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2026 Forrester Wave™ industry report

Cisco named a Leader in the 2026 Forrester Wave™ Data Center Network Solutions

Cisco is proud to be named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Data Center Network Solutions, Q3 2026. We believe this recognition validates our strategic evolution to a unified platform. 

Cisco Cloud Control, our AgenticOps platform, manages infrastructure across the Cisco portfolio. The Cisco Nexus One architecture integrates with Cisco Cloud Control, bringing data center networking into a single, unified, Cisco-wide management plane. 

For this evaluation, Forrester assessed our Cisco Nexus Series switches and Cisco Nexus Dashboard. 

Key highlights:

  • Highest score in the strategy category: Top-ranked among all evaluated vendors.
  • 5/5 scores, which Forrester defines as "Superior": Achieved a 5.00 score across 11 criteria within the offering category.
  • Cohesive vision: Recognized for unifying networking, security, and observability.
  • Strategic choice: Best suited for large, risk-averse enterprises that prioritize integrated security and end-to-end operational consistency across hybrid environments.

"[Cisco's] vision and roadmap stand out, presenting a cohesive approach that unifies networking, security, and observability under centralized policy and control." —The Forrester Wave™: Data Center Network Solutions, Q3 2026

The foundation for the agentic era

Today's data centers must balance traditional applications with mission-critical AI workloads. Stitched-together architectures simply cannot survive this shift.  

Whether you are scaling GPU clusters or modernizing traditional data center environments, our full-stack Cisco Nexus One delivers the performance you need to stay ahead. 

Forrester disclaimer: Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. This report is part of a broader collection of Forrester resources, including interactive models, frameworks, tools, data, and access to analyst guidance. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity here.

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The Forrester Wave™️: Data Center Network Solutions report

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