Logicom Expands Cisco Managed XDR and Meraki in Cyprus at Cisco Connect 2025

The Cisco Connect Cyprus 2025 conference in Nicosia underlined a pivotal shift in the island’s IT landscape: Logicom Solutions used the stage not just to celebrate long-standing vendor ties, but to position itself as a local leader in end-to-end Cisco-managed services — expanding from traditional design and deployment into full lifecycle operations, including Cisco Managed XDR and Cisco Managed Meraki offerings that aim to simplify security and networking for organisations across Cyprus, Greece and Malta.

Background​

Cisco Connect (also presented as the Cisco Experience Conference in local listings) has become one of the primary vendor-led forums where technology strategy, vendor roadmaps, and partner capabilities converge. The 2025 edition, held at the Auditorium of the European University Cyprus on 23 September, gathered IT decision-makers from public sector bodies, higher education, and private enterprise to discuss digital transformation, cybersecurity, AI, and enterprise resilience.
Against that backdrop, Logicom Solutions — a long-time Cisco Gold Partner operating across the region — used the event to announce a deliberate expansion of its managed services portfolio. The firm framed the move as a response to two persistent trends in the market: the rising complexity of multi-domain security telemetry, and the chronic shortage of specialised security and network operations staff at many organisations.

What Logicom announced at the event​

• An expansion of Logicom Solutions’ managed security services to formally include Cisco Managed XDR (extended detection and response) and Cisco Managed Meraki (cloud-managed networking operations for Meraki infrastructure).
• Public presentation of a major campus-scale network project: a Meraki Wi‑Fi deployment across university facilities that demonstrated scale, operational complexity, and measurable user impact.
• Participation by senior Logicom leaders in panels and fireside chats outlining a vision for AI-assisted cybersecurity, enterprise resilience, and the operational benefits of fully managed Cisco stacks.

These announcements are consistent with the vendor and partner narrative seen in the region: vendors are moving to higher-value outcomes and partners are moving toward outcomes-based managed services that hide operational complexity from customers.

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Why the announcements matter for Cyprus IT buyers​

Managed security is no longer optional​

Digital transformation initiatives continue to push workloads, users, and data outside the corporate perimeter. That trend requires not just products, but operating models: tools must be tuned, telemetry correlated across endpoint, network, identity and cloud, and incidents must be resolved around the clock. By expanding to include Cisco Managed XDR, Logicom is offering an outsourced, integrated threat detection and response capability that aggregates telemetry from multiple Cisco security domains and performs continuous monitoring and response on behalf of customers.
The strategic value here is twofold:

• It reduces the need for organisations to recruit and retain scarce SOC staff with high levels of tooling expertise.
• It accelerates time-to-value for security investments because detection, hunting and response expertise is delivered as a service.

Networking operations are being commoditised into managed services​

With Cisco Managed Meraki, the proposition is straightforward: Meraki has long been a cloud-first set of wireless, switching, and SD‑WAN products that emphasise ease of administration. What customers at the university and similar large campuses struggle with is the operational burden — hundreds or thousands of access points, diverse user groups, role-based access policies, and constant firmware, configuration and license management.
The managed Meraki model hands that operational lifecycle to a partner who takes responsibility for:

• Provisioning, inventory and firmware management
• Network monitoring and performance tuning
• Troubleshooting and on‑site or remote remediation
• License lifecycle and security posture management

For IT teams whose priority is institutional outcomes rather than day‑to‑day network management, this is an attractive trade-off.

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The Meraki Wi‑Fi deployment: what it demonstrates​

Scale and complexity​

Logicom presented the “Meraki WiFi Deployment at the University of Cyprus” as a success story that highlighted both engineering and operational scale. Campus wireless projects like this require careful planning across radio-frequency design, building penetration studies, backhaul capacity planning, and identity integration — especially where campuses are decentralised across multiple buildings.
Key operational elements in such projects include:

• Unified cloud-managed control plane using Meraki Dashboard
• Integration with identity and access solutions to support role-based and guest access
• Channel planning and RF optimisation across diverse building architectures
• Lifecycle management of firmware and licensing for hundreds or thousands of APs

Operational impact​

Beyond connectivity, well-executed campus wireless improves institutional resilience and digital experience: remote learning, research collaboration, unified communications and IoT initiatives (digital signage, building management, labs) all benefit from predictable, secure wireless services. Presentations at the event emphasised that the project delivered not just coverage, but visibility and control: operators could now see application usage across the campus and enforce policies centrally, reducing time-to-diagnose during incidents.

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What Cisco Managed XDR and Cisco Managed Meraki actually deliver​

Cisco Managed XDR — a technical primer​

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is a shift from siloed, domain-specific detection to a consolidated telemetry and analytics model that spans endpoints, network, cloud, email and identity. Managed XDR packages this capability into a service run by a managed security provider.
Typical Managed XDR capabilities include:

• 24/7 monitoring and alerting across multiple telemetry sources
• Threat correlation and enrichment using threat intelligence
• Incident validation, triage and initial response actions
• Threat hunting and proactive anomaly detection
• Root-cause investigation and remediation guidance
• Reporting and compliance support (for frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIS2 and other regional requirements)

These services matter because they transform discrete security tooling into a repeatable operating capability that can be purchased and consumed like any other outsourced function.

Cisco Managed Meraki — what’s in scope​

Managed Meraki means handing over the full operational lifecycle of Meraki hardware and cloud services to a partner. Typical managed Meraki responsibilities include:

• Device rollout and configuration at scale
• Continuous monitoring of APs, switches and security appliances
• Performance tuning and RF management
• Firmware and licensing management
• Incident handling and replacement logistics
• Integration with existing identity and policy systems

The partnership model also frequently includes clear SLAs for response and remediation, and the ability to scale operations up or down without the customer having to expand headcount.

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Strengths of Logicom’s approach​

• End-to-end Cisco expertise: Logicom’s portfolio spans Cisco security, networking, collaboration and data center technologies. That breadth reduces vendor fragmentation for customers that already rely on Cisco stacks.
• Local presence and regional coverage: Having local engineering and operations teams in Cyprus, Greece and Malta gives Logicom the ability to combine global vendor capabilities with local support responsiveness.
• Outcome focus: The pitch is not just “we sell Meraki” or “we sell XDR” but “we operate these solutions to deliver security outcomes and free customers to focus on