Cisco continues to demonstrate exceptional leadership in the networking and cybersecurity space, as evidenced by its recognition in several influential reports for 2024. From security solutions to SD-WAN and IoT, Cisco has earned its place as a leader across multiple domains. Here's an overview of the company's remarkable achievements in 2024.
1. The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Firewall Solutions (Q4, 2024)
In Forrester's 2024 Q4 report, Cisco was named a leader in enterprise firewall solutions. Cisco achieved the highest score across 15 criteria, including strategy creation and management, traffic encryption and decryption, IDS/IPS, DNS security, and threat intelligence. What sets Cisco apart are three key features: SnortML, EVE, and AI Assistant—which together deliver advanced, integrated protection against a wide range of threats.
2. Forrester Wave™: Microsegmentation Solutions (Q3, 2024)
Forrester also recognized Cisco as a leader in the field of microsegmentation solutions in its August 2024 report. The report highlighted Cisco's Secure Workload solution for its technological advantages over competitors. With robust features like process and asset discovery, network-based implementation, and support for microservices and public cloud-native architectures, Cisco's solutions are proven to meet the needs of diverse environments, from on-premises to the cloud.
3. Forrester: OT Security Leader
In June 2024, Cisco was named a leader in OT (Operational Technology) Security in Forrester’s report on security solutions for industrial environments. Cisco's Industrial Threat Defense solution was praised for its comprehensive approach to protecting, detecting, and mitigating threats in both IT and OT environments. Cisco views the network as the foundation for large-scale OT protection, addressing the challenges of securing legacy industrial control systems.
4. Gartner 2024 SD-WAN Magic Quadrant
In the SD-WAN category, Cisco maintained its position as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant published in September 2024. Cisco’s Catalyst SD-WAN and Meraki SD-WAN solutions stand out for their advanced integrated security, licensing software, and essential management and orchestration capabilities. Additionally, the integration of Cisco AI Assistant and Cisco XDR, with future plans for integration with Splunk, were highlighted as key innovations in the SD-WAN space.
5. Gartner 2024 UCaaS Magic Quadrant
In October 2024, Cisco earned its sixth consecutive recognition as a leader in Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) by Gartner. This recognition underscores Cisco's continued dominance in providing scalable and reliable cloud communication solutions that cater to businesses of all sizes.
6. Gartner 2024 Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure Magic Quadrant
Cisco also retained its leadership position in the Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure Magic Quadrant released in March 2024. Cisco's Catalyst and Meraki products offer a broad range of wired and wireless access products, network applications, and services. Cisco’s strength lies in its product breadth, advanced network assurance, and global coverage, providing customers with flexibility and simplicity in deploying both on-premises and cloud-based solutions.
7. Frost & Sullivan: Cisco Tops the Conference Room Video Equipment Market
Cisco was recognized by Frost & Sullivan as a leader in the Conference Room Video Equipment Market in 2024. With an impressive revenue market share of 26.2%, Cisco continues to outperform its closest competitors by more than double, solidifying its dominance in the video conferencing space.
8. Cisco Recognized as a Leader in CCaaS by IDC
In the Global CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service) market, IDC MarketScape positioned Cisco as a leader in its 2024 evaluation. Cisco’s CCaaS offerings stand out for their integration of conversational, predictive, and generative AI, multichannel support, and in-product analytics—enabling businesses to deliver enhanced customer experiences across every touchpoint.
9. Gartner 2024 Magic Quadrant for SIEM
Cisco was also named a leader in the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) space by Gartner in its 2024 report. Cisco's SIEM solutions provide critical insights and automated responses to security threats, helping organizations to detect and mitigate risks proactively.
10. IoT Breakthrough Awards 2024: Cisco’s IoT Security and Smart Manufacturing Innovations
Cisco’s commitment to innovation in the Internet of Things (IoT) was recognized at the IoT Breakthrough Awards in 2024, where it received the IoT Security Innovation of the Year and Smart Manufacturing Solution of the Year awards. This recognition highlights Cisco’s advancements in securing IoT devices and enabling smart manufacturing solutions that improve operational efficiency and safety.
Conclusion
Cisco’s leadership across various domains in 2024 is a testament to its continued innovation and commitment to providing secure, reliable, and scalable solutions. From enterprise firewalls to SD-WAN, microsegmentation, and IoT security, Cisco's products and solutions are helping organizations navigate the increasingly complex and interconnected digital landscape. As we move further into 2024, Cisco’s strong performance in these critical areas positions the company as a trusted partner in securing and optimizing networks worldwide.
