What Cisco Meraki does

Cisco Meraki is a cloud-managed networking platform and wholly-owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), headquartered in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2006 by MIT graduates Hans Robertson and Teresa Meng and acquired by Cisco in 2012 for approximately $1.2 billion, Meraki provides an integrated portfolio of hardware and software spanning wireless access points (MR series), switches (MS series), security appliances and SD-WAN (MX series), smart cameras with AI-powered analytics (MV series), environmental sensors (MT series), cellular and teleworker gateways (MG and Z series), mobile device management (Systems Manager), and SASE/Assurance add-ons. All devices are administered through the centralized Meraki Dashboard, a cloud-first control plane that provides end-to-end visibility and management of distributed network infrastructure. AI features are embedded in the Dashboard for network optimization and in MV cameras for computer vision (motion detection, people/object detection, license plate recognition, audio detection).

Meraki operates a dual revenue model: (1) recurring per-device subscription licensing with co-termination across the device fleet, billed annually, and (2) hardware sales of the underlying networking, security, and IoT devices. The go-to-market is primarily channel-led through a certified global partner network (including resellers like Rhino Networks and 4IT Solutions and managed service providers), supplemented by direct enterprise field sales and self-serve options through meraki.cisco.com and the Meraki App Marketplace. Customer reach spans 11+ countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, with named customer wins across financial services (CAMPUS USA Credit Union), retail (Visionworks, Clarks), and government/education (Columbus Metropolitan Library, Hull Public Library). The company serves both enterprise and SMB segments with a vertical segmentation approach covering financial services, manufacturing, government, education, healthcare, retail, hospitality, and physical security.

Recent strategic activity centers on platform-level integrations (PagerDuty incident management, December 2025; Red Hat Ansible Automation, February 2026), AI expansion in MV camera analytics, and Unified SASE convergence of SD-WAN with cloud-delivered security — positioning Meraki to compete in the broader Secure Access Service Edge and AI-driven physical security markets. As a Cisco-owned business unit, Meraki benefits from parent-company distribution, R&D, and corporate infrastructure, while operating with a distinct cloud-managed brand and product line.

Name

Cisco Meraki

Legal name

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Website

https://meraki.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cisco Meraki is a wholly-owned Cisco subsidiary providing a cloud-managed networking platform — wireless, switching, security/SD-WAN, smart cameras, sensors, and MDM — administered through the centralized Meraki Dashboard for enterprise, SMB, education, healthcare, retail, and government customers globally via a channel-led, subscription-based model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud-Managed Networking Infrastructure

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers (423430)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)

akta.pro primary industry

Network Management (LAN/WAN/Wi‑Fi) Services (BPAEABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Network Performance, Visibility & SLA Monitoring (Managed NPM/Observability) (HDAIAFAI), Managed MPLS VPN Services (HDAIAFAA)

Keywords

• Cloud-managed networking
• Enterprise wireless infrastructure
• Network security appliances
• Software-defined WAN
• Smart security cameras

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Licensing (Co-Termination): Meraki operates on a subscription-based licensing model where customers purchase licenses (co-termination licensing) for each device accessing the network. Licenses are applied to devices through the Meraki dashboard and are required for network access.
2. Hardware Sales: Sale of physical networking hardware including wireless access points, switches, security appliances, smart cameras, sensors, and cellular gateways.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Cisco Meraki sells cloud-managed networking hardware and a centralized cloud management platform that together enable organizations to deploy, monitor, and secure distributed network infrastructure from a single interface. Its product portfolio includes wireless access points (MR series), switches (MS series), security and SD-WAN appliances (MX series), smart cameras with AI analytics (MV series), environmental sensors (MT series), cellular gateways (MG series), teleworker gateways (Z series), and mobile device management (Systems Manager). Revenue is generated through per-device subscription licensing (co-termination, annual billing) combined with hardware sales, distributed primarily through a global channel partner network supplemented by direct enterprise sales and self-serve options.

Product overview

Cisco Meraki is a cloud-first networking platform that offers an integrated portfolio of hardware and software products for enterprise networking, security, and IoT. The core platform is the Meraki Dashboard, a centralized cloud management interface that unifies management of all Meraki devices. The product portfolio includes: wireless access points (MR series), switches (MS series), security appliances and SD-WAN (MX series), mobile device management (Systems Manager), smart cameras (MV series) with AI-powered analytics, environmental sensors (MT series), cellular gateways (MG series), and teleworker gateways (Z series). Add-on capabilities include SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), Assurance for network health monitoring, and Hybrid Cloud connectivity. The platform also offers a public API for automation and a marketplace of third-party apps. Meraki Go provides a simplified solution for small business deployments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Meraki Go: A wireless networking solution designed for small businesses and home offices, offering ease of management and remote administration through a mobile app.

