What the history of the network can teach us about the future

40 years ago, Cisco started with a simple idea to link two disparate networks to connect and share information. Since our founding in 1984, we have securely powered connectivity and driven digital transformation for organizations around the globe. As we look to the future, the promise of AI brings endless opportunity for us to continue to solve the world’s most complex problems with our incredible customers and partners.??

Our 40th anniversary gives us the opportunity to celebrate the partnerships we've forged, the innovations we've pioneered, and the lives we've touched. It also gives us an opportunity to honor the many innovators who made networking what it is today.?

Four decades ago, computers barely communicated. Today, the network connects nearly everything. We rely on it every day without noticing how deeply it has shaped – and continues to shape – our world.??

Its first forty years built the foundation, forging a universal language of connection that linked once-isolated machines into our global digital nervous system.??

From the start, the network showed a pattern: it didn’t just connect machines; it unified technologies and standards, setting the stage for the digital transformations ahead.?

By the ’90s, the internet entered our homes, early wireless standards (like IEEE 802.11 in 1997) freed us from cables, and Voice over IP (VoIP) began shifting phone calls online. The network was no longer just infrastructure—it was evolving into a unified platform that absorbed telephony, video, data, and wireless connectivity. Importantly, it was the bridge between old technology and the new.?

In the mid-2000s, the network enabled an age of constant connectivity. As more people joined online platforms, the network absorbed security, power (with innovations like Power over Ethernet), and the ability to deliver stable, always-on connectivity. Yet as society went digital, cybersecurity challenges grew, and the network had to adapt, integrating firewalls and advanced threat protections.??

By the 2010s, billions of devices were generating massive amounts of data. The network evolved again, not just transmitting information, but analysing and reacting to it in real-time. IoT devices – wearables, smart home thermostats, factory sensors – all relied on the network to function intelligently and instantly.?

Today, high-speed connections and chips like Cisco’s SiliconOne G200, support complex AI workloads, and fuel everything from autonomous vehicles to telemedicine. GenAI tools appeared almost overnight, rewiring how we work, live, and play. And as AI soared, so did the complexity of securing our networks. Cisco responded with AI-native security solutions like Cisco Hypershield to protect data, devices, and applications across every environment.??

A new frontier with new challenges?

Throughout the past 40 years, its First Act so to say, the network absorbed voice, video, wireless, big data, IoT, and AI, evolving from a simple connector of computers into a dynamic, intelligent system that underpins our digital world. Each era built on the last, culminating in today’s hyperconnected, data-driven landscape. The Second Act is a whole new frontier.?

How will the network adapt without discarding what has come before? How can we keep extending security into every layer of digital life? And how do we help customers build modern, resilient infrastructure, protect against the threats of today and tomorrow, and harness the power of AI while maximizing business value of their technology investments? At Cisco, we are building the networks of the future that can answer these questions and more.?