Cisco’s Vijoy Pandey: The New Internet, AI Agents, and Quantum Networks

Oct 9, 2025

Join Vijoy Pandey, Senior VP at Cisco and a luminary in AI and quantum networking, as he unpacks the future of technology. Discover the concept of 'Agentic AI' and how it can create an 'Internet of Agents,' revolutionizing everything from software to security. Vijoy delves into Cisco's post-quantum cryptography strategies to combat new security threats and discusses the innovative 'freedom to fail' model that drives creativity in a corporate landscape. Plus, get insights into the burgeoning Quantum Internet and its practical applications.

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ANECDOTE

Startup-In-A-Company Model

OutShift runs like startups inside Cisco, giving teams real customer validation and rapid iteration.
Vijoy describes incubating adjacent products to Cisco's core (networking, security, observability, collaboration).

ADVICE

Create Scaffolding To Fail Safely

Build scaffolding that lets teams fail safely by adjusting procurement, legal, and T&C for early products.
Measure adoption with power metrics instead of quarterly revenue while iterating quickly with design partners.

INSIGHT

Risk-Based Innovation Horizons

Time-based horizon models no longer fit fast-moving tech; use a risk-based horizon model instead.
OutShift targets Horizon 3 (tech risk) and Horizon 2 (market risk) to de-risk bets for Cisco platforms.

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Cisco’s Vijoy Pandey - SVP & GM of Outshift by Cisco - explains how AI agents and quantum networks could completely redefine how software, infrastructure, and security function in the next decade.

You’ll learn:

→ What “Agentic AI” and the “Internet of Agents” actually are

→ How Cisco open-sourced the Internet of Agents framework and why decentralization matters

→ The security threat of “store-now, decrypt-later” attacks—and how post-quantum cryptography will defend against them

→ How Outshift’s “freedom to fail” model fuels real innovation inside a Fortune-500 company

→ Why the next generation of software will blur the line between humans, AI agents, and machines

→ The vision behind Cisco’s Quantum Internet—and two real-world use cases you can see today: Quantum Sync and Quantum Alert

About Today’s Guest:

Meet Vijoy Pandey, the mind behind Cisco’s Outshift—a team pushing the boundaries of what’s next in AI, quantum computing, and the future internet. With 80+ patents to his name and a career spent redefining how systems connect and think, he’s one of the few leaders truly building the next era of computing before the rest of us even see it coming.

Key Moments:

00:00 Meet Vijoy Pandey & Outshift’s mission

04:30 The two hardest problems in computer science: Superintelligence & Quantum Computing

06:30 Why “freedom to fail” is Cisco’s innovation superpower

10:20 Inside the Outshift model: incubating like a startup inside Cisco

21:00 What is Agentic AI? The rise of the Internet of Agents

27:00 AGNTCY.org and open-sourcing the Internet of Agents

32:00 What would an Internet of Agents actually look like?

38:19 Responsible AI & governance: putting guardrails in early

49:40 What is quantum computing? What is quantum networking?

55:27 The vision for a global Quantum Internet

Watch Next: https://youtu.be/-Jb2tWsAVwI?si=l79rdEGxB-i-Wrrn

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