Reflections on India’s transformation and how RUCKUS Networks is growing alongside the rising demand for modern networking solutions.

Growing up in India and witnessing its transformation firsthand has been remarkable.

I studied engineering at a time when computers were still a luxury for many students. We relied on textbooks, libraries and handwritten notes. There was no Google Search or ChatGPT to help with research. For many of my peers, success meant securing a job with a large IT services company or looking overseas for greater opportunities after college graduation.

Fast forward to today, and the India I see is vastly different. India’s economy is growing at a rapid pace, offering an upward trajectory. Increasingly, many of India’s brightest engineers are choosing to stay and more returning from abroad, to build careers and innovate at home. Driven by a rapidly expanding technology sector and the growing number of global companies establishing R&D centres in India, the opportunities available today are becoming competitive globally. To me, that change reflects the confidence, capability and ambition of a country that has firmly earned its place on the global technology stage.

From IT Talent Hub to Technology and Manufacturing Powerhouse

Over the past two decades, India has transformed itself from a global IT services destination into a center for innovation, digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. Its rise to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, having overtaken Japan in 2025, reflects the country’s growing influence on the global technology and manufacturing landscape.

Technology hubs that once supported global operations have evolved into world-class R&D and innovation centers. At the same time, investments in manufacturing, digital infrastructure and Industry 4.0 have strengthened India’s position as a leading destination for electronics and advanced technology production.

Watching this transformation unfold over the years has given me an appreciation for how far India has come and the opportunities that lie ahead. I have seen the country evolve from exporting talent to attracting investment, innovation and manufacturing at scale. What began as India’s rise as an IT powerhouse has evolved into something much broader; a nation increasingly recognized for its innovation, engineering excellence and manufacturing capabilities.

For companies like RUCKUS that have grown alongside this transformation, it presents an opportunity to deepen our contribution to one of the world’s most dynamic technology markets.

RUCKUS’ Journey in India

India’s evolution has been mirrored by RUCKUS’ own journey in the country. Our story in India did not begin with manufacturing. Over the years, we have built a strong foundation across engineering, innovation, and customer success, with teams and operations spanning Bengaluru and Chennai. Today, Pune extends that footprint into manufacturing through Belden’s established manufacturing operations.

For me, what makes this milestone meaningful is not manufacturing itself, but what it represents. As India’s role in the global technology ecosystem has expanded, so too have the opportunities for companies like RUCKUS to grow alongside the market.

This broader growth creates a strong backdrop for our journey in India. India’s technology sector continues to grow at an impressive pace. Gartner forecasts the country’s IT spending will reach $176.3 billion this year, reflecting continued investment in AI, cloud, data centers and digital infrastructure. As organizations accelerate digital transformation initiatives and modernize their operations, the need for reliable, secure and high-performance networks has never been greater.

For us, the opportunity is not simply to participate in that growth, but to grow alongside our customers and partners as they help shape India’s digital future.

Looking ahead

India’s next growth chapter is already taking shape, powered by its talent, expanding digital economy and growing manufacturing capabilities.

And for RUCKUS, Pune marks the beginning of our new chapter in that journey.

Read more about RUCKUS’ expansion into manufacturing in Pune: https://www.ruckusnetworks.com/press-releases/2026/ruckus-networks-deepens-commitment-to-india-through-local-manufacturing/

Results of third-party expert testing – now available – demonstrate bit-perfect performance that’s indistinguishable from wired sound

Montreal, Canada, September 17, 2026  — SPARK Microsystems, a Canadian fabless semiconductor company specializing in next-generation short-range wireless communications, has released the findings of a new third-party expert research analysis demonstrating the bit-perfect wireless audio delivery achievable with SPARK’s Low-Energy Ultra-Wideband (LE-UWB™) technology.

The research findings were initially presented at AES Show NY and are now available in a video overview featuring SPARK Microsystems CTO Frederic Nabki and audio expert Jeff Anderson.

