamlessly goes from the cloud to the data centers to the edge while still being highly performing and energy efficient.

Making AI work with AI & Observability

Customers benefit from Cisco’s recent landmark acquisition of Splunk with flawless, secure digital experiences powered by unparalleled visibility and real-time insights that help standardize the observability practice into solution – getting customers ahead of future demands and set up for new opportunities.At the event, Cisco will share that it has combined its new AI Assistant and the power of Splunk Log Observability with Cisco AppDynamics Application Performance Monitoring (APM) with the introduction of AppDynamics Log Observer Connect. This will enable users to unlock meaningful guidance and insights to make informed decisions faster and more accurately than ever.

Making AI work with the Future of Work

AI-Powered Contact Center and Hybrid Work Innovations New capabilities in Webex Contact Center will help organizations design and manage conversational self-service experiences, provide an AI Assistant for contact center agents, and integrate third-party virtual agent solutions.Additionally, AI Assistant for Webex Suite will soon be generally available to customers. IT admins will benefit from remote device access management in Webex Control Hub, and all-new Desk Reservation with Cisco Spaces makes it easy to find and book desk spaces and Cisco Collaboration Devices.

Enabling AI Skills

New AI Fundamentals for Partners: Cisco will announce the first stage of its AI partner specialization training that will equip partners with the knowledge needed to optimize infrastructure for AI workloads using Cisco technology. It will explore AI basics, including key concepts and terms, a taxonomy of AI solutions and an overview of Cisco’s AI strategy, governance and use cases to master AI solution implementation in, on and through Cisco platforms.New Cisco Certification in AI: Organizations can build an AI-ready workforce with the announcement of Cisco’s new certification in designing modern AI architecture. The vendor-agnostic certification will enable employers, employees and jobseekers to gain and validate the skills needed to design modern AI/ML compute and networks now and into the future.

About Cisco Live

Cisco LIVE 2024, the premier networking and security event that brings together the global Cisco community to showcase the latest innovations and inspire attendees to strive for a more inclusive future for all. Welcoming more than 20,000 attendees in-person, with nearly one million more tuning in from around the world via a live-streamed digital event, Cisco LIVE 2024 is set to be Cisco’s most impactful conference to date.

To experience the live keynotes, learn more about Cisco Live news announcements and view additional digital content, visit The Newsroom.

Additional Resources:

Flickr album with on-site photos uploaded daily from Cisco LIVE 2024.

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that securely connects everything to make anything possible. Our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all by helping our customers reimagine their applications, power hybrid work, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals.

Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @Cisco.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco’s trademarks can be found at http://www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word ‘partner’ does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

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Technology

GIGABYTE Named Official PC Monitor Sponsor of FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Anaheim

Published

36 minutes ago

April 23, 2026

LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GIGABYTE, the world’s leading computer company, today announced its role as the Official PC Monitor Sponsor of the FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival 2026, taking place from April 24 to April 25 at Anaheim Convention Center in California, USA. As part of the sponsorship, GIGABYTE will power the event’s PvP tournament stage with its MO27Q2A OLED gaming monitors, delivering an immersive and competitive gameplay experience for both players and fans.

At the center of the showcase is the GIGABYTE MO27Q2A, the OLED gaming monitor engineered to elevate the experience of FINAL FANTASY XIV. From richly detailed environments and dramatic lighting effects to fast-paced raid mechanics and PvP encounters, the MO27Q2A enhances every aspect of gameplay with deep contrast, vibrant color accuracy, and ultra-fast 0.03ms response time. Its OLED panel brings Eorzea to life with true blacks and exceptional clarity, while 280Hz high refresh rates ensure smooth, responsive performance during intense battles, making it an ideal display for both competitive play and immersive exploration.

Beyond the MO27Q2A monitor, GIGABYTE’s expanding monitor lineup continues to deliver cutting-edge display technology for gamers and creators alike. Featured models include the MO27U2 and MO32U, offering high-resolution visuals and immersive performance for both competitive and cinematic experiences, as well as the GO27Q24G, designed for smooth, responsive gameplay with high refresh rates and versatile performance in the budget friendly segmentation.

To further celebrate the partnership, GIGABYTE will be hosting a special social media giveaway in collaboration with the FINAL FANTASY XIV team, featuring 30 exclusive merchandise prizes. Fans can participate via a Gleam-powered campaign by following GIGABYTE and FINAL FANTASY XIV social channels for a chance to win. The giveaway will run from April 23 to April 30, inviting the community to engage and celebrate the event together.

With its focus on OLED innovation, high refresh rates, and gamer-centric features, GIGABYTE continues to push the boundaries of display performance, empowering players to experience their favorite titles with unmatched precision and immersion.

For more information on GIGABYTE monitors and the giveaway experience, please visit the official event page to learn more.

