Cisco Turns Collaboration Devices Into AI-Powered Infrastructure

Collaboration devices are nothing new. Historically, they’ve been meeting accessories that mostly sit idle on users’ desks or in meeting rooms. Cisco is aiming to change that with the unveiling of several new endpoints.

Last week at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show, the company rolled out a new generation of collaboration hardware that infuses AI directly into physical workspaces, from boardrooms and desks to hospitals and warehouses.

The lineup includes the Room Kit Pro G2, Desk Pro G2, and Wireless Phone 9821. It’s important to understand that these aren’t your parents’ cameras and phones. Rather, they should now be considered critical infrastructure on par with Wi-Fi access points and network switches. Cisco has loaded these devices up with advanced capabilities such as ThousandEyes agents, environmental sensors, Nvidia GPUs, and more.

However, large, high-impact spaces…