The research results demonstrate that SPARK LE-UWB™ audio delivery is indistinguishable from a wired transmission, exhibiting bit-perfect signal fidelity. This performance profile, complemented with low latency of under 7 milliseconds, enables uncorrupted, pristine wireless audio. The sound quality produced is vastly superior to legacy Bluetooth technology, distinguishing SPARK UWB as the wireless platform of choice for prestigious audio brands including Sonus Faber and Focal.

Notably, the SPARK LE-UWB™ wireless connection also offered bi-directional audio transport, supporting an additional bit-perfect, low-latency uncompressed audio back channel. Although this feature was not a primary focus of the study, it highlights the versatility and advanced capabilities of the technology.

The testing was performed by Jeff Anderson, an independent audio engineering consultant with 25 years of industry expertise. Leveraging wired equipment as the reference, Anderson provides an in-depth comparison of SPARK’s LE-UWB technology to competing audio codecs including LDAC, aptX HD, aptX LL, and SBC. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) measurements were used to evaluate the signal quality of the tested audio systems.

Among the findings, Anderson observed that LDAC, aptX, and aptX HD codecs displayed elevated noise floors and noticeable distortion, especially at higher frequencies. Bluetooth codecs LDAC and aptX HD exhibited latency ranging from 30 to 200 milliseconds, degrading audio quality and introducing noticeable delay. In contrast, SPARK’s UWB delivers a clean, distortion-free signal, demonstrating superior fidelity and comparable performance to the wired reference.

“Wireless solutions based on SPARK LE-UWB technology represent a major step forward, offering unparalleled stability and performance even in increasingly interference-prone environments,” said Rejean Bedel, Groupe Marketing Manager, Focal. “This advancement marks a turning point for high-end audio, enabling seamless, user-friendly, and wire-free products without compromising sound quality.”

“For decades, the industry has accepted compromises in sound quality, latency, and energy efficiency to make wireless audio possible. SPARK’s Low-Energy UWB technology changes that, delivering bit-perfect audio exactly as it was encoded at the source, with ultra-low latency that rivals wired connections,” said Frederic Nabki, Co-founder and CTO, SPARK Microsystems. “This breakthrough doesn’t just eliminate wires; it redefines what wireless audio can achieve, setting a new benchmark for fidelity and responsiveness, with low power consumption optimized for battery-powered devices.”

For the video overview of the testing methodology and results data, and to hear more about SPARKs ultra-low latency and energy efficiency advantages for audio applications, learn more here. CES 2027 attendees can personally experience the superior sound quality of SPARK’s LE-UWB technology with a live demo of our wireless headset in our Palazzo suite.

About SPARK Microsystems

SPARK Microsystems is building next-generation short-range wireless communication devices for consumer, industrial and medical applications. Leveraging patented LE-UWB™ technology, SPARK delivers ultra-low-power, high-speed wireless connectivity with unmatched interference robustness and exceptionally low latency. LE-UWB™ technology is ideally suited for wearables, peripherals, tags, sensors, and other IoT-connected devices that require reliable, high-performance data communication, as well as ranging and positioning capabilities. SPARK makes it possible to minimize and ultimately eliminate wires and batteries across a wide range of AI and IoT applications. For more information, visit sparkmicro.com.

SPARK MICROSYSTEMS, LE-UWB and DETERMINISTIC WIRELESS are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARK Microsystems in Canada and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
Rainier Communications on behalf of SPARK Microsystems
[email protected]

For years, the IoT industry has been built around a straightforward assumption: keep devices small, keep power consumption low, and keep connectivity simple. That approach made sense when most IoT devices were primarily collecting sensor data and sending relatively small amounts of information to the cloud.

But the role of connected devices is changing.

As more intelligence moves from the cloud to the edge, connectivity is becoming more than a way to transfer data. It is increasingly becoming part of the computing architecture itself.And that raises a new question: Does every IoT device still need the same kind of wireless connectivity?

I believe the answer is no.

