How do we prepare for a world where AI agents work together, networks think for themselves, and quantum teleportation is no longer just science fiction? I recently caught up once again with Vijoy Pandey, SVP and GM of Outshift by Cisco, live at Cisco Live in San Diego, for a wide-ranging conversation about what comes next at the edge of AI and quantum innovation.

We begin with Cisco's evolving quantum strategy and the recent unveiling of its Quantum Network Entanglement chip, a research prototype capable of generating 200 million entangled photons per second over standard telecom infrastructure.

Vijoy explains how this chip, along with new research at Cisco's lab in Santa Monica, brings us closer to distributed quantum computing by connecting compute nodes and scaling quantum capabilities beyond the lab. Even more interestingly, these quantum foundations are already demonstrating value in classical use cases, such as eavesdropping detection and real-time coordination.

Our conversation also explores the momentum behind agentic AI. Rather than single prompts triggering single outputs, the future lies in distributed ecosystems of intelligent agents that work together to solve complex business problems.

Vijoy introduces Cisco's vision for the Internet of Agents, supported by an open-source collective called AGNTCY. It is designed to help diverse agents communicate, collaborate, and operate with trust and transparency across cloud environments and organizational boundaries.

Throughout our conversation, Vijoy focuses on the practical impact rather than hype. From network automation and SRE workflows to use cases in cybersecurity and infrastructure management, he highlights how these technologies are being applied in real-world scenarios, not just theorized. His team at Outshift is building the connective tissue that brings these innovations to life inside the enterprise.

So what do you think? Are quantum networking and AI agents a part of your roadmap? And what steps can businesses take today to ensure they are building on trustworthy, open, and scalable foundations? Join the conversation and share your perspective.