Techaisle Blog

The global conversation around Artificial Intelligence is often dominated by the sheer horsepower of GPUs and the expansive promise of public cloud. While the market remains captivated by the meteoric rise of companies selling AI infrastructure, a quieter, more intricate strategy is unfolding - one that intertwines silicon, hardware, software, and a collaborative go-to-market (GTM) engine to tackle the foundational bottleneck in AI adoption: enterprise-grade infrastructure.

It is clear to me that IBM is architecting a sophisticated partnership playbook that moves far beyond traditional alliances. This is not just about co-marketing or creating reference architectures. On the contrary, it is a deeply integrated, three-way GTM model designed to deliver holistic AI solutions. This strategy uniquely positions IBM to address complex customer needs in a way that pure-play cloud providers or hardware-only vendors cannot. It is a story that has been flying under the radar, but one that the entire technology ecosystem needs to understand.

Beyond Reference Architectures: The 360-Degree Partnership Philosophy

At the heart of IBM's approach is the recognition that its strategic imperatives of AI and hybrid cloud are impossible to achieve without a robust ecosystem of partners. This strategy begins with a core group of strategic technology partners, with collaborations centered on technology leaders like  AMD, Broadcom, Dell Technologies, Intel, Lenovo, NetApp, and NVIDIA. The logic is simple yet profound: every AI solution is ultimately deployed on a server, powered by GPUs, and dependent on high-performance infrastructure to function at scale.

To capitalize on this, IBM is pursuing what can be described as a 360-degree partnership model that encompasses four key pillars:

1. Selling To: Ensuring partners are confident in IBM technology by using it themselves.
2. Selling Through: Enabling partners to integrate IBM technology into the solutions they take to market.
3. Selling With: Establishing joint account planning and a co-selling motion where sales teams from both companies approach clients in unison.
4. Building Together: Moving beyond basic reference architectures to co-create complete, market-ready solutions and blueprints.

The power of this framework lies in its transition from theoretical blueprints to tangible, integrated solutions. A historical parallel can be drawn to IBM's partnership with VMware, which transformed a nascent licensing deal into a multi-billion-dollar business by building a complete solution on the IBM public cloud. This history provides the blueprint for the deeper, more complex alliances being forged today.

The Game-Changer: A Three-Way GTM Model in Action

RSA Conference continues to be the epicenter for cybersecurity innovation, and this year, Cisco made significant waves with a series of announcements that underscore its commitment to delivering an integrated security platform. Moving beyond disparate point solutions, Cisco’s vision focuses on empowering customers with better security outcomes, reduced operational complexities, and optimized costs. This blog post dives into the key announcements from Cisco at RSAC, highlighting their advantages and what sets Cisco apart in an increasingly crowded security landscape.

The Core Vision: An Integrated Security Platform

At the heart of Cisco's announcements lies a fundamental belief that the cybersecurity industry is undergoing rapid transformation, particularly with the rise of AI-based workloads. Recognizing the novel security challenges these advancements introduce, Cisco has been strategically focusing on converging individual security solutions and infrastructure domains into a cohesive platform. As Tom Gillis, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Infrastructure & Security, eloquently stated, the goal is to enable customers to achieve superior security with lower operating and capital expenses. This platform approach is not just about bundling products; it's about deep integration that allows for enhanced visibility, coordinated enforcement, and streamlined management.

Securing the AI Revolution: AI Defense and Beyond

One of the most pertinent announcements revolves around security for AI. Cisco has now made its capabilities for securing both the development and usage of AI applications generally available. This isn't merely about monitoring AI; it involves fine-grained controls for validating AI models and securing the use of 3^rd party SaaS applications like ChatGPT and DeepSeek. For organizations developing their own AI-powered applications, Cisco offers the ability to enforce crucial guardrails.

The significant advantage is that this robust AI security is enforced on existing Cisco infrastructure, eliminating the need to deploy new, standalone solutions. The telemetry gathered from AI security measures seamlessly feeds into Splunk and provides enhanced visibility within Cisco XDR. This integration ensures a holistic view of the security posture, encompassing traditional threats and emerging AI-related risks.

Furthermore, Cisco acknowledges that securing AI requires an ecosystem approach. This is evidenced by its brand-new product and go-to-market partnership with ServiceNow. This collaboration aims to hydrate ServiceNow's AI risk and governance portfolio with Cisco's security intelligence, providing joint customers with comprehensive value as they increasingly adopt AI. This partnership spans visibility into application usage and model vulnerabilities to real-time protection and incident triage. By working closely with leaders in adjacent domains, Cisco is differentiating itself by offering a more comprehensive and integrated solution for managing AI risks.

The Distributed Future of Security: Hybrid Mesh Firewall

Cisco is betting big on a future where security enforcement is distributed, moving beyond the limitations of traditional perimeter-based firewalls. Its hybrid mesh firewall initiative embodies this vision, fusing security into the very fabric of network connectivity. This approach extends across physical and virtual firewalls and modern workload environments like VMs and containers, leveraging technologies such as Secure Workload, Isovalent Enterprise Platform for Cilium (with eBPF), and Hypershield. The key advantage here is the fungibility of enforcement – customers can apply consistent security policies across diverse environments without the need for a disruptive "rip and replace". Licensing is designed to be flexible, with customers using a pool of tokens that can be applied to different enforcement points as their needs evolve.

A groundbreaking component of this strategy is the introduction of new smart switches where every switch port functions as a layer 4 stateful line-rate firewall. This radical integration simplifies network architecture, reduces operational overhead, and addresses challenges like space and cooling. This is a unique offering in the market, showcasing Cisco's ability to deeply embed security within its core networking infrastructure.