IoT Is Becoming More Than Sensor Data

The definition of an IoT device is expanding. Today, connected systems may include:

• AI vision systems processing multiple high-resolution video streams

• Robotics platforms requiring real-time communication

• Edge computers running increasingly sophisticated AI models locally

• Industrial systems coordinating data across multiple devices

• Intelligent infrastructure combining sensing, processing, and communication

These applications do not all have the same connectivity requirements. A battery-powered sensor transmitting small packets of data may prioritize low power consumption and long communication range. An edge AI computer processing video, coordinating robotic actions, or exchanging large data files may require significantly higher throughput and lower latency.

Treating both devices as if they need the same wireless technology can create unnecessary compromises.

When Connectivity Becomes Part of the Computing Architecture

Traditionally, connectivity was often treated as a supporting function: collect data, transmit it, and let the cloud do the heavy processing. Edge computing changes that model. When AI processing takes place closer to where data is generated, the network must support more than occasional sensor updates. It may need to handle high-volume data exchange, real-time interaction, and communication between multiple intelligent devices.

In these environments, wireless connectivity can influence:

• How quickly data moves between devices

• How responsive an application can be

• How efficiently edge computing resources are utilized

• How multiple devices coordinate in real time

• How a system scales as new capabilities are added

This does not mean every edge device needs the highest-performance wireless standard available. It means connectivity should be considered as part of the system design from the beginning.

Where Wi-Fi 7 Becomes Relevant

Wi-Fi 7 is not necessary for every IoT application. But dismissing it as “overkill” for the entire IoT industry overlooks how many edge applications are evolving. For high-performance edge systems, wireless connectivity may need to support demanding workloads such as:

• High-resolution video transmission

• AI-enabled vision and analytics

• Real-time robotics communication

• High-speed data exchange between edge devices

• Industrial and enterprise applications requiring responsive wireless connectivity

In these scenarios, higher throughput and lower latency can become important system-level considerations. Wi-Fi 7 is particularly relevant when wireless performance is directly connected to the responsiveness or data requirements of the application. The key question is not whether Wi-Fi 7 is excessive in general.

The more useful question is: What does this particular device need to accomplish?

Where Wi-Fi HaLow Makes More Sense

At the other end of the connectivity spectrum, many IoT devices still need to operate under very different conditions. These devices may transmit relatively small amounts of data but require:

• Long communication range

• Low power consumption

• Reliable connectivity across distributed environments

• Efficient operation for remote or battery-powered nodes

For these applications, Wi-Fi HaLow offers a different set of advantages. Built around the IEEE 802.11ah standard, Wi-Fi HaLow operates in sub-GHz spectrum and is designed for long-range, low-power wireless connectivity. This makes it relevant to applications such as:

• Smart city infrastructure

• Industrial IoT sensing

• Environmental monitoring

• Agriculture and remote monitoring

• Distributed sensors and connected infrastructure

A long-range IoT sensor and a high-performance edge AI computer do not need to compete for the same connectivity profile. They need technologies that match their respective roles.

The Future Is Not One Wireless Standard

As IoT deployments become more sophisticated, the idea of selecting one wireless technology for every device becomes increasingly limiting. These categories are not mutually exclusive, and actual requirements depend on the application. But they illustrate why a multi-tier connectivity strategy can be more practical than a one-standard approach. The future of IoT is not necessarily about replacing one wireless technology with another.

It is about choosing the right wireless technology for each node—and making those technologies work together as one system.

Building Connectivity for Different Layers of the System

At AsiaRF, this is a direction we continue to explore through our wireless solutions. Our portfolio includes:

• Wi-Fi 7 modules for high-performance wireless and edge computing applications

• Wi-Fi HaLow modules and platforms for long-range IoT connectivity

• OpenWrt-based platforms designed to support flexible networking and connectivity integration

The objective is not to suggest that every application requires every technology.Instead, it is to support system designers as they evaluate different connectivity requirements across devices, networks, and deployment environments. A connected system may need long-range IoT nodes at the edge, high-performance wireless links for local processing, and a platform capable of bringing these layers together. That is where flexibility becomes important.

