In the tech industry, transformation is both inevitable and essential in order to survive. As the chief executive officer of one major Silicon Valley firm once put it, companies that fight the waves of technology end up as driftwood.

Cisco Systems Inc. is one of those businesses that has successfully ridden the waves. Now in its fourth decade, the networking giant is making a major transformation to software and it is bringing the developer community along with it.

In Cisco’s most recent earnings release, the company disclosed that 51% of its revenue was now delivered from the sale of software and services in FY 2020, with 78% of software sales coming from subscriptions.

Companies that sell software tend to attract interest from developers. Cisco has expanded its developer network through DevNet, a program it formally launched six years ago. The DevNet certification program has undergone various changes since then, with the most recent being an expansion of certifications to help professionals combine infrastructure expertise with programming. 

Cisco will unveil new opportunities for developers, including a glimpse into the growing edge computing market during a special DevNet event, “Accelerating With Automation and Programmability,” on October 8 from 1 to 3 PM EDT. Cisco will hold its full free virtual DevNet event on October 13.

“What Cisco is doing is taking Cisco Certified Engineers and retraining them and teaching them how to code on Cisco products,” said Dave Vellante, chief analyst at Wikibon Inc., SiliconANGLE Media’s sister market research firm, and host of SiliconANGLE’s video studio theCUBE. “Cisco products are designed to be programmable, so they have a developer play — and I say the edge will be won by developers.”

TheCUBE will be broadcasting interviews on October 8 with Cisco executives and key industry leaders during the event. Discussions will cover product news, continued growth of the DevNet ecosystem, the impact of COVID on Cisco’s business, and how automation and programmability will play an increasingly significant role in a new wave of digital transformation. (* Disclosure below.)

Pandemic accelerates transformation

What will be different for participants at DevNet this October compared to last year’s gathering is the continued impact of a global pandemic. Aside from the need to stage the event in a 100% virtual format, Cisco and its DevNet participants will be confronting a “new normal” where digital platforms are being rapidly accelerated with automation and programmability.

As companies struggle to avoid workplace infections, automation has become a more critical solution. Robotic floor cleaners and security guards, service center chatbots, and even automated salad makers are now being deployed at scale.

This shift to automated solutions has resulted in an increased emphasis on networks to deliver and drive them, a trend that prompted Cisco to pivot its own business toward an as-a-service model.

“We will accelerate the transition of the majority of our portfolio to be delivered as a service,” said Chuck Robbins, Cisco’s chairman and chief executive officer, during the firm’s earnings call in August. “We will also accelerate our investments in the following areas: cloud security, cloud collaboration … increased automation in the enterprise, the future of work, application insights, and analytics.”

API-driven network

Cisco’s shift also signals a transition for networking personnel in the IT infrastructure. Many network engineers must now become power users of enterprise software, writing scripts and performing application programming interface calls.

This is where DevNet plays an important role. Participants can take advantage of DevNet’s platforms, which encompass cloud, networking and security, open-source, the data center and internet of things. It’s all part of a unified computing universe that ultimately revolves around the API, a key element for anyone who intends to utilize Cisco’s products.

“I actually view the platforms as part of a bigger system,” said Susie Wee, senior vice president and chief technology officer of DevNet and CX ecosystem at Cisco, during an interview with theCUBE in January. “They’re part of a platform that’s trying to solve a bigger problem, and the secret is APIs.”

The move to automation and programmability in the networking space is also driving the learning process for engineers. Cisco’s DevNet certifications are designed to not only provide knowledge in how networks work, but also how to automate and secure them.

Cisco offers CyberOps certification along with Enterprise and DevNet Professional credentialing. One Cisco trainer for Udemy Inc., a large online course provider, expects to see an increase in demand for DevNet certifications in the months ahead.

“Everyone should take a look at their own preferences,” said David Bombal, a Cisco certified instructor for Udemy, in an interview last month. “Focus on core networking skills — focus on Linux, focus on the cloud, and focus on DevOps — and you will have a bright future.”

The importance of learning new skills in the cloud and DevOps was underlined by news of a recent acquisition by Cisco. The company kicked off the month of October by announcing the purchase of PortShift, an Israeli company that provides a Kubernetes-native security platform. The acquisition was yet another reminder that Cisco is riding waves of change in networking and software.

“For network professionals, the future is software,” said Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst with ZK Research, in a recent story for eWeek. “Cisco’s DevNet can help chart a path through what might look like murky waters, but is quite achievable.”

Livestream of Cisco DevNet 2020

Cisco DevNet 2020 is a livestream event, with additional interviews to be broadcasted on theCUBE. You can register for free here to access the live event. Plus, you can watch theCUBE interviews here.

How to watch theCUBE interviews

We offer you various ways to watch the live coverage of Cisco DevNet 2020, including theCUBE’s dedicated website and YouTube channel. You can also get all the coverage from this year’s events on SiliconANGLE.

TheCUBE Insights podcast

SiliconANGLE also has podcasts available of archived interview sessions, available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify, which you can enjoy while on the go.

Guests who will be interviewed on theCUBE during Cisco DevNet 2020

Guests who will be interviewed on theCUBE during Cisco DevNet 2020 include Cisco’s Susie Wee, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco DevNet and CX ecosystem success; Mandy Whaley, senior director of Cisco DevNet and certifications; Eric Thiel, senior manager of technical advocacy; Thomas Scheibe, vice president of product management; and Chuck Stickney, business development architect of Cisco DevNet partner transformation.

TheCUBE will also speak with Joe Vaccaro, vice president of product at ThousandEyes Inc.; Brad Haas, vice president of cloud, DevOps and automation at Presidio Networks Solutions; Eric Knipp, vice president of systems engineering for the Americas Theatre at Cisco; Koen Jacobs, director of systems engineering at Cisco (EMEAR); and TK Keanini, principal engineer of landscape engineering at Cisco.

To register for the event, click here.

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Cisco DevNet 2020. Neither Cisco Systems Inc., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: Cisco Systems Inc.