5 New Solutions Added To Cisco Digital Network Architecture

5 New Additions To Cisco's DNA

Cisco is continuing to improve its Digital Network Architecture (DNA) with the unveiling on Tuesday of new products, tools and service opportunities for partners inside DNA.

"We're continuing to innovate on top of the DNA architecture," said Jason Gallo, global director of Cisco's enterprise networking and software partner go-to-market, in an interview with CRN. "So you'll continue to see us innovate from us in those areas around virtualization, automation and cloud services management."

The San Jose, Calif.-based networking giant's bullish DNA strategy, launch in March 2016, is a software-driven, service-centric architecture based on automation, virtualization, analytics, managed services and open APIs that is aimed at enabling digital business.

Here are five new solutions inside Cisco DNA revealed on Tuesday.

ENCS 5400 Series

Cisco revealed its new Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS) 5400 Series targeting the branch and campus market.

"It's a Cisco-branded and tested Intel Xeon-based platform, total modular for diverse WAN connectivity needs and built for virtualization in the branch," said Kiran Ghodgaonkar, senior marketing manager of Enterprise Solutions at Cisco, in an interview with CRN. "It's a server-based solution … The platform ships with the Cisco hypervisor and with a virtual router on it."

The solution is open for third party services and applications, has an integrated LAN switch with PoE capabilities and a network interface module for LTE and WAN.

DNA Readiness Advisor Tool

To map out customer's progress in driving efficiency around virtualization and automation through DNA, Cisco has created a DNA Readiness Advisor assessment tool. The solution allows partners to provide either an online assessment or a more in-depth session for customers that measures their capabilities around cloud, analytics, mobility, automation, virtualization and security, to name a few.

"This can help partners promote the ability for customers to understand where there are on that journey through an assessment, or do a fuller assessment which is an in-depth, half-day session. In that case, we can provide the partners the tools, the templates and the research to shape and have a more detailed conversation. And that leads to great services opportunities for partners," said Gallo. "Because now as a partner, you've laid out the roadmap and you’re the trusted advisor."

Enhanced DNA ISE

The networking giant has enhanced its security policy management platform, Identity Services Engine (ISE), inside DNA.

"We've really improved the reporting, the usability, the interface and streamlined workflows," said Ghodgaonkar.

"It's really that central place where IT managers can go and manage the onboarding of users onto the network and give them for example security profiling," he said. "We want to be able to use the network to detect threats and when we do that, we can detect them right at the edge of the network where the user is and also be able to block threats as well."

Expands TrustSec To Routers, Wireless

Cisco's software-defined segmentation solution, TrustSec, has expanded inside DNA to routers and wireless access points to deliver end-to-end segmentation.

"TrustSec is where we're enforcing security right at the edge of the network. We're expanding it from switching, to now include our router and wireless products, including our OpenDNS capabilities right on wireless too," said Ghodgaonkar. "It's really the industry's first end-to-end software-defined segmentation on the network."

Cisco-Delivered DNA Advisory Services

For partners who don’t want to provide their own services through the DNA Readiness Advisor assessment tool, solution providers can offer those advisory services from Cisco. "If something is really complex and the partner chooses to [not provide] their services, there is a version of this -- the DNA Advisory Services -- that is Cisco-delivered," said Gallo.

More DNA-Vouchers On The Way

In an effort to ramp-up sales around DNA, Cisco launched a voucher program in November where partners would be granted a $7,500 voucher for DNA deals exceeding $300,000. Gallo, who said the $7,500 voucher is still available today, said Cisco plans to potentially create a richer voucher program in the near future to incent partners to sell DNA.

"In some cases, we're going to look at doubling that voucher for some of the use cases or to provide the specific templates. It's equipping the partner to be a digital Sherpa, if you will, of guiding the customer along that journey," said Gallo.