Cisco Scores Big with Notre Dame Deal: Over 1,000 Switches and AI-Ready Campus
Cisco Systems has announced a multiyear deal to upgrade Notre Dame's campus network. The company is selling an operating stack around its campus-network hardware, which includes nearly 1,000 Catalyst 9300X switches across the South Bend campus. Cisco says Catalyst Center will manage configuration, ThousandEyes will help monitor network performance, and its Professional Services team will provide support throughout the partnership.
The package around the switches includes software, monitoring, and services that can keep Cisco involved after installation. This appeal to investors is a key factor in the company's stock price, which slipped about 0.3% to $106.12 on Wednesday morning. The university is preparing its network for more connected devices and heavier demands from research and AI applications.
The contract's financial value has not been disclosed, but Cisco has revealed that it expects to contribute to the company's profits. With this deal, investors are reminded that expectations are already high, as the shares are 42.08% above their $74.69 GF Value estimate.