Cisco Systems has unveiled two major innovations — the Silicon One P200 networking chip and the 8223 routing system — designed to meet the massive data and performance demands of artificial intelligence (AI) workloads. The launch, already being adopted by hyperscale customers such as Microsoft Azure and Alibaba Cloud, marks a significant step in enhancing global data centre connectivity.
With AI models now requiring distributed computing across continents, Cisco’s new systems enable seamless, high-speed, and secure communication between data centres located thousands of miles apart, creating a unified, high-performance infrastructure.
According to Martin Lund, Executive Vice President of Cisco’s Common Hardware Group, the new innovations address the growing limitations of traditional data centre networks. “AI compute is outgrowing the capacity of even the largest data centre,” he said, noting that the 8223 system, powered by the P200 chip, provides the massive bandwidth, reliability, and security needed for distributed AI computing.
The P200 chip, which consolidates the work of 92 separate chips into one, offers over 65 percent energy savings, making it a breakthrough solution for power-hungry hyperscale operations. It supports interconnect bandwidths exceeding 3 exabits per second, allowing AI models to train and operate efficiently across multiple facilities.
The 8223 routing system complements the P200 chip with industry-leading performance capabilities. It can process more than 20 billion packets per second and supports 64 ports of 800G, offering the highest density of any fixed router available. Its deep buffering system absorbs sudden surges of data common in AI training, ensuring consistent performance and network stability.
Designed for flexibility and sustainability, the 8223 is the most power-efficient router in its class, adapting seamlessly to evolving network protocols through programmability and reducing the need for costly hardware replacements.
Security and scalability also play central roles in Cisco’s latest innovations. The 8223 integrates line-rate encryption and post-quantum resilient algorithms to protect sensitive AI data as it moves between facilities. Industry partners have praised the technology’s impact, with Microsoft’s Dave Maltz calling it “a key innovation for faster networks with more buffering,” and Alibaba Cloud’s Dennis Cai highlighting its role in advancing eCore architecture.
Initially available for open-source SONiC deployments, with IOS XR support coming soon, the 8223 and P200 silicon will anchor Cisco’s next-generation networking platforms. Analysts say the development positions Cisco ahead of competitors like Broadcom and underscores how infrastructure innovation — not just AI software — will determine the future of global artificial intelligence performance