{"slug": "cisco-integrates-axis-devices-bringing-unified-management-across-it-environments", "title": "Cisco integrates Axis devices, bringing unified management across IT environments", "summary": "Cisco announced an integration with Axis Communications that brings Axis network-based video security devices into Cisco's cloud-managed physical security ecosystem, managed through the Cisco Meraki dashboard within Cisco Cloud Control. Cisco said the integration lets IT teams manage connectivity, perform remote troubleshooting and reboots of on-premises devices and network video recorders (NVRs), run equipment audits, and manage a global device fleet from a single dashboard, while physical security teams gain cloud-managed deployment, live and historic video monitoring, and AI-powered features such as motion alerts and visual analytics. The move targets the long-standing split between IT and physical security teams, which Cisco said can limit visibility, slow troubleshooting, raise operational costs, and create security gaps.", "body_md": "Digital transformation is changing how organizations operate, yet IT and physical security teams often continue to work in silos, managing separate systems, tools, and priorities. As cloud computing, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), and the Internet of Things evolve, this disconnect can limit visibility, slow troubleshooting, increase operational costs, and create security gaps. Cloud-managed solutions help bridge this divide by enabling teams to share insights, streamline management, and respond to issues more quickly, laying a foundation for a more unified approach to network and physical security.\n\nWe are excited to announce our integration with **Axis Communications**, an industry leader in network-based video security, into the Cisco cloud-managed physical security ecosystem. By joining forces, Cisco and Axis are bringing a shared vision to life, integrating network and physical security solutions to build a more unified platform for the AI era.\n\nCisco and Axis are advancing cloud-managed solutions for both network infrastructure and physical security environments, supporting operational efficiency, ease of scaling, and simplified management. Likewise, advances in intelligent network video and connected devices are making it possible to integrate physical and digital layers of security, an approach that is foundational to modern enterprise agility.\n\n# Let’s talk silos\n\nIT and physical security teams may sometimes be running in silos even though they have common strategic goals. The Cisco Meraki dashboard within [Cisco Cloud Control](https://blogs.cisco.com/ai/cisco-cloud-control-us-general-availability) powers and manages IT infrastructure, but it can actually do the same for physical security. A smart camera solution typically operates over IP and connects directly to the network. However, because teams may be operating in silos, IT may not have visibility into these details.\n\nThis lack of cross-team communication can lead to blind spots in network management and overall system awareness. Breaking these silos doesn’t just improve efficiency; it unlocks new ways to use data more intelligently. For instance, analytics from network-connected cameras can enhance not only safety, but also business operations, space utilization, and sustainability planning.\n\nWhat’s in it for IT teams?\n\n- **Single dashboard:** Manage connectivity, gain wider visibility of both network and physical spaces, protect your infrastructure from tampering, and prevent downtime.\n- **Bandwidth-conscious solution:** Minimize costs by eliminating on-premises infrastructure.\n- **Remote troubleshooting:** Save time and resources by remotely rebooting and troubleshooting existing on-premises devices and network video recorders (NVRs) through the Meraki dashboard, eliminating the need to send maintenance teams on-site.\n- **Fast, accurate audits:** Perform equipment audits across your environment without manual processing.\n- **Global fleet management:** Manage your entire equipment fleet across branches worldwide, remotely enabling scaling and deployment.\n\nThese benefits illustrate how physical security is evolving into a natural extension of the IT ecosystem, covering management, scalability, and security from end to end.\n\nWhat’s in it for physical security teams?\n\n- **Seamless cloud-managed deployment:** Migrate your existing Axis devices to a Cisco cloud-managed solution to gain the advantages of simple updates, remote viewing, and centralized management.\n- **Robust portfolio of devices:** Maximize visibility across your spaces with an expanded portfolio from Axis.\n- **Critical incident dashboard:** Take physical security to a new level with the intuitive Meraki dashboard to help monitor live and historic video along with the ability to export.\n- **AI-powered physical security:** Leverage features like motion alerts or visual analytics for fast incident resolution.\n- **Smarter maintenance:** Simplify maintenance and strengthen cybersecurity by keeping devices continuously updated with the latest protections—an increasingly critical factor as threats evolve.\n- **Stronger governance:** Strengthen cybersecurity, governance, and compliance across connected networking and physical security infrastructure—especially critical for enterprise and regulated industries.\n\n## We’re committed to bridging the gap between IT and physical security infrastructure, as we believe that close collaboration between these teams leads to a stronger security strategy.\n\nTwo license structures are available with this joint solution: Essentials tier and Advantage tier. The Advantage tier offers historical video, AI-powered video analytics, 30-day cloud storage, and more. With this partnership, customers will enjoy a broader portfolio of cloud-managed devices from Axis and experience seamless management through the Meraki dashboard. This represents a broader trend in the industry, one driven by secure collaboration that empowers enterprises to unify technologies across connected ecosystems.