Beyond Best Effort: Networking for AI Operations

Cisco VP of Product Management for SD-WAN and SASE, Hugo Vliegen, explains how AI is changing enterprise network requirements around latency, security, sovereignty, and automation. As AI traffic becomes more distributed and operationally critical, how will providers deliver assured experiences instead of basic connectivity?

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In this Executives at the Edge episode, host Pascal Menezes explores these topics and more with Hugo Vliegen of Cisco:

Why is AI forcing enterprises to rethink “good enough” internet connectivity?
How are latency, sovereignty, and deterministic performance reshaping WAN requirements?
Why must networking and security converge to support AI workloads and agents?
How can service providers evolve from connectivity suppliers to assured experience providers?
What role will SD-WAN and segment routing play in delivering differentiated AI services?
How will AI-native operations and digital twins reshape telecom infrastructure and service delivery?

Learn More

Explore how Mplify is advancing standardized APIs and automation frameworks for AI-era networking and orchestration.
Discover how Mplify initiatives around LSO APIs, security integration, and service assurance are helping providers operationalize AI-ready networks.
Learn how Network-as-a-Service is designed for the AI-powered digital economy.

About Our Guest

Hugo Vliegen, VP Product Management & Technical Marketing, Enterprise Routing & SD-WAN, Cisco

Hugo Vliegen has global responsibility for product management and technical marketing for Enterprise Routing & SDWAN. Hugo has 25+ years of experience in marketing and technology leadership roles.

Over the years, he has worked with numerous enterprise customers, service providers, and channel partners to define business strategies and product/solution requirements for networking and security infrastructure. Hugo also brings experience from working at cloud and IoT startups, including Aryaka, Nebbiolo and Infogear (acquired by Cisco). He is the cofounder of several new product lines in the networking and security space generating $100M+ in yearly revenues. Hugo started his career in Manufacturing IT and Automation.

Hugo earned a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Twente and graduated with Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands.

Executives at the Edge podcast is brought to you by Mplify, a global alliance of network, cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise organizations working together to accelerate the AI-powered digital economy through standardization, automation, certification, and collaboration.

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