Designing the Right Connectivity Tier

For engineers and system architects working on edge AI, robotics, and intelligent infrastructure, connectivity decisions may increasingly begin with a different set of questions:

1. What kind of data does each device generate?

2. How much throughput does the application actually require?

3. How important are latency and real-time responsiveness?

4. Does the device need to operate over long distances or under power constraints?

5. How will different connectivity technologies coexist within the same deployment?

These questions help move the discussion beyond choosing a wireless standard based on popularity or specifications alone. The right connectivity strategy starts with the role each device plays in the system.

A More Flexible Future for IoT

IoT is evolving from a collection of connected sensors into a more intelligent, distributed computing environment. As that happens, wireless connectivity will need to serve different layers of the system—from low-power, long-range sensing to high-performance edge processing.

Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi HaLow are not necessarily competing answers to the same problem. In many deployments, they may address different requirements within the same broader architecture. The future of IoT is not about choosing one wireless standard. It is about choosing the right wireless technology for each node—and making them work together as one system. That is where we believe edge AI and wireless infrastructure are heading.

How are you deciding which connectivity tier each device actually needs?

Like many science fiction fans, I’ve been intrigued by the buzz surrounding Steven Spielberg’s film Disclosure Day, based on one of humanity’s favorite topics: what happens when intelligent life from another world finally makes contact.

Hollywood has generally assumed that aliens would be impressed by our accomplishments. We certainly seem to think they should be. After all, we’ve built artificial intelligence, reusable rockets, quantum computers and social media platforms capable of turning complete strangers into experts on virtually any subject.

But if an advanced civilization has been monitoring Earth for decades, I suspect their conclusions might be very different.

Imagine a team of extraterrestrial scientists arriving after years of studying our television and radio broadcasts, satellite transmissions, cellular networks and Wi-Fi signals. Before meeting world leaders, they compile a report on the most remarkable technologies they have observed.

Artificial intelligence receives favorable marks. Reusable rockets are viewed as an encouraging development. Quantum computing is classified as promising, though admittedly still a work in progress.

The report notes that humanity’s greatest achievements appear to include the moon landing, modern wireless communications and the spork. The researchers remain uncertain which required the larger breakthrough.

Then the scientists examine a modern smartphone.

The report reportedly expands from twelve pages to nearly six hundred. One researcher is said to have remarked that humans appear to carry a laboratory-grade RF system in their pockets primarily to exchange emojis.

The visitors become fascinated by the realization that humans routinely carry devices containing multiple radios, dozens of frequency bands and an astonishing collection of filters, amplifiers, switches, tuners and antennas. More remarkably, the devices function while moving through buildings, vehicles, stadiums, airports and countless other environments seemingly designed to make wireless communication difficult.

Particularly baffling is humanity’s reliance on acoustic wave filtering. According to the alien report, humans somehow discovered that one of the best ways to manage increasingly crowded radio spectrum was to create microscopic acoustic waves inside handheld devices. The visitors struggle to understand why a species capable of creating microscopic acoustic resonators by the billions still cannot agree on a universal charging connector.

The section on envelope tracking is equally perplexing. The visitors note with admiration that humans dynamically adjust power supply voltages in real time to improve transmitter efficiency and extend battery life. Unfortunately, their analysis also concludes that a meaningful percentage of these energy savings are ultimately devoted to watching cat videos.

A separate chapter addresses antenna tuning. The scientists appear genuinely impressed that humans deliberately place antennas near batteries, cameras, displays, metal enclosures and human hands, then invent sophisticated tuning systems to compensate for the resulting performance challenges. The report describes this as “an unnecessarily complicated but undeniably creative engineering strategy.”

Things become truly confusing when the visitors encounter millimeter-wave technology and spectrum sharing. The concept of using frequencies that struggle to penetrate walls while simultaneously coordinating access among countless users appears to generate considerable debate among the alien researchers.

Several pages are devoted to understanding FCC spectrum allocation rules. One appendix concludes that humanity invented interplanetary communication because it was easier than reorganizing spectrum allocations.

In fact, the report’s most surprising conclusion is that interstellar travel appears easier to explain than terrestrial spectrum management. Another appendix notes that the visitors successfully mapped multiple dimensions of spacetime before fully understanding a spectrum allocation chart.

