The Everything Feed - All Packet Pushers Pods NAN111: Automation, AI, and the Future of Branch Networking: Inside Cisco Unified Branch (Sponsored)
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Jan 21, 2026 In this discussion, Lee Peterson, VP of Product Management for Secure WAN at Cisco, shares insights on automating and securing branch networks. He defines the unique characteristics of branch networks and addresses deployment challenges like staffing and reliability. Lee explores the evolution towards self-optimizing branches with AI and closed-loop automation. He emphasizes the importance of Cisco Validated Designs for efficient rollouts. Additionally, Lee highlights how AI can enhance operational efficiency and preemptively address network issues.
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Branch Characteristics And Traffic Patterns
- Branches are distributed sites with little to no on-site IT and mostly north–south traffic to cloud services.
- Design and management must assume remote access, limited staffing, and cloud-bound application patterns.
Automate To Avoid Linear Scaling
- Automate heavily because teams must do more with less when branches scale.
- Use automation to keep incremental branch cost from scaling linearly with headcount.
Bandwidth Diversity Enables New Branch Use
- Bandwidth availability and diversity (fiber, 5G, satellite) are expanding branch capabilities and use cases.
- Growing AI and edge workloads increase demand for both bandwidth and resilient multi-path connectivity.