What Meraki does

Cisco Meraki is a wholly-owned subsidiary and brand of Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) that operates a cloud-managed networking platform serving enterprises, small and mid-sized businesses, and public-sector organizations across more than 150 countries. The platform centrally manages distributed wired and wireless network infrastructure through a single Meraki Dashboard, covering Wi-Fi access points (MR), Ethernet switches (MS), security and SD-WAN appliances (MX), cellular gateways (MG), IoT environmental sensors (MT), smart cameras (MV), compact remote-workforce appliances (Z3), and Systems Manager mobile device management. Underlying technology is an out-of-band cloud control plane in which only configuration and statistics flow to Meraki data centers, allowing networks to continue operating during cloud outages and isolating user data from the management layer.

Meraki's product portfolio is hardware-led and software-monetized: every appliance requires a multi-year subscription license that bundles software, cloud management, and support (Basic or Standard included; Signature Support available as an upgrade). The company monetizes primarily through Cisco's direct enterprise field sales team, the global Cisco channel partner ecosystem (resellers, VARs, managed service providers), and a self-service trial motion for smaller buyers. Customers span financial services, retail and hospitality, healthcare, K-12 and higher education, federal and local government, manufacturing, and small business, with named deployments at organizations such as CAMPUS USA Credit Union, Clarks, VisionWorks, JeffCo Public Schools, and Reading School District.

The platform holds one of the densest regulatory certification stacks in cloud networking, including FedRAMP Moderate ATO, BSI C5, ENS, ISMAP, PCI DSS v4.0, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001/27017/27018, which together qualify the platform for highly regulated workloads. In 2025-2026 Cisco repositioned Meraki as the cloud-management surface for an AI-ready network architecture, launching AgenticOps (autonomous network operations), the Cloud Control AI-Native Platform, AI traffic management for agentic-AI workloads, AI Canvas for multi-agent IT collaboration, and an AI-driven semantic search layer for Meraki API documentation. Meraki was originally founded in 2006 by Sanjit Biswas and John Bicket and was acquired by Cisco in 2012 for $1.2 billion.

Name

Meraki

Legal name

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Website

https://meraki.cisco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cisco Meraki is a cloud-managed networking platform and wholly-owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems that centrally manages Wi-Fi, switching, SD-WAN, security, and IoT devices for enterprises, SMBs, and public-sector organizations across more than 150 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud-Managed Networking Infrastructure

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Computer Facilities Management Services (541513), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Managed Services (Operations, Monitoring, Patching) (BPAEACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Network Performance Management & Observability Services (BPAEAEAH), Hybrid Cloud Management, Monitoring & FinOps (HDABAMAD), Network Performance, Visibility & SLA Monitoring (Managed NPM/Observability) (HDAIAFAI)

Keywords

• Cloud-managed networking
• Network infrastructure
• SD-WAN solutions
• Wireless access points
• Enterprise security

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Meraki sells networking hardware including wireless access points, switches, security appliances, cellular gateways, and IoT devices (cameras, sensors). Hardware comes with one-year or lifetime warranties depending on the product line.
2. Subscription Licenses: Meraki operates on a subscription licensing model. All products require valid device licenses that cover software, support, and cloud management. Licensing is all-inclusive covering all products and support tiers. Licenses are required for cloud service access and technical support.
3. Support Services: Support is included with all valid device licenses at no additional cost. Optional premium support tiers available: Basic, Standard, and Signature Support. Support provided 24x7 via phone, chat, Dashboard, and web form.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Meraki provides cloud-managed networking hardware and software, including wireless access points, switches, security/SD-WAN appliances, cellular gateways, smart cameras, and IoT sensors, all centrally managed through the Meraki Dashboard. The platform uses an out-of-band cloud architecture for configuration management and offers AI-powered network operations, sold primarily to enterprises, governments, education institutions, and SMBs through Cisco's direct sales and channel partner network under a hardware-plus-subscription licensing model.

Product overview

Cisco Meraki is a comprehensive cloud-managed networking platform offering a unified portfolio of hardware and software products managed through the Meraki Dashboard. The architecture centers on the cloud-first Meraki Platform and Dashboard as the core management layer, with integrated product modules including: MR Series wireless access points (Wi-Fi), MS Series switches, MX Series security appliances and SD-WAN, MG Series cellular gateways, MT Series IoT sensors, MV Series smart cameras, Z3 compact security appliances, and Systems Manager MDM. The platform also includes SASE for converged networking and security, Assurance for network health monitoring, and Hybrid Cloud connectivity solutions. All products are managed through the Meraki Dashboard using AI-powered insights and support natural language interaction via the AI Assistant, with SD-WAN solutions running AgenticOps for automated network operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Meraki Dashboard: The cloud-first management interface for Meraki networking products including wireless access points, switches, security appliances, and IoT devices.
• Meraki Cloud
• Meraki Marketplace

