Some data must stay private for years.
Encrypted information captured today could be stored for decryption by a sufficiently capable future quantum computer. Long-lived confidential data deserves early attention.
Quantum-ready networking
Think beyond
the next refresh.
The network you choose today may still be in service in 2035. Make cryptographic change part of the plan.
Original assesses your estate, builds the roadmap and supports the move into operation.
Original thinking. Cisco foundations.Discover · Plan · Operate
The business decision
A longer view
of protection.
Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) uses algorithms designed to resist attacks from both conventional and quantum computers. It changes how we establish trust and protect communications.
PQC, explained by NIST (opens in a new tab)Refresh decisions outlast the purchase.
If equipment remains in service into the 2030s, its supported upgrade path matters. Plan cryptographic change alongside the network investment.
The change reaches beyond a switch.
Network devices, software, certificates, applications and suppliers depend on one another. Discovery helps establish what can change, in what order.
The UK planning horizon
Three milestones.
Work to start now.
NCSC’s recommended timetable gives large organisations a framework for planning the transition. Your priorities come from the systems, information and risks in your estate.
- 2028
Discover. Assess. Plan.
Understand your estate and dependencies, assess the work involved and prepare an initial migration plan.
- 2031
Move the priorities first.
Complete the highest-priority migrations and refine the plan for the rest of the estate.
- 2035
Complete the transition.
Complete migration to post-quantum cryptography across systems, services and products.
Recommended migration targets, not a prediction of when quantum computers will break today’s cryptography.
Read the NCSC timeline (PDF) (opens in a new tab)The Cisco foundations
Hardware capability.
A supported path.
Cisco’s Smart Switch architecture brings its Silicon One technology and integrated security into the campus. Original connects the product choice to the software, migration and operating plan.
Campus core & aggregation
C9550Series Smart Switches
Silicon One at the core.
Post-quantum hardware capability.
What to check before you commit.
The C9550 data sheet lists hardware support for PQC. Its qualification matters: this capability was not available at first hardware shipment. Hardware readiness alone does not establish software support.
- The model
- Confirm the exact platform and the role it will play in your network.
- The release
- Check the required protocols and features against the supported software release.
- The operating plan
- Agree testing, activation, rollback and the evidence that confirms the feature is in use.
Published plans
Cisco’s switching roadmap.
Cisco’s roadmap dated 11 August 2026 sets out these planned enterprise switching milestones. Dates and scope remain subject to change.
Cisco roadmap (PDF) (opens in a new tab)December 2026
IOS XE switching: PQC for IPsec, MACsec, SSH and TLS.
June 2027
Additional TLS use cases for IOS XE switching.
The published product table names C9550 and C9350. Model, feature and release support must be verified before a customer commitment.
The Original part
From readiness
to everyday operation.
A quantum-ready network assessment and roadmap, shaped around your business and delivered through the people who understand your environment.
Something your board can use.
A scoped findings report, a dependency and readiness view, prioritised actions and a phased roadmap. Clear evidence, assumptions and decisions for your leadership and assurance teams.
- 01
Discover the dependencies
Agree the scope across switching, routing, wireless, firewalls, VPNs and management systems. Record cryptographic algorithms and dependencies where evidence is available, and identify gaps for investigation.
- 02
Prioritise the exposure
Consider how long data must remain confidential, signatures and trust, critical services, supplier dependencies and the cost of change.
- 03
Map the supported paths
Identify where hardware refresh, software updates, configuration changes or feature activation may be needed. Check the model and release evidence.
- 04
Sequence the migration
Build a phased roadmap around risk, refresh plans and dependencies, with test criteria, change windows and rollback arrangements.
- 05
Implement and verify
Where delivery is agreed, manage the changes and verify the capabilities in use. Keep exceptions, decisions and ongoing ownership visible.
Cisco Preferred in Networking and Security, with Services connecting the plan to delivery and operation.
Our management standardsClear answers
The questions
worth asking.
What the terminology means for your existing estate, your responsibilities and your next decision.
Do we need to replace our existing Catalyst estate?
Start with an assessment. The answer depends on the exact hardware, software, protocols and dependencies in use. We check Cisco’s support information before recommending a software path or refresh. Neither a familiar product family nor a new purchase proves that every required PQC capability is supported.
Is 2035 a deadline set by law?
The dates shown here are NCSC’s recommended migration milestones, rather than a universal legal deadline. Your organisation’s obligations, contractual requirements and risk priorities need to be assessed in context. The roadmap can provide evidence for that work; it does not certify compliance.
Is this the same as quantum networking?
No. This service concerns conventional enterprise networks and their transition to post-quantum cryptography. Quantum networking is a separate field concerned with connecting quantum systems. A PQC-capable enterprise switch is not a quantum computer or a quantum-networking product.
Can Live Protect replace a PQC migration?
No. Live Protect addresses vulnerability exposure; it does not replace vulnerable cryptographic algorithms. Any use of it needs its own model and software support checks. Patching, vulnerability controls and a cryptographic migration plan address different parts of your security posture.
Can Cisco fund the readiness assessment?
We check eligibility, programme availability and the proposed scope individually. A quantum readiness enquiry is not a promise of funding. We agree scope and any fees before work begins, and the assessment creates no obligation to purchase the subsequent solution.