Yet beneath the humor lies an important observation. The technologies that most impress the visitors are largely invisible to the people who use them every day. Even those of us who work in the industry aren’t immune. At Qorvo, we spend our days solving extraordinarily complex RF and power challenges. Then we go home and ask ChatGPT why unplugging the Wi-Fi router and plugging it back in again still fixes so many problems.

When a video streams flawlessly, a call connects instantly or a message arrives without delay, few people think about acoustic filters, envelope tracking, antenna tuning, beamforming or spectrum sharing. They simply expect the connection to work.

Perhaps that’s why our hypothetical visitors find wireless technology so remarkable. Not because any individual breakthrough is extraordinary, although many certainly are. It’s because millions of engineering decisions, innovations and compromises operate together so seamlessly that the entire system feels effortless.

If extraterrestrials ever do arrive, they may come expecting to study artificial intelligence, quantum computing or rocket science.

Instead, I suspect they’ll spend much of their time reading Microwave Journal and wondering how humanity managed to make RF look so easy.

New AI-powered mobihome service gives customers stronger WiFi, advanced protection and greater control at no additional cost

PALO ALTO, Calif. and ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — September 9, 2026 — Plume Design, Inc. (“Plume”), the award-winning global subscriber experience platform serving more than 450 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) across 60 countries, today announced that Mongolian broadband provider Mobinet is deploying the Plume Platform to power its mobihome broadband service.

The new service gives Mobinet customers access to AI-optimized WiFi, advanced cybersecurity protection, parental controls and real-time home network management through an intuitive mobile app. The Plume Platform continuously learns and adapts to each household, helping deliver stronger WiFi coverage, more reliable connectivity and a safer online experience.

“At Mobinet, we believe customers deserve more than fast internet speeds,” said Mr. Bat-Erdene Tuvd, Chief Technology Officer of Mobinet. “By partnering with Plume, we are bringing leading global technology to Mongolia that helps our customers enjoy better WiFi, stronger security and greater control of their digital lives. Just as importantly, it enables us to provide faster support and a better overall customer experience without increasing costs for our subscribers.”

As part of its commitment to customer satisfaction, Mobinet is introducing these advanced capabilities to subscribers without additional monthly charges, bringing world-class connected-home technology to Mongolian households.

“Mobinet understands that customer experience is the true differentiator in today’s broadband market,” said Chris Griffiths, Chief Technology Officer of Plume. “We are proud that after an extensive evaluation process, Mobinet selected the Plume Platform because of its unique ability to deliver smarter, safer and more reliable connectivity to households across Mongolia in a single unified solution.”

The Plume Platform enables Mobinet to provide faster and more proactive customer support. With greater visibility into home network performance, Mobinet can identify and resolve many issues remotely, reducing service interruptions, minimizing technician visits and ensuring smoother complaint handling.

Powered by data from approximately 600 million connected devices worldwide, the Plume Platform continuously optimizes performance, protects connected devices and helps service providers proactively address network issues before they impact customers.

With mobihome powered by Plume, Mobinet is setting a new standard for broadband service in Mongolia by combining high-speed fiber connectivity with AI-driven WiFi optimization, cybersecurity protection and proactive customer care.

The Mobinet deployment reinforces Plume’s continued expansion across the Asia-Pacific region and underscores the platform’s ability to serve ISPs of every size and market position. Plume’s cloud-native, software-only architecture works across CPE hardware, any cloud provider and any operating system, allowing Mobinet to maintain full control of its technology decisions without vendor lock-in. The platform’s containerized design enables seamless software updates and rapid deployment of new capabilities without disrupting subscriber service.

About Mobinet
Mobinet is a leading Mongolian information and communications technology company delivering reliable internet connectivity, digital infrastructure, and enterprise ICT solutions. We provide high-speed fiber internet, dedicated business networks, cloud and data-center services, IP telephony, VPN, cybersecurity, and managed IT solutions. By combining robust network infrastructure with expert technical support, MobiNet helps households, businesses, and public organizations stay connected, operate efficiently, and accelerate their digital transformation.

