Cisco’s Jeetu Patel: AI agent era hinges on context, cost, control

At WebexOne, Cisco’s executive vice president and general manager of security and collaboration, Jeetu Patel, declared that the emerging era of AI agents will be decided by three factors: context, cost and control. The annual event has historically focused on collaboration, and this year’s emphasis on AI suggests a potential pivot toward workplace automation.

Patel’s framing reflects a broader trend among enterprise incumbents, who may be embedding AI agents into existing workflows rather than building standalone agent platforms. Earlier coverage of Cisco’s approach suggests agents could be integrated into Webex to participate in team conversations or extend customer-service interactions, though the specifics remain unclear. This contrasts with ServiceNow’s pitch as an “AI agent control tower,” which emphasizes governance and response protocols for agent behavior.

The focus on control aligns with ongoing discussions about AI agent security and identity management. SailPoint’s upcoming Navigate event, for example, will explore how enterprises might govern access when agents—not employees—are the primary users. Similarly, concerns have surfaced around OpenAI’s agents, including questions about content scraping and regulatory risks, though details are still developing.

For Cisco, the strategy may be aimed at leveraging its enterprise relationships to drive AI agent adoption, positioning cost efficiency and integration as key advantages. Whether this approach will succeed may depend on how effectively newer vendors can deliver agents with greater context and adaptability.

Sources: siliconangle.com