Networking and security giant Cisco announced today that its Meraki for Government solution is now FedRAMP authorized. The FedRAMP authorization program is run by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
“CISA is committed to strengthening the security and resilience of our nation’s critical infrastructure, which includes ensuring that federal civilian executive branch departments and agencies have access to trusted and secure cloud solutions,” said Bob Costello, the chief information security officer and acting associate director for Mission Engineering, CISA. “Sponsoring efforts like Cisco’s Meraki for Government solution for FedRAMP authorization reinforces this commitment and enhances the use of modern cloud technologies across the federal enterprise, while ensuring the security of federal information.”
Meraki authorization the latest of several aimed at enabling public sector partners
Cisco Meraki for Government tailors the vendor’s popular Meraki platform to federal agency customers’ specific security, compliance, and workflow needs. According to Cisco, the AI-powered and cloud-managed networking platform can help agencies maintain and enhance network reliability and security, optimize network performance, and increase IT staff efficiencies while following the proper compliance protocols.
“Government agencies should have access to the same innovative technologies as commercial customers. Now they do with the added assurance of standardized security requirements,” said Gary DePreta, Senior Vice President of U.S. Public Sector, Cisco. “Cisco Meraki for Government gives government agencies the ability to quickly deploy, scale and manage cloud networks to carry out their critical missions.”
The Cisco Meraki FedRAMP ATO complements its existing StateRAMP certification, which is the highest authorization level for IT providers offering solutions to state and local governments.
This announcement is welcome news for many of Cisco’s partners, including World Wide Technology and Iron Bow Technologies, which already serve federal government clients.
“As the public sector’s network and security needs evolve, World Wide Technology is committed to bringing our customers innovative cloud technologies that meet regulatory requirements,” said Scot Gagnon, vice president of federal for World Wide Technology. “We look forward to our continued collaboration with Cisco as a Gold Certified Partner to help agencies accelerate mission-critical outcomes.”
“Cisco Meraki for Government provides a networking platform with the highest levels of security and compliance, tailored to the specific needs of the U.S. public sector,” said Rene LaVigne, the president and CEO of Iron Bow Technologies. “Government agencies can now simplify their IT workflows and unlock the benefits of Cisco Meraki for Government with full-stack capabilities such as switching, wireless, and SD-WAN. Iron Bow stands ready to support our customers in this adoption.”
Cisco continues to focus on compliance in addition to AI and more
The FedRAMP authorization results from Cisco’s commitment to global compliance, which it has worked on for nearly two years. According to the company, Cisco has seen increased FedRAMP authorization across its portfolio and succeeded in global efforts.
The data provided by Cisco highlights the following:
- Over the past 18 months, Cisco has seen a 33% increase in products achieving FedRAMP authorization, a testament to Cisco’s prioritization of government customers’ needs. The Meraki FedRAMP ATO is evidence of Cisco’s commitment to compliance in action.
- Over the past 18 months, Cisco has doubled down on global compliance efforts broadly and as a result, has witnessed a 271% increase in global certifications.
This latest announcement follows several months of Cisco news we’ve covered on Channel Insider.
Earlier this month, the company announced new certification and course offerings for partners focused on upskilling their AI capabilities. The new pathways include:
- An Introduction to Modern AI course for those seeking to better understand AI and why it is important. It will be available to everyone at NetAcad.com.
- A new learning path through Cisco U has been created to help engineers and architects build AI skills for professional roles and learn skills necessary for implementing AI Solutions on Cisco Infrastructure.
- Cisco will update its existing learning materials in its Data Center and Security certification tracks to incorporate AI-related information for IT professionals at different levels of expertise.
The upskilling complements the company’s technical expertise in emerging technologies like AI, which was highlighted in early February when Cisco launched new AI infrastructure and data center solutions for channel partners.
All of the technical and educational moves since the start of 2025 follow Cisco’s upcoming partner program changes. First announced in October, the new 360 Partner Program will shift away from the standard tiered approach to instead incentivize specialization and growth in its partner base. That program will roll out in phases throughout this year, with a full launch scheduled for early 2026.
FedRAMP authorization to operate is a key milestone many vendors aim to reach. Similarly, many organizations work toward CMMC compliance to secure essential data and processes.