About Plume
Plume created the first managed WiFi platform for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in 2016, enabling the company to scale across the globe and expand into managing the entire subscriber experience, including approximately 600 million connected devices, in 50 million homes, on behalf of more than 450 ISPs, across 60 countries. By integrating managed WiFi, cybersecurity and customer care, Plume created the first open, hardware-agnostic SaaS Subscriber Experience Platform for ISPs. Powered by an unmatched global dataset and AI optimization, the Plume Platform builds subscriber confidence through improved WiFi experiences, seamless new service implementation and proactive customer care. Plume’s open-source framework OpenSync® is pre-integrated and supported on the leading silicon, CPE and platform SDKs, and supports leading industry standards like RDK-B and prplWave. Discover more at www.plume.com.

In nearly every conversation I have with networking teams at large enterprises, security comes up as a top priority, right alongside keeping the network running. The AI shift is raising the stakes on both.

Every AI agent and AI-powered experience depends on the network. At the same time, attackers are using AI to find and exploit vulnerabilities faster, distributed workloads create more paths that must be protected, and quantum-era risks are changing how organizations think about long-lived data. Compromised identities and workloads can open paths for lateral movement and amplify breach impact. Networking teams are being asked to assess risk and respond at machine speed without sacrificing availability.

The network has always been part of the attack surface. What’s changed is how much it matters. It’s the one layer that connects every identity and carries every flow across users, devices, workloads, applications, IoT and OT systems, and AI agents. Because it sees connections as they happen, the network can establish and sustain trust, enforce policy close to where traffic moves, and supply the telemetry NetOps and SecOps teams need to detect and respond faster without disrupting the experience. In this blog, we will examine why the network can no longer be passive transport—and how it can become an active security and enforcement layer.

Why the network must become a defense layer

Defense in depth has always assumed multiple layers so that no single failure is fatal. For years, networking teams were often asked to contribute VLANs, access control lists (ACLs), and perhaps a network admission control (NAC) deployment. That role no longer matches the risks networking teams face today.

Infrastructure risk is outpacing traditional protection. AI-accelerated exploitation is compressing remediation windows and increasing exposure before teams can patch. The answer isn’t to abandon patch discipline; it’s to know what you operate, prioritize the exposure that matters most, and apply validated runtime protection while permanent fixes move through change control. This same infrastructure must also become cryptographically agile. Data captured today may be exposed later, so organizations need a practical, phased path to post-quantum migration without wholesale replacement. Trust and security evidence must also remain continuously visible, so teams can support compliance without reconstructing it at audit time.

AI agents, distributed workloads, and quantum risks expand exposure, while lateral movement amplifies the impact of a breach. Networking teams need to understand what’s connecting, authorize least-privilege access, and limit reach wherever traffic moves. Visibility gaps put every experience at risk. Fragmented NetOps and SecOps tools delay root cause, coordinated action, and service restoration. Teams need shared operational context, governed automation, and end-to-end assurance so they can act quickly without breaking legitimate connectivity, performance, or the user experience.

You can assemble parts of a solution from point products: an overlay here, an appliance there, another agent, another console, another policy model. The result is often backhauled traffic, blind spots between tools, and teams reconciling different identities, policies, telemetry sources, and workflows.

What matters is how these pieces work together. The network is uniquely positioned to address these challenges. It connects identities wherever they work; carries the flows attackers try to use; and reaches across campus, branch, WAN, data center, cloud, internet, software as a service (SaaS), remote, and industrial environments. That makes it the right place to keep infrastructure protected and verifiable; limit reach and enforce policy close to where traffic moves; and supply the telemetry needed to strengthen detection, response, and assurance.

One architecture. Security fused into the network.

This is where Cisco is different. The Cisco secure networking reference architecture brings together networking, security, observability, data, and AI through a unified operating model, a common data platform powered by Cisco Data Fabric, and resilient infrastructure. Common Policy context shares trusted context across the architecture so connected policy engines can make consistent decisions, while extended integrations carry policy, telemetry, threat intelligence, and governed automation across Cisco and third-party environments.

