News
Cisco’s Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA now pairs Cisco AI PODs and VAST InsightEngine using the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design, cutting RAG latency from minutes to seconds and hardening every token with AI Defense.
Key Takeaways
- Validated architecture for agentic AI. Cisco, NVIDIA and VAST deliver an integrated stack to feed AI agents low-latency enterprise data.
- RAG pipelines sped up. New design reduces retrieval-augmented generation latency from minutes to seconds for near real-time responses.
- Production-grade security. Visibility with Splunk and policy guardrails via Cisco AI Defense to keep every token secure.
What’s New: Cisco AI PODs + VAST InsightEngine on the NVIDIA AI Data Platform
Cisco unveiled a validated solution — Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA — that extends to new agentic AI use cases. The architecture adds VAST InsightEngine to Cisco AI PODs and implements the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design to transform raw enterprise data into AI-ready datasets for agents.
“Moving beyond chatbots to agents that can help solve true business challenges is revolutionary, but only if enterprises can effectively leverage the right data at the right times.”
- Jeremy Foster
SVP & GM, Cisco Compute
Why It Matters for Enterprise AI Infrastructure: Faster RAG, Stronger Governance
Enterprises are shifting toward hybrid architectures to support AI at scale, with 90% of IT decision-makers planning to rethink their cloud strategies to balance cost, control and AI workload performance. A validated “AI factory” blueprint helps teams move faster without stitching together bespoke parts.
Success with AI depends heavily on industrialized data — making information broadly available, accurate and standardized across enterprises. Yet according to industry research, only 22% of companies are truly "future ready" with their data infrastructure, while 51% remain stuck with disconnected systems and incompatible technologies.
Organizations increasingly favor hybrid cloud environments that offer the flexibility to run AI workloads optimally. IT leaders report that data security (50%), integration with existing systems (48%) and cost savings (44%) are driving these strategic shifts.
The integration of AI capabilities is reshaping IT priorities, with enterprises seeking solutions that enhance operational efficiency while maintaining robust security and compliance measures. Major technology providers like NVIDIA have formed strategic partnerships to help organizations scale enterprise AI adoption.
Related Article: AI Agent vs. Agentic AI: What’s the Difference — And Why It Matters
How It Works (Architecture Highlights)
“The next wave of agentic AI will be fueled by enterprise data, enabling agents to tap into business knowledge during inference for precise, up-to-date insights. Bringing together Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA and VAST InsightEngine creates an integrated platform for running powerful AI agents at scale.”
- Justin Boitano
VP Enterprise AI, NVIDIA
- Data → Decision, Fast: VAST InsightEngine sits inside Cisco AI PODs to index, embed and serve enterprise data to agents using the NVIDIA AI Data Platform blueprint, speeding retrieval-augmented generation for up‑to‑date, contextual answers.
- Compute: Cisco UCS servers equipped with NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs deliver accelerated performance for next‑gen AI applications.
- Networking: High‑performance Ethernet links compute and data paths to minimize bottlenecks.
- Security & Observability: Cisco AI Defense applies token‑level safety and security controls; Splunk provides operational visibility across the environment.
- Software stack: VAST’s platform integrates NVIDIA NIM microservices (part of NVIDIA AI Enterprise) to streamline real‑time data processing and retrieval for agents.
Who It’s For
- Enterprise IT & I&O leaders building secure AI foundations
- Data engineering & AI platform teams delivering RAG and agentic workflows
- CIOs/CTOs standardizing reference architectures for AI scale
Availability
Cisco AI PODs with VAST InsightEngine — offering an NVIDIA AI Data Platform solution — are available now as the first in a series of AI service PODs for enterprise use cases.
Related Article: Do's, Don'ts and Must-Haves for Agentic AI
Specs & Capabilities (Quick Look)
- Accelerated RAG: near real‑time responses (minutes → seconds)
- Enterprise‑scale agents: multi‑agent, continuous, contextual reasoning at scale
- Governance: role‑based access control, audit/compliance readiness
Competitive Landscape: Cisco + NVIDIA + VAST vs Emerging ‘AI Factory’ Stacks
Validated “AI factory” patterns are emerging across the market. Cisco’s angle leans on Ethernet‑based fabric + UCS + VAST with NVIDIA’s platform blueprints, appealing to enterprises standardizing on Ethernet and seeking governed RAG without bespoke integration work.