Products and services

• Meraki Dashboard Centralized cloud management platform for monitoring, managing, and optimizing Cisco Meraki wireless, switching, security, camera, sensor, and gateway devices from a single interface with AI-assisted optimization.
• Meraki Wireless (MR Series) Cloud-managed wireless access points (including the MR series and cloud-managed Catalyst access points) that deliver enterprise Wi-Fi connectivity managed through the Meraki Dashboard.
• Meraki Switching (MS Series) Cloud-managed switches including the MS series and cloud-managed Catalyst switches that deliver wired network connectivity centrally managed through the Meraki Dashboard.
• Meraki Security and SD-WAN (MX Series) MX security appliances and software-defined WAN solutions providing firewall, VPN, content filtering, and secure wide-area networking for distributed locations.
• Meraki Systems Manager (Mobile Device Management) Cloud-based mobile device management solution supporting BYOD policies with security features including encryption and remote wipe, managed through the Meraki Dashboard.
• Meraki Smart Cameras (MV Series) Indoor and outdoor networked cameras with cloud-augmented edge storage, AI-powered motion search, motion recap, people and object detection, license plate recognition, and MV Sense custom computer vision.
• Meraki Sensors (MT Series) Environmental sensors for temperature, humidity, and door open/close monitoring, designed for IoT applications in retail, healthcare, and industrial environments and managed through the Meraki Dashboard.
• Meraki Cellular Gateways (MG Series) MG series cellular gateways providing wireless WAN connectivity as a backup or primary internet path for distributed sites, managed through the Meraki Dashboard.
• Meraki Z-Series Teleworker Gateways (Z3, Z3C) Teleworker gateway devices including the Z3 and Z3C that enable secure remote workforce connectivity from home offices to the corporate network through the Meraki platform.
• Meraki Go Simplified wireless networking solution under a dedicated sub-brand targeting small businesses and home offices with easy-to-manage deployment and remote administration via a mobile app.
• Meraki Unified SASE Converged networking and security stack combining SD-WAN with security service edge (SSE) capabilities to deliver unified Secure Access Service Edge functionality.
• Meraki Assurance Digital experience assurance solution that provides network health monitoring and proactive issue detection for distributed network infrastructure managed through the Meraki Dashboard.
• Meraki Hybrid Cloud Hybrid cloud connectivity solution that enables seamless integration between on-premises infrastructure and public cloud environments for Meraki-managed environments.
• Meraki APIs (Developer Platform) Public REST API platform enabling developers and network engineers to programmatically manage and automate Meraki network infrastructure, supporting custom integrations, workflows, and integrations such as Red Hat Ansible and PagerDuty.
• Meraki App Marketplace Marketplace of third-party apps built on the Meraki platform, enabling customized experiences and industry-specific integrations discoverable by customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Routine network task time reduced from hours to minutes through open source APIs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments12 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 capability7 records

Feature17 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MeterminorOthers · 10 February 2026Meter, a NaaS specialist, hired two former Cisco Meraki executives (Pete Atkin as global channel leader and TJ Michie to lead strategic enterprise accounts) to support 300% year-over-year growth seen in 2025. While not a formal partnership, this represents talent flow and industry connection between the companies.
• PagerDutycoreTechnology or Integration · 19 December 2025No-code integration between Cisco Meraki and PagerDuty allows developers and network engineers to connect network alerts directly from the Meraki dashboard to PagerDuty incident management without custom scripting. The integration provides pre-mapped high-value Meraki alerts and automatic incident routing to on-call schedules, eliminating manual configuration requirements.
• Rhino NetworksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRhino Networks is a Cisco Meraki partner expanding its managed services offerings to address cybersecurity threats faced by SMBs. The partnership focuses on cloud-based networking solutions driven by industry trends and customer demand, with significant market potential in the SMB segment. Rhino Networks serves thousands of clients across the United States.
• Red HatcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration of Cisco Meraki's cloud-managed networking solutions with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform enhances automation and operational efficiency. Key use cases include branch provisioning, compliance checks, configuration drift audits, and scheduled security updates, emphasizing the benefits of automation in managing network infrastructure.
• 4IT SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor4IT Solutions is a partner providing tailored managed network services leveraging Cisco Meraki technologies. The partnership focuses on delivering enterprise network transformation trends including Zero Trust architectures, centralized cloud management, remote access optimization, AI-based automation, and integrated security.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HPE Aruba Networking: HPE's networking division offering cloud-managed Wi-Fi, switching, and SD-WAN with Aruba Central. The closest direct competitor to Cisco Meraki across campus networking, and is explicitly cited by Dell'Oro Group as aggressively competing for the multi-billion dollar campus switch refresh opportunity.
• Arista Networks: Competitor primarily in cloud-managed switching (CloudVision) and data center networking. Increasingly extending into campus and AI-driven networking, overlapping with Meraki's MS/Catalyst switch portfolio.
• Fortinet: Competitor across Meraki's MX security and SD-WAN portfolio, with FortiGate appliances and FortiSASE. Overlaps heavily in distributed enterprise branch security and SASE.
• Cradlepoint (Ericsson): Specialist in 4G/5G cellular WAN gateways, directly competing with Meraki's MG cellular gateways and Z teleworker line for branch and remote worker connectivity.
• Extreme Networks: Cloud-managed networking (ExtremeCloud) competing across Wi-Fi, switching, and SD-WAN. Acquired Aerohive to bolster cloud-native Wi-Fi and directly contests Meraki in education, healthcare, and mid-market.
• Juniper Networks (Mist AI): Provides AI-driven enterprise networking (Mist) and Apstra for data center, competing with Meraki in cloud-managed Wi-Fi, switching, and SD-WAN. Strong overlap in mid-market and large enterprise segments.
• Ubiquiti: Low-cost Wi-Fi, switching, and security provider competing aggressively in SMB and prosumer segments. The library case study noted Brooks Memorial Library chose Ubiquiti over Meraki, underscoring direct competitive overlap at the entry tier.
• Palo Alto Networks (Prisma SASE / Strata): Direct competitor in SASE/SD-WAN via Prisma Access and Prisma SD-WAN. Also competes in network security operations. Rapidly expanding into Meraki's converged networking-and-security value proposition.

Emerging players

• Versa Networks: Pure-play SASE/SD-WAN vendor that overlaps with Meraki Unified SASE. Competes for enterprise branch security modernization with strong cloud-native architecture.
• Meter: Full-stack Network-as-a-Service provider offering networking hardware, software, and installation. Reported 300% YoY growth in 2025 and hired two former Meraki executives, positioning it as a credible emerging challenger in cloud-managed networking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/meraki
• LinkedIncommunity.cisco.com/t5/meraki/ct-p/meraki-home

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Cisco Meraki