It’s almost October, which is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! In this special Cybersecurity Awareness Month🔒 episode of Meraki Unboxed, security experts discuss the evolution of cybersecurity, current trends, and key integration technologies. Tune in to learn about the importance of strong cybersecurity measures, the role of AI in threat mitigation, and best practices for lifecycle management.

Host

Tanner Yehlik, Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Meraki

Guests

Chris Pacheco, Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Meraki 

Chris Weber, Product Manager, Cisco Meraki

Check out the Meraki Security Hub to learn more about MX security and the power behind the platform: https://meraki.cisco.com/security-hub/

Want to hear more about cybersecurity? Tune into the Beers with Talos podcast, with new episodes every other Thursday. https://talosintelligence.com/podcasts/shows/beers_with_talos

In celebration of International Podcast Day on September 29, we’re excited to share a roundup of our top three recently published favorite episodes from the Meraki Unboxed Podcast. These episodes highlight some of the most engaging and insightful discussions we’ve had lately. We invite you to give them a listen and share your favorite Meraki Unboxed podcast episodes in the comments below! 

124: Simplify 5G Fixed Wireless Access and Scale Secure Connectivity to More Places - https://community.meraki.com/t5/Meraki-Unboxed-Podcast/Episode-124-Simplify-5G-Fixed-Wireless-Access...  

Tune in to this Meraki Unboxed podcast and explore the power of the new Meraki MG52 and MG52E cellular gateways.  

Learn how these devices, managed through the Cisco Networking Cloud, are revolutionizing branch connectivity for businesses. Deliver always-on, 5G-connected experiences, connecting more people and places without compromising scale and performance. 

120: The New World of Networking with Brink Sanders and Jen Kirkpatrick - https://community.meraki.com/t5/Meraki-Unboxed-Podcast/Episode-120-The-New-World-of-Networking-With-... 

In this episode, we sit down with Brink Sanders, Vice President of Global Networking Experience Sales at Cisco and Jen Kirkpatrick, Vice President of Global Sales at Cisco Meraki, to dive into the world of networking.  

Listen in as we learn all about Cisco Networking Experiences (NX). We discuss what NX is, how it merges the power of Cisco and Cisco Meraki, and our strategy to implement significant networking transformation. 

119: Revolutionizing the Retail Experience with Marketplace Partner Cloud4Wi - https://community.meraki.com/t5/Meraki-Unboxed-Podcast/Episode-119-Revolutionizing-the-Retail-Experi... 

In this episode, we’re joined by Ivan Muccini, Vice President of Product at Cloud4Wi, a Meraki Marketplace ecosystem partner.  

Tune in as we delve into Cloud4Wi’s impact on the retail industry, the transformative power of data, and exciting developments on the horizon. 

It’s back-to-school season. In this Meraki Unboxed podcast episode, we chat with Christopher Kozlov, Director of Information Technology at Lake Forest Academy. Tune in to hear how Cisco Meraki technology is transforming the technology on this college prep campus. 

Host

Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki 

Guest

Christopher Kozlov, Director of Information Technology, Lake Forest Academy 

Try the Meraki dashboard now: 

https://meraki.cisco.com/form/instant-demo/ 

In this episode of Meraki Unboxed, we explore the role of Cisco Enterprise Agreements in driving growth. We also delve into the evolution and expansion of Cisco Secure Connect and our guest shares valuable leadership strategies, customer feedback, and future plans for success. 

Host

Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki 

Guest

Cliff Petersen, Sales Director, Software Acceleration and Secure Connect, Cisco Meraki 

Learn more about Cisco Enterprise Agreement and Cisco Secure Connect: 

• https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/buy/enterprise-agreement/index.html 

• https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/plus-as-a-service/secure-connect.html 

Tune in to this Meraki Unboxed podcast and explore the power of the new Meraki MG52 and MG52E cellular gateways.

Learn how these devices, managed through the Cisco Networking Cloud, are revolutionizing branch connectivity for businesses. Experience always-on, 5G-connected experiences, connecting more people and places without compromising scale and performance. 