\n\nWith hands-free deployment of Axis devices through the Meraki dashboard, powered by Axis Cloud Connect, we are bridging Axis’ powerful network-based devices with our seamless cloud management experience to create a modern physical security solution. Axis Cloud Connect enables streamlined onboarding and management of Axis devices directly from the Meraki dashboard, while the Axis Camera Application Platform (ACAP)’s open-application ecosystem supports deeper integrations and advanced capabilities directly at the edge.\n\nThrough our close collaboration with Axis, combined with cloud intelligence from Cisco managed switches, we can deliver capabilities such as one-click onboarding, automatic device discovery across networks, and real-time intelligence. This connects edge innovation with intuitive cloud management, helping IT and security teams simplify deployment, maximize device capabilities, and modernize physical security operations.\n\n## Cisco + Axis Communications = unifying silos\n\nIn short: customers will be able to purchase licenses and claim supported Axis devices into the Meraki dashboard. IT teams can leverage the dashboard to ensure connectivity, configure settings, and manage alongside other networking solutions like Cisco access points and switching. Physical security teams will be able to leverage the Vision portal, our dedicated incident management dashboard, to view live and historical video and export footage. The result is a truly converged environment where data, devices, and teams work together, helping organizations operate more safely, efficiently, and intelligently.\n\n###### Figure 1. A video wall with security event feeds in the Cisco Meraki Vision portal dashboard\n\n## The tech specs behind the partnership\n\n### Easy setup\n\nTo begin, customers enable the Axis integration from their Meraki dashboard integrations page. This initiates a setup flow to establish a secure OAuth 2.0 integration between the Cisco cloud-managed network and Axis Cloud Connect. This cloud-to-cloud integration is simple to set up and critical for the joint solution to issue commands and provide updates.\n\n### Onboard the device in minutes\n\nOnce this cloud integration is enabled, customers can register Axis devices for cloud management in the Meraki dashboard. This registration provides Axis devices with a default configuration, which can be customized from the dashboard prior to deploying. Once ready, installers press the one-click button on the device or remotely configure from the interface. This fetches all configurations and updates required for cloud management with a focus on security via the dashboard.\n\n### Encrypted for security posture\n\nCisco creates video streaming certificates with a public chain of trust and provisions them within the joint solution. This enables secure, encrypted video streaming to all Cisco user platforms (browser, mobile, Apple tvOS app). Cisco leverages trusted device certificates from Axis to encrypt footage and other sensitive data at rest on the device. Axis Edge Vault safeguards the integrity of Axis devices by maintaining a cryptographically validated chain of trust. Signed operating system (OS) and secure boot ensure that only authorized software is allowed to run, preventing tampering within the physical supply chain. Additionally, support for signed video enables verification of video integrity.\n\n###### Figure 2. A table of connected devices in the Cisco Cloud Control dashboard\n\n## Convergence and an open ecosystem\n\n“As physical and cybersecurity continue to converge, openness and collaboration are critical,” said Fredrik Nilsson, Vice President, Americas, Axis Communications. “This integration reflects how industry leaders can come together to simplify IT and security management without compromising on quality or trust.”\n\nToday, it’s about modernizing your physical security to align with your existing network. Our intelligent physical security portfolio leverages the network as the backbone of one unified, cloud-managed ecosystem. Tomorrow, that same foundation could enable deeper insights through AI, advanced analytics, and hybrid cloud models, turning security data into actionable intelligence that strengthens both safety and business performance.\n\nThe convergence of IT and physical security isn’t just about security; it’s about empowering innovation, resilience, and intelligence across the enterprise.\n\n  Ready to get started? [Book a consultation](https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/products/security/physical-security/meraki-cameras/axis-devices/schedule-technical-consultation.html) with a dedicated security specialist.  \n\n### Get More from Cisco Networking\n\nCustomer stories, technical demos and more await!\n\n[Check out our Networking video channel](https://video.cisco.com/category/videos/networking)\n\n### Multidomain Architecture\n\nLearn how to integrate your networking domains and get more out of an enterprise-wide, intent-based network.\n\n[Discover multidomain integration](https://www.cisco.com/go/multidomain)", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/cisco-integrates-axis-devices-bringing-unified-management-across-it-environments", "canonical_source": "https://blogs.cisco.com/networking/cisco-integrates-axis-devices-bringing-unified-management-across-it-environments", "published_at": "2026-09-16 15:00:57+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-16 15:14:53.115872+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-products", "ai-tools", "computer-vision", "ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["Cisco", "Axis Communications", "Cisco Meraki", "Cisco Cloud Control"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/cisco-integrates-axis-devices-bringing-unified-management-across-it-environments", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/cisco-integrates-axis-devices-bringing-unified-management-across-it-environments.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/cisco-integrates-axis-devices-bringing-unified-management-across-it-environments.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/cisco-integrates-axis-devices-bringing-unified-management-across-it-environments.jsonld"}}