Together, these platform layers keep infrastructure protected and verifiable; protect east-west traffic and workloads; secure the human and agentic workforce; and give teams the shared context to detect, respond, and verify outcomes. In other words, the network stops being passive transport and becomes an active defense layer.

What good looks like

Before building solutions, it’s worth being precise about the outcomes. Secure networking should reduce risk, limit disruption, and keep critical services secure and available. Cisco delivers this platform approach through three connected pillars: Trust the Infrastructure, Secure Every Flow, and Assure Every Experience.

These are not separate workstreams, but one connected design system. Trust the Infrastructure encompasses resilient architecture that stays protected, continuously proves trust, and is ready for post-quantum change. Secure Every Flow is where distributed protection, trusted identity, and machine-speed detection and response come together. Assure Every Experience describes a unified operating model across network and security operations where teams can verify outcomes, accelerate governed action, and make consistent policy decisions using shared context.

What ties the pillars together is how the platform layers work. Resilient infrastructure provides the trusted and available foundation. Cisco Data Fabric powers the common data platform connecting network, security, identity, application, experience, and third-party data. Common Policy context is defined and governed, then shared across the architecture so connected policy engines can make consistent decisions. Policy is enforced at the points closest to the traffic. Extended integrations carry policy, telemetry, shared context, and governed automation across Cisco and third-party environments.

For networking teams, this isn’t about becoming the security operations center (SOC). It’s about putting the infrastructure you already operate to work as an active security and enforcement layer. Here’s how I think about each pillar and what it means for the network operator.

1. Trust the infrastructure.

Trust starts with the infrastructure itself. Attackers are moving faster, and a compromised switch or router can give them deep, persistent access that’s hard to spot. The outcome networking teams need is resilient infrastructure that stays protected, makes trust and security evidence continuously visible, and is ready for post-quantum change.

Keeping infrastructure protected means establishing trust at power-on and sustaining it through runtime. With Cisco secure networking, Splunk Exposure Analytics helps teams prioritize the exposure that matters most, while Cisco Live Protect provides validated runtime protection on supported platforms as permanent fixes move through change control.

Trust must also be easy to demonstrate. Platform integrity, software provenance, encryption, access policy, monitoring, and governed change evidence should remain visible so teams can support compliance without reconstructing everything at audit time. Finally, crypto-agile Media Access Control Security (MACsec) and Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), together with supported post-quantum capabilities, give teams a phased path to protecting long-lived data and adopting new algorithms without replacing the entire infrastructure at once.

In this model, networking teams can strengthen protection, demonstrate trust, and modernize cryptography through normal refresh and change cycles. Security becomes part of how the network operates, not another overlay to manage.

2. Secure every flow.

Most breaches don’t stop at the point of entry. They spread laterally through east-west traffic that centralized controls may never see.

The desired outcome is straightforward: make it harder for threats to move and easier for teams to reduce their impact. In addition to protecting east-west traffic and workloads by limiting reach and enforcing policy close to where traffic moves, it also means securing people and AI agents with trusted identity and least-privilege access, so each gets only the access needed.

When a threat is detected, the network should help teams respond just as quickly. Shared network and security telemetry, threat intelligence, and connected enforcement points give NetOps and SecOps teams the context to take governed, post-detection action at machine speed and scale; reduce threat impact; and accelerate recovery across campus, branch, data center, cloud, and remote environments.

3. Assure every experience.

You can’t secure what you can’t see, and you shouldn’t automate what you can’t verify. Networking teams need a shared operating view, a consistent way to act, and confidence that every action achieved its intended outcome. That means connecting operational and security context, turning insight into governed action with people in control, and making consistent policy decisions using the same trusted context.

Cisco Cloud Control brings inventory, topology, health, assurance, security, and operational context across connected Cisco domains into a unified operating experience. Cisco AI Canvas and Cisco AI Assistant help teams investigate faster and move from insight to governed action, with people in control. Splunk extends monitoring and analytics across Cisco and third-party environments, while ThousandEyes provides visibility across enterprise and third-party paths, including infrastructure you do not own.

