Inside Cisco Secure AI Factory With NVIDIA: A Platform Built for Partner-Led AI
Infrastructure decisions are being made in response to compressed timeframes, security teams are being asked to defend unfamiliar workloads, and many customers still aren’t sure how to move from AI experimentation to production.
For partners, that uncertainty creates a clear opportunity—especially with platforms that reduce risk while still leaving room for partner expertise.
In this article, we’ll explore Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA : a joint architecture designed to help enterprises deploy AI at scale, securely and predictably.
Closing the AI readiness gap
Despite widespread interest in generative AI, most enterprises remain underprepared. Cisco’s AI Readiness Index found that only 28 percent of organizations believe their existing infrastructure can support AI workloads.
That gap between ambition and reality is where partners are increasingly being brought in—to design architectures, integrate platforms, and ensure governance is built in from the start.
For partners, the value lies in delivering that outcome. For customers, the appeal is faster deployment of trusted AI applications.
“All the building blocks of Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA are designed to help us simplify and scale enterprise AI deployments with our clients,” says Neil Anderson, VP and CTO, Cloud, Infrastructure and AI Solutions, World Wide Technology.
“Beyond the modular infrastructure, integrated security, and built-in observability, the Cisco Validated Designs (CVD) and NVIDIA Enterprise Reference Architectures , combined with World Wide Technology’s AI Proving Ground and global supply chain capabilities, provide us with a unique market advantage. Our customers need assurance that they are investing in a proven and trustworthy solution, and Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA delivers exactly that.”
Security and observability built in
Security and observability are integrated into the Secure AI Factory architecture rather than bolted on later.
Cisco AI Defense, integrated with NVIDIA NeMo Guardrails, a part of NVIDIA AI Enterprise , is designed to protect AI models and applications from development through runtime and address risks such as prompt injection, harmful outputs and data exposure.
At the platform level, Cisco Isovalent helps secure containerized AI workloads running on Kubernetes, while Cisco Hybrid Mesh Firewall enforces consistent security policies across environments. Splunk Enterprise Security and Splunk Observability Cloud add real-time threat detection and visibility across AI applications, infrastructure and behavior.
“The top question we receive from customers is how they can protect their AI infrastructure,” said Steve Crompton, Managing Director of Enterprise & Networking at SCC. “For our UK government and enterprise customers, partnering with Cisco and investing in the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA was the clear choice—the key factors being the platform’s built-in security features, combined with the comprehensive observability provided by Splunk integration.”
This approach simplifies design conversations while strengthening the long-term value of managed services and ongoing security engagement.
Designed for partner-led delivery
Enterprise AI deployments are rarely straightforward. Customers need help moving from pilots to production, scaling infrastructure, integrating data and operating AI systems securely over time.
Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA is built on Cisco Validated Designs and NVIDIA Enterprise Reference Architectures , giving partners a tested foundation to deploy with confidence. From there, partners can layer on their own services, vertical expertise and industry knowledge.
Modular Cisco AI PODs allow environments to scale without a full redesign, supporting recurring engagement rather than one-off projects. As AI architectures evolve—including support for agentic AI and inference—partners remain central to translating those capabilities into business outcomes.
The platform also aligns closely with the Cisco 360 Partner Program, which went live in January 2026. Built around full-lifecycle delivery, Cisco 360 rewards partners that can design, deploy and operate integrated solutions rather than simply transact products.
New specializations, including the Secure AI Infrastructure specialization, recognize partners with proven end-to-end AI capabilities. Expanded enablement, certifications and partner locator tools are designed to make those capabilities visible to customers.
At a time when customer demand for enterprise AI support and the need for AI-focused skills and training has never been greater, now is the right time for Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA.
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Find out more about Cisco and NVIDIA solutions: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/global-partners/nvidia/index.html