Host

Tanner Yehlik, Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Meraki 

Guests

Pratik Desai, Product Marketing Manager, Cisco 

Unni Ambat Rajagopalan, Technical Marketing Engineering, Cisco Meraki 

See how businesses can scale faster and deliver richer customer experiences: https://meraki.cisco.com/products/wireless-wan/ 

Step into the fast-paced world of Esports with this Meraki Unboxed episode.

Hear from a Cisco Esports authority and a Meraki employee, alongside her Esports scholarship-winning son. Tune in to discover how the Meraki platform elevates gaming with revolutionary analytics and infrastructure—and see how the explosion of collegiate Esports is changing the industry.  

Host

Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki 

Guests

Neal Tilley, Sales Business Development Manager, Cisco 

Melisa Alvarez-Gaytan, Virtual Sales Specialist, Cisco Meraki 

Learn more, visit https://meraki.cisco.com/

In this episode, we welcome Aleta Howell, Global Director, DEI Business & Recruiting Strategy at Cisco. Join us as we delve into Cisco’s collaboration with OneTen, a company that is disrupting traditional hiring practices to unlock career opportunities for diverse talent across the U.S. 

Discover Cisco’s success with the program, strategies for inclusive hiring and integration, and ways to engage with the mission.  Learn more about the OneTen program: https://oneten.org/ 

Host

Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki 

Guest

Aleta Howell, Global Director, DEI Business & Recruiting Strategy, Cisco

In this episode, we’re discussing the new Cisco Catalyst 9300-M Series switches. We’re joined by Kevin Regan, Director of Product Management, Cloud Networking and Security, at Cisco Meraki.

Join us and discover how new Catalyst features are empowering secure, sustainable, and high-performance connectivity.  

Learn more about how Cisco Catalyst 9300-M switches deliver a flexible and secure end-to-end network at scale while managing it with ease and confidence:

• Read our latest blog about Cisco Catalyst 9300-M switches here 
• Get the Cisco Catalyst 9300-M datasheet here  

Host

Tanner Yehlik, Technical Marketing Engineer, Meraki Product Management, Cisco 

Guest

Kevin Regan, Director of Product Management, Cloud Networking and Security, Cisco Meraki

In this episode, we sit down with Brink Sanders, Vice President of Global Networking Experience Sales at Cisco and Jen Kirkpatrick, Vice President of Global Sales at Cisco Meraki, to dive into the world of networking.  

Listen in as we learn all about Cisco Networking Experiences (NX). We discuss what NX is, how it merges the power of Cisco and Cisco Meraki, and our strategy to implement significant networking transformation.

Host

Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki 

Guests

Jen Kirkpatrick, Vice President, Global Sales, Cisco Meraki 

Brink Sanders, Vice President, Global Networking Experience Sales, Cisco

Learn more about our Networking Experiences platform, product and services, capabilities:
Networking resources page
Cisco Networking Insider webinars

On this episode, we’re joined by Ivan Muccini, Vice President of Product at Cloud4Wi, a Meraki Marketplace ecosystem partner.

Tune in as we delve into Cloud4wi’s impact on the retail industry, the transformative power of data, and exciting developments on the horizon.

Request a demo today

Host

Tanner Yehlik, Technical Marketing Engineer, Meraki Product Management, Cisco 

Guest

Ivan Muccini, Vice President of Product, Cloud4Wi

Want to advance your IT career? Look no further than the Meraki Learning Hub, where you can access courses and certifications to help you get the most out of your Meraki products and services while boosting your IT cred. Take a listen and hear from Philip Coburn, Senior Technical Trainer at Cisco Meraki, as he takes us through recent exciting updates to the Meraki Learning Hub.

Host

Tanner Yehlik—Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Meraki  

Guest

Philip Coburn—Senior Technical Trainer, Cisco Meraki

Learn More

cs.co/learn

learning.meraki.net

In this episode, we dive into the exciting world of automation with the new Ansible collection for the Meraki dashboard API. Developed in collaboration with open source leader Red Hat, this automation platform opens up a world of possibilities for network admins and those interested in automation.