Recognizing that customers often have heterogeneous environments, Cisco's hybrid mesh firewall will also support the security policy management of third-party firewalls. While initially focusing on layer three and layer four policy groups for segmentation, this capability allows for centralized policy management through Security Cloud Control. Support includes major vendors like Fortinet, Palo Alto, Juniper, and Checkpoint. This demonstrates Cisco’s commitment to providing value even in multi-vendor environments, moving towards a unified security posture management.

I recently attended HP’s Amplify 2025 event in Nashville, TN. HP's Amplify 2025 announcements focused on pushing the boundaries with AI-integrated solutions across their PC, print, and collaboration portfolios. The goal? To boost user productivity and create more fulfilling work experiences. HP rolled out new AI-powered PCs with features tailored to different types of users and advancements in AI-driven printing that simplify and secure workflows. The primary focus was on the "future of work," aiming for seamless connectivity, intelligent devices, and smart data utilization with the HP Workforce Experience Platform to proactively address IT issues and enhance employee satisfaction. HP is also doubling down on partner growth with new compensation structures and expanded AI programs, all while emphasizing sustainability and security as key differentiators. HP is keen on engaging with growth markets and strengthening channel relationships, while also pursuing strategic collaborations to drive demand and educate customers on the benefits of AI technology. Research from HP Wolf Security highlights the constantly evolving landscape of cyber threats, underscoring the need for robust security measures integrated into their devices.

One HP: A Unified Approach

Building upon these advancements in AI-driven solutions and security, HP unveiled its One HP vision and strategy at the event, emphasizing a unified approach to better serve customers and partners. This initiative aims to create a seamless and comprehensive experience across HP's portfolio. One HP is a unifying principle that combines HP's various divisions, including PC, Print, Poly, Collaboration, and Services, focusing on putting customers and partners at the center. This approach aims to provide businesses with a comprehensive HP experience, an ecosystem of seamlessly integrated devices, software, and solutions designed to solve customer problems. Partners can offer a competitive advantage by selling One HP, moving beyond individual devices to provide a holistic solution. This initiative is driven by the goal of shaping the future of work by creating products, services, and solutions that enhance company productivity and improve employee well-being and fulfillment. Ultimately, One HP intends to streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and deliver greater value and better outcomes for businesses.

The Transformative Shift: AI Integration Across the Portfolio

The pace of technological evolution is relentless, and in today's dynamic business landscape, staying ahead requires not just incremental improvements, but transformative shifts. The recent HP Amplify 2025 event served as a powerful testament to HP's commitment to driving this transformation, unveiling a sweeping array of innovations and strategies designed to reshape the future of work. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), midmarket firms, and the vital ecosystem of channel partners, the announcements emanating from Amplify are not merely product updates; they represent a pivotal moment, offering pathways to enhanced productivity, new growth opportunities, and a stronger competitive edge.

In the digital age, where data is the new gold, the midmarket is facing a silent, yet devastating crisis: a glaring lack of cyberattack readiness. A recent study by Techaisle, titled "SMB & Midmarket Security Adoption Trends," paints a grim picture, revealing that many mid-sized businesses are woefully unprepared for the inevitable onslaught of cyber threats. The numbers do not lie, and they are screaming for attention.

The $11 Million Wake-Up Call

The average financial loss from security incidents in the midmarket sector is $11 million. This substantial amount can significantly impact a company's financial stability, undermine customer trust, and potentially lead to bankruptcy. This statistic alone underscores the urgent need for midmarket CEOs and IT managers to prioritize cybersecurity.

Moreover, it is concerning that 34% of midmarket firms lack a security protocol for responding to security incidents. This unpreparedness is akin to a fire department without an escape plan. When a cyberattack occurs, these companies are often left without a clear response strategy, resulting in increased confusion and substantially higher losses.

The Shadow Pandemic of Undetected Attacks

The study also reveals that 57% of midmarket firms have experienced a security incident, and most attacks go undetected. This is a shadow pandemic, where breaches occur silently, festering within systems for months, even years, before they are discovered. The longer an attacker has access, the more damage they can inflict, stealing sensitive data, disrupting operations, and demanding hefty ransoms.

Confidence Crisis and Risk Blindness

A significant concern is the lack of confidence among midmarket leaders. 36% of these firms acknowledge their uncertainty in recovering from a security incident primarily due to inadequate preparedness. Without comprehensive incident response plans, strong security infrastructure, and skilled personnel, recovery efforts can become highly challenging, often resulting in prolonged downtime and irreparable damage.

Additionally, 35% of midmarket firms do not have established risk frameworks. This deficiency in proactive risk assessment and management increases their susceptibility to various threats, including ransomware, phishing, data breaches, and insider attacks. Consequently, these firms face substantial vulnerabilities regarding their data security.

The Security Awareness Black Hole

A significant issue is the lack of security awareness training; 72% of midmarket firms do not provide it. This means employees, the weakest link in security, are vulnerable to phishing, malicious links, and weak passwords. Without training, they can inadvertently aid cyberattacks.

Cloud Security: A False Sense of Security

Cloud has brought immense benefits, but it has also created a false sense of security. 60% of midmarket firms feel that native cloud security is not sufficient. While cloud providers offer basic security features, they are not a silver bullet. Businesses must implement robust security measures, including data encryption, access controls, and threat monitoring, to protect their cloud assets.

Underprepared and Overwhelmed

The study ultimately underscores a widespread sense of inadequacy among midmarket firms. Nearly half, 49%, perceive themselves as less prepared than their counterparts. This perception of being outmatched and overwhelmed can result in complacency and inaction, thereby increasing their susceptibility.

The Path to Resilience: A Call to Action

The Techaisle study underscores the cybersecurity vulnerabilities facing midmarket companies. However, proactive measures can build robust defenses.