Cisco Launches Sovereign Critical Infrastructure in Canada - Government and Organizations Gain More Choice and Control

Cisco Launches Sovereign Critical Infrastructure in Canada - Government and Organizations Gain More Choice and Control

• Cisco's Sovereign Critical Infrastructure is configurable for on-premises and air-gapped deployment, where required, giving Canadian organizations what they need to build and operate their own sovereign infrastructure.
• Government, financial institutions, healthcare, and other critical infrastructure providers gain more choice in how they achieve control, sovereignty, and compliance.
• Cisco is working with partners across the country to help organizations plan, deploy, and manage their sovereign architecture.

TORONTO, Aug. 25, 2026 /CNW/ -- Cisco today launched its Sovereign Critical Infrastructure portfolio in Canada, giving government, financial institutions, healthcare and other critical infrastructure providers greater control and choice over how they run their technology.

Canadian customers now have access to a fully configurable portfolio which they can operate in their own air-gapped and 'on-prem' physical environments, meaning systems that sit in facilities they own and run with no connection to the outside internet. It spans Cisco's core product lines, from routing, switching, and wireless, to collaboration, and select endpoint devices, enhanced by Cisco and Splunk security and observability solutions.

For governments, this helps ensure mission-critical systems keep running under their own control, without depending on constant connection to the cloud. Financial institutions, healthcare organizations, and other critical infrastructure providers can keep their systems running the same way, even when connectivity or outside vendors aren't available.

As Canada accelerates its AI for All strategy, organizations are facing critical decisions about where and how their most sensitive systems and data are managed. Cisco's Sovereign Critical Infrastructure portfolio provides a new path forward, giving organizations with greater control, security, and trust while enabling them to deploy AI and digital technologies on their own terms.

"Every organization has different needs when it comes to control and choice over their infrastructure," said Raj Juneja, President, Cisco Canada. "Sovereign Critical Infrastructure gives Canadian organizations a new way to meet those needs, building on Cisco Canada's three decades of work helping these very organizations solve their most complex technology challenges."

Introducing Cisco Sovereign Critical Infrastructure for Canada

• Comprehensive portfolio: Cisco's major product families across networking, security, compute, collaboration, and Splunk, configured for on-premises, air-gapped use.
• Air-gapped, trust-based licensing: The Cisco Sovereign Critical Infrastructure portfolio is configured to function in an air-gapped environment. Control over access to systems and data, and autonomy over digital infrastructure. Cisco can't run, access, control or remotely disable the products – that sits entirely with customers. This puts control in the hands of customers.
• Certifications: The majority of our on-premises portfolio is IPv6-ready, FIPS 140-2/3 certified and Common Criteria certified, all global benchmarks for rigorous security. Cisco Sovereign Critical Infrastructure is designed to align with Canadian specific frameworks like ITSG-33, providing the foundational security controls necessary to achieve Authority to Operate (ATO) for mission-critical services.  

"Sovereign infrastructure is becoming increasingly important as Canadian organizations look to adopt AI securely and at scale. Customers need more choice and control over where critical systems and data are hosted, secured and managed. Cisco's Sovereign Critical Infrastructure portfolio is a meaningful addition to Canada's digital infrastructure ecosystem and reflects the kind of practical capability our shared customers need to help move AI from ambition to trusted adoption." John Watson, Group President, Business Markets, Bell Cyber, AI Fabric and Ateko at Bell

"Digital sovereignty has become a board-level priority for Canadian organizations, and IDC's research shows more than half are increasing how closely they scrutinize the providers behind their most critical systems. The harder problem is execution, because intent is running well ahead of deployment, and leaders in banking, healthcare, and government need infrastructure they can operate and control directly without slowing their AI plans. Solutions delivered through Canadian partners with in-country skills who understand the local regulatory and operational context give these organizations a credible path to close that gap on their own terms." Tony Olvet, Group VP, C-Suite and Buyer Insights Research, IDC

Sovereign Critical Infrastructure is available to order in Canada now through Cisco and its partners.

Investing locally in Canada

For three decades, Cisco has invested in Canada's technology infrastructure and talent—a commitment that now directly shapes its approach to sovereign infrastructure. Cisco Canada invests millions annually in research and development, with six R&D sites and approximately 1,300 engineers driving innovation in security, collaboration, and networking, accounting for approximately five percent of Cisco's global patent filings each year. Cisco Canada's Digital Impact Office supports innovation, investment and digital skills in Canada through Cisco's Country Digital Acceleration Program and the over 450,000 students since inception that have been served through Cisco's Canadian Networking Academies. The Cisco Toronto Innovation Centre, supports hands-on collaboration with Canadian innovators, including through the recently opened AI-Powered Security Operations Centre (SOC) showcase.

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world. With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen digital resilience. With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.

SOURCE Cisco