Media Contact:
GIGABYTE USA PR Team
City of Industry, California
gbtusa_marketing@gigabyteusa.com

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SOURCE GIGABYTE

Technology

Fun Services Announces Full Integration of Cliffhanger Productions Amusements Operations Beginning 2026

Published

36 minutes ago

April 23, 2026

TOTOWA, N.J., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fun Services is proud to announce the full transition and integration of Cliffhanger Productions Amusements operations under the Fun Services brand, effective January 1, 2026.

Following the acquisition of Cliffhanger Productions Amusements contracts in 2023, Fun Services has continued to operate and service events under the Cliffhanger name during a multi-year transition period. Beginning in 2026, all clients, events, and bookings will be managed directly through Fun Services.

This transition marks a significant milestone in the company’s growth, reinforcing its commitment to delivering high-quality amusement rentals, event services, and customer support across the region.

“Over the past few years, we’ve worked closely with Cliffhanger clients to ensure a seamless experience,” said Anthony Lombardi III, CEO of Fun Services. “As we move into 2026, we’re excited to officially bring all operations to Fun Services, allowing us to expand offerings, streamline service, and continue building strong relationships with our clients.”

Fun Services will continue to provide the same popular attractions and event equipment that clients have come to expect, including:

Mechanical ridesCarnival game trailersInflatablesFull-service event setups

Clients can expect enhanced booking processes, expanded inventory options, and continued reliability backed by the Fun Services team.

Anthony Lombardi, Owner of Fun Services, added, “This transition allows us to grow while maintaining the quality and consistency that Cliffhanger clients are used to. Our focus remains on making every event successful, safe, and memorable.”

All existing contracts and relationships will be honored, with no disruption to scheduled events. Clients will now work directly with Fun Services for all future bookings, inquiries, and event planning needs.

For more information or to book an event, please contact:

Fun Services
(973) 450-9610
info@njfunservices.com
https://eventsbyfunservices.com

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SOURCE Events by Fun Services

Technology

Alchemy Technology Group Acquires IOvations to Grow Its Northeast Presence

Published

36 minutes ago

April 23, 2026

HOUSTON, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Alchemy Technology Group, an IT advisory, consulting, and reseller firm and a portfolio company of Avance Investment Management, has acquired IOvations, a Burlington, Massachusetts-based cybersecurity solution provider.

The acquisition expands Alchemy’s cybersecurity portfolio and further extends its geographic reach into the Northeast, giving customers access to deeper expertise in cloud security, advanced threat detection, and Zero Trust architectures. IOvations brings long-standing customer relationships and proven experience helping organizations build modern security strategies.

“IOvations is a perfect fit in our acquisition strategy,” said Wes Davis, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Alchemy Technology Group. “They have a terrific, longstanding customer base in a dynamic growth market for us. We love quality businesses built on the same core principals as Alchemy: trusted relationships, elite domain expertise, and a history of execution.”

For IOvations’ customers and partners, joining Alchemy provides access to a broader set of capabilities while preserving the specialized security focus they rely on today.

“Becoming part of Alchemy strengthens our ability to support our clients and their evolving needs,” said Jim Sacco, CEO and Founder at IOvations. “Our clients will gain access to expanded expertise in cloud, data, digital workspace, AI, and application development, while continuing to work with the same IOvations team they know and trust. Culturally, there is a strong alignment around our client-first approach, focusing on positive outcomes, investing in technical talent, and building long-term relationships.”

This transaction marks Alchemy’s second acquisition in as many months. With the support of Avance, Alchemy intends to continue its strategy of building a national platform through targeted acquisitions that complement its strong organic growth.

About Alchemy Technology Group

Alchemy Technology Group is an award-winning reseller of next-generation technology solutions and a provider of high-touch consulting and advisory services. Focused on critical software solutions such as cybersecurity, digital workspace, data, cloud, application development, and AI, Alchemy was purpose-built to go beyond the offerings of a traditional VAR and take a truly client- and vendor-centric approach. For more information, visit www.alchemytechgroup.com.

About IOvations

IOvations is a Burlington, Massachusetts-based cybersecurity solutions provider focused on helping customers protect critical systems, data, and users. The company specializes in modern security architectures with a focus on Zero Trust strategies and protecting critical infrastructure. IOvations works closely with customers to design and operate practical, resilient security programs that keep pace with evolving risks and regulatory requirements. For more information, please visit www.iovations.com.

About Avance Investment Management

Avance Investment Management is a private equity firm with a passion for building great businesses in partnership with talented founders and management teams. Avance focuses primarily on thematic investments within the Services, Technology, and Consumer areas in the U.S., seeking attractive opportunities with catalysts for growth and fragmented spaces with consolidation opportunities. Avance’s team has a long history of partnering with founder-owned businesses, industry executives, and management teams and aims to add value to each investment through the application of its STAGE™ value creation framework. Avance has offices in New York and Miami. For more information, please visit www.avanceinv.com.

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SOURCE Alchemy Technology Group, LLC