Common Policy context is defined and governed to give connected policy engines the same trusted facts, so teams can make consistent decisions. Policy is then enforced at the points closest to the traffic. Together, these capabilities close the loop by verifying security, connectivity, performance, and the resulting digital experience.

Start where your network needs it most

The advantage of a platform approach is that you don’t have to address every challenge at once or treat each area as a separate architecture project. Start with the outcome that maps to your biggest concern: build infrastructure that stays protected, continuously proves trust, and is ready for post-quantum change; protect east-west traffic and workloads, secure the human and agentic workforce, and detect and respond at machine speed and scale to reduce threat impact and accelerate recovery; or give NetOps and SecOps teams a shared operating view, governed action, consistent policy decisions, and verified outcomes. As your priorities evolve, build on the infrastructure and tools already in place.

Wherever you begin, bring your hardest questions to the conversations that follow and put the network to work. Because the pillars share a unified operating model, a common data platform, and resilient infrastructure, progress in one area can strengthen the others.

The network is too important to remain passive. Make it one of the strongest, most adaptable layers of your defense without trading away availability, performance, or experience.

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), the leading innovator in low-power wireless connectivity, today announced the executive keynote lineup for its seventh annual Works With Summit 2026, an invitation-only gathering of customers, technology leaders and ecosystem partners.

The Technologies Shaping What’s Next

Silicon Labs President and CEO Matt Johnson will open the October 7 keynote at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, joined by Daniel Cooley, senior vice president and chief technology officer, and Manish Kothari, senior vice president of software development.

Together, they will share Silicon Labs’ perspective on the technology, AI tools and ecosystem collaboration required to scale the next generation of intelligent systems as connected devices become more capable and deeply integrated into homes, businesses and infrastructure.

During the keynote, Silicon Labs will unveil new products with new-to-industry performance and capabilities, giving attendees an early look at innovations designed to help advance the next generation of connected products.

“Works With brings together the customers, developers, partners, and innovators shaping the future of connected devices,” said Johnson. “The conversations taking place at the Summit directly contribute to helping turn new technology into industry-leading products and deployments. For leaders building the connected future, it is a must-attend event.”

The keynote will explore how advances in secure, intelligent wireless technology, edge AI and developer tools can help customers build, deploy and manage connected products more effectively. Attendees will also hear Silicon Labs’ perspective on the role of connectivity, power, security and ecosystem collaboration in supporting IoT at scale.

A Forum for the IoT Ecosystem

Works With Summit 2026 will take place October 6-7 across two distinctive downtown Austin venues: ACL Live at the Moody Theater and Silicon Labs’ lakeside headquarters. The invitation-only event will convene some of the industry’s most influential IoT innovators for executive keynotes, focused roundtable discussions, and hands-on technology showcases.

Attendees will explore the decisions shaping the next generation of connected products and deployments, including connectivity, batteries and power, security, Matter and Thread, sub-GHz technologies, Wi-SUN, Z-Wave, asset tracking and AI-enabled IoT development. A sponsor technology lab will provide opportunities to experience new solutions and demonstrations in person.

Together, the Summit will offer a setting for Silicon Labs and its ecosystem to exchange perspectives on how low-power wireless, edge intelligence, developer tools and enterprise practices can come together to support IoT at scale.

Attendance is by invitation only, and space is limited. Interested technology leaders can learn more and request an invitation at silabs.com/about-us/events/works-with-2026. Requests are reviewed by the Silicon Labs team, and submission does not guarantee attendance.

About Silicon Labs

Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is the leading innovator in low-power connectivity, building embedded technology that connects devices and improves lives. Merging cutting-edge technology into the world’s most highly integrated SoCs, Silicon Labs provides device makers with the solutions, support, and ecosystems needed to create advanced edge connectivity applications. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Silicon Labs has operations in over sixteen countries and is the trusted partner for innovative solutions in smart home, industrial IoT, and smart cities markets. Learn more at https://www.silabs.com.

SOURCE Silicon Labs

The modern smart home includes dozens of connected devices like lights, thermostats, cameras, and speakers, all working together. But who is protecting the network that connects them all? Your router plays an important and invisible role behind the scenes.