Cisco partners with Mistral AI to upgrade customer experience

Following trends in enterprise AI adoption, Cisco and French AI startup Mistral AI have announced a strategic partnership focused on automating customer experience workflows. The newly launched AI Renewals Agent aims to streamline Cisco’s renewal proposal process by consolidating data and providing real-time insights.

Core technology and functionality: The AI Renewals Agent processes both structured and unstructured data from over 50 different sources to generate automated insights and recommendations.

• The system performs real-time sentiment analysis and provides summarized recommendations for customer engagement
• Built using a custom AI model, the solution operates on-premises to ensure data security and compliance
• The technology enables intelligent automation and personalization tied to specific customer outcomes and KPIs

Immediate business impact: Early estimates suggest significant efficiency gains in Cisco’s customer renewal processes.

• The AI agent is projected to reduce renewal proposal creation time by approximately 20%
• Performance improvements are expected to increase as the system learns from usage patterns
• Further workflow automation capabilities will be implemented over time

Strategic partnership details: This collaboration represents the first phase of a broader AI initiative between the two companies.

• Cisco has designated Mistral AI as a strategic technology partner for its Customer Experience (CX) transformation
• The AI Renewals Agent is the first of several planned AI agents in development
• The partnership aims to drive Cisco’s transition toward an “Agentic-AI-Led future”

Leadership perspectives: Key executives from both companies emphasize the strategic importance of the partnership.

• Liz Centoni, Cisco’s EVP and Chief Customer Experience Officer, highlights Mistral AI’s alignment with Cisco’s customer-centric mission
• Arthur Mensch, Mistral AI’s CEO, emphasizes how generative AI can enhance access to complex information sources
• Both leaders stress the potential for significant time savings and value creation for stakeholders

Looking ahead: While the initial focus is on renewal processes, this partnership signals a broader shift in how enterprise technology companies are leveraging AI for customer experience transformation. Success with the AI Renewals Agent could accelerate the development and deployment of similar solutions across other business functions, though careful attention to data security and user adoption will be crucial for long-term success.