Products and services

• Meraki Dashboard The central cloud-based management interface for the entire Meraki network portfolio, providing monitoring, management, and optimization of WAN, access, and IoT technologies from a single intuitive interface with end-to-end visibility and AI-powered insights.
• Meraki Platform The cloud-first foundation enabling convergence of IT, IoT, and physical environments, supporting cloud-managed networking across distributed infrastructure with open APIs for automation and configuration management.
• MR Series Wireless Access Points Cloud-managed wireless access points supporting Wi-Fi 7 technology, providing enterprise-grade wireless connectivity with integrated security and management capabilities.
• MS Series Switches Cloud-managed Ethernet switches for enterprise access and aggregation layer networking, managed centrally through the Meraki Dashboard.
• MX Series Security and SD-WAN Security appliances and SD-WAN solutions providing firewall, VPN, content filtering, and wide area network optimization with Auto VPN technology for branch connectivity.
• MG Series Cellular Gateways Cloud-managed cellular gateway devices providing wireless WAN connectivity as primary or backup internet access for distributed networks.
• MT Series IoT Sensors IoT sensors for environmental monitoring including temperature, humidity, water leak detection, and door access monitoring for smart building deployments.
• MV Series Smart Cameras Cloud-managed smart cameras for physical security and video analytics, supporting foot traffic counting, people counting, and retail analytics with edge processing.
• Systems Manager (MDM) Mobile Device Management solution for enrolling, configuring, and managing mobile devices, Macs, and PCs across the organization from the Meraki Dashboard.
• SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) Secure Access Service Edge solution converging networking and security stacks, providing unified SASE capabilities through integration with Cisco Plus Secure Connect.
• Meraki Support Services Comprehensive technical support including 24x7 telephone support, case-based support viewable in Dashboard, firmware and software updates, and enterprise support options. Available from technical assistance centers in San Francisco, London, and Sydney.
• AgenticOps Platform AI-powered troubleshooting and network monitoring platform that runs diagnostics, packet captures, and uses Cisco AI Assistant to turn insights into action for faster problem resolution.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% reduction in downtime
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability12 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or Integration · 21 April 2026AWS serves as primary data storage location for Meraki cloud services, with global data centers including us-east-1, us-east-2, us-west-1, us-west-2, ca-central-1, eu-central-1, eu-west-1, eu-west-3, ap-northeast-1, ap-southeast-1, ap-southeast-2, cn-north-1, cn-northwest-1, ap-south-1, and ap-south-2.
• Google LLCcoreTechnology or Integration · 21 April 2026Google serves as a subprocessor and data storage provider for Meraki services at global locations.
• Microsoft CorporationcoreTechnology or Integration · 21 April 2026Microsoft serves as a subprocessor for Meraki services with data centers in Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore.
• Cisco Partner EcosystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExtensive network of authorized Cisco partners reselling Meraki products, including resellers, VARs, and managed service providers. Partners receive training, certification, and direct access to Meraki support centers for customer implementations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Aryaka Networks: Cloud-delivered SD-WAN and SASE provider competing with Meraki's networking stack for global enterprise connectivity. Targets similar multi-national distributed enterprise use cases with a managed services model.
• Cato Networks: Cloud-native SASE platform that converges SD-WAN, security, and networking as a single managed service. Competes with Meraki's SD-WAN/SASE roadmap, particularly with organizations moving away from appliance-based branch networking toward cloud-delivered connectivity.

Direct peers

• Aruba Networks (HPE): HPE's networking division offering Aruba Central cloud-managed Wi-Fi, switching, and SD-WAN products directly competitive with Meraki's MR/MS/MX portfolio. Targets the same enterprise and mid-market segments with a similar cloud-first management plane and channel-led go-to-market.
• Juniper Networks (Mist AI): Provides Mist AI-driven cloud-managed wireless, switching, and SD-WAN with a strong AI/ML differentiation narrative. Competes head-to-head with Meraki in enterprise campus and branch networking, with comparable channel-led distribution.
• Fortinet: Compete with Meraki's MX security and SD-WAN appliances via FortiGate and FortiClient. Strong in mid-market and enterprise SD-WAN, increasingly competing in wireless and switching as well, often cited together with Meraki in Gartner networking Magic Quadrants.
• Palo Alto Networks (Prisma SD-WAN): Cloud-delivered Prisma SD-WAN directly competes with Meraki's MX SD-WAN offering, particularly in enterprise SASE deployments. Both target distributed enterprises needing cloud-managed secure connectivity.
• Ubiquiti: Cloud-managed networking vendor offering UniFi access points, switches, and security gateways. Most direct price-performance competitor for Meraki in the SMB and prosumer segments, with similar cloud-controller architecture.
• Extreme Networks: Provides ExtremeCloud IQ cloud-managed Wi-Fi, switching, and SD-WAN competing with Meraki's full-stack offering. Strong in K-12 education and large venue deployments where Meraki also has presence.
• VMware VeloCloud (Broadcom): SD-WAN solution now under Broadcom following VMware acquisition. Direct competitor to Meraki MX SD-WAN in enterprise branch connectivity, with established installed base in larger enterprises.
• Cradlepoint (Ericsson): Specializes in 4G/5G cellular WAN gateways and cloud-managed wireless WAN, directly competing with Meraki's MG series. Strong in distributed enterprise, retail, and IoT branch connectivity use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/meraki
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cisco
• Facebookfacebook.com/CiscoMeraki

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Meraki