We are joined by experts from Red Hat and Cisco Meraki to discuss the benefits of Ansible, the partnership between the two companies, and the use cases and future plans for this powerful tool. Tune in to learn more about this game-changing collaboration and the future of automation in the Meraki ecosystem.

Host

Tanner Yehlik—Technical Marketing Engineer, Cisco Meraki  

Guests

Dafné Mendoza—Principal Product Manager, Network Automation, Red Hat

Oren Brigg—Product Manager, Developer Platform and Ecosystem, Cisco Meraki

Learn more

DevNet Learning Lab - Using Ansible with Cisco Meraki

Meraki Marketplace - Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform

November is Veterans month. To celebrate, we’re talking with Anna Chow, Senior Technical Recruiter here at Cisco Meraki and leader of the Meraki Veterans employee resource organization (ERO). Anna spent 12 years in the Navy as a recruiter and human resources specialist before coming to Meraki. In addition to her day job, Anna loves to find opportunities to volunteer in her local community.

Listen in to learn more about Anna and hear about her career journey at Meraki.

Host: Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki 

Guest: Anna Chow, Senior Technical Recruiter, Cisco Meraki

Curious about the Meraki experience? Explore working at Meraki by visiting our careers page. Dive deeper into our employee stories on the Meraki Medium Blog.

In this episode, we talk with Bernie Mehl, CEO of Meraki Marketplace partner Kisi, a cloud-based access control company. An expert in managing space growth using innovative and scalable technologies, Bernie has helped hundreds of organizations understand the operational, financial, and cultural impact that security and technology can have within facilities and IT management departments. 
 

Request a demo today. 
 

Host    

Tanner Yehlik—Technical Marketing Engineer, Meraki Product Management, Cisco     
 

Guest 

Bernie Mehl – CEO and Co-Founder, Kisi 

Ricardo Duque is a technical solutions architect with over 18 years of experience in pre-sales with a focus on design, planning, implementation, configuration, technical support, and consulting for IT and networking devices.  
 
Listen in to learn more about his unique and inspirational journey into IT, hear about the ways he gives back, gain insights into his current role, and learn how he embodies Cisco Meraki values.  

Learn more about Ricardo 
 
Host  

Sammy Brenner, Virtual Sales Leader, Cisco Meraki 
 
Guest  
Ricardo Duque, Technical Solutions Architect, Cisco Meraki   

In this episode, we discuss networking in harsh environments with guest Brock Richards, Senior Solution Architect at Nutrien—the world’s largest provider of crop inputs, services, and solutions—and Meraki Technical Marketing Engineer Leader Brennan Martin.  

Listen as they share the unique networking solutions they built for temperature-challenged environments and their future plans for the new MS130 and MS130R switches.

Our API has evolved significantly since embracing Swagger, now OpenAPI v2. This integration has greatly streamlined our API development process, ensuring a smooth experience for developers. Now, we're advancing even further with OpenAPI v3, emphasizing our commitment to a high-quality API contract and empowering developers with the most up-to-date tools and technologies. 

Tune in to this episode to learn more about: 

• The OpenAPI v3 update  
• New use cases  
• Reporting features   

With the Meraki mobile app, you get everything you need for IT and network operations wherever you are. You can quickly access devices, identify problems, and easily navigate between networks and organizations.

Tune in to learn more about the mobile app and hear which features exist today, which ones are coming soon, and more.

Francisco “Panch” Ramirez is a Cisco Meraki leader with over 20 years of experience in sales engineering.

Tune in to this episode to gain insights into his unique career journey. Discover lessons that have shaped his distinctive leadership style, unlock strategies for building and managing an effective team, and learn ways to navigate through organizational changes.

Wireless access takes business networking by storm. Meraki cloud-managed 5G wireless WAN offers businesses numerous advantages in campus, data center, and branch networking.

In this episode, learn how businesses can take full advantage of 5G in their branch networks using the Cisco Meraki MG51 and MG51E. Listen in as we discuss how the Meraki platform can help businesses simplify the management of their branch networks with unparalleled scale, administration, and visibility from a single dashboard to configure, manage, and troubleshoot their networks.

In this episode, we sit down with Tim Ormrod, Founder of Splash Access, and Shannon Nagel, Cisco Meraki Sales Leader, to discuss the benefits of using Splash Access to authenticate secure internet access and explore their recent wins in higher education.

Splash Access allows you to automatically provision a custom splash page solution that instantly integrates into the Meraki cloud. Splash Access authorizes users onto the Meraki network, collects customer data, and integrates into APIs from major marketing tools.

With cybersecurity threats lurking in every part of the digital landscape, connecting users to what they need securely and seamlessly is vital to supporting an efficient, productive, and happy workforce. Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offers IT a smart solution. Unified SASE takes simplicity to the next level by converging networking and security to deliver a streamlined experience for both IT and end users. 

Tune in to learn about Cisco+ Secure Connect, Cisco’s turnkey unified SASE solution.

Pride month is an opportunity to celebrate our differences, find connection in our humanity, and elevate our LGBTQIA+ community.  

In this episode, we hear from members of the Queers and Friends at Meraki (QFAM) employee resource organization (ERO). Learn about their unique experiences navigating careers in tech, what Pride means to them, and how to become a more effective ally through inclusive work environments.

Effective port management is crucial for optimal and secure network operations, but it can be complex and difficult to scale across sites. Does port management have to be a headache? Absolutely not. 

In this episode, Cisco Champions and Meraki switching experts will dive into best practices for managing switch ports at scale. We’ll explore the potential business outcomes that can be achieved by leveraging Meraki switching capabilities, such as zero-touch provisioning, port profiles*, and scalable management through integrations, templates, and APIs—all of which are delivered through a user-friendly approach.

Cisco’s workforce is a diverse group of talented folks whose roles drive real impact across communities.

Tune in to this episode to learn more about Nadine James, a global social impact leader with over 15 years of experience designing, launching, and scaling innovative community programs. We learn about Nadine’s rich history—including what fuels her passion for social justice and her journey into tech. We gain a glimpse into her day-to-day life, learn more about “compassionate capitalism,” and discuss how this economic system can elevate the human experience.  

Our ability to give customers the power to monitor, manage, and secure their networks in a quick and easy manner is key to a successful managed services strategy at Cisco Meraki. 
 
Listen in as Alexandra Zagury, Vice President, Partner Managed and As-a-Service, Global Partner Sales, discusses how Cisco is disrupting and building a managed services practice that empowers partners to increase operational efficiency and profitability while delivering positive business outcomes for customers. 

Join our discussion about Meraki APIs and the Meraki solution application marketplace. Learn how these tools can help bring your products to customers and move the needle toward achieving successful business outcomes. We will introduce the breadth of APIs and the Meraki Marketplace, share practical examples and use cases, and show how to become a Marketplace ecosystem partner.

Engineering at Cisco. He is responsible for leading hardware and supply chain for the Cisco wireless and Meraki portfolio.

Learn about his amazing journey, what led to his career in hardware engineering, his unique experiences as a founding Meraki engineer and the lessons he learned along the way. You’ll also gain insights into the future of Meraki’s hardware portfolio and what inspires him when he’s not thinking about networking technology. 

In this episode, we celebrate where we’ve been, where we are today, and where we’re going–as a podcast series and as an organization. You’ll hear from key Meraki employees—covering talent acquisition, sales, and technical support—and gain insights into their unique experiences and perspectives on the future of Meraki.

Today’s episode is delivered to you in collaboration with the Cisco Champion Radio podcast—a series that brings together Cisco Champions and our best Cisco experts to talk about technology.

Tune in to hear more about the first-ever 5G cellular gateway from Cisco Meraki and discover how Meraki cloud-managed 5G helps organizations scale faster, build stronger, and execute flexibly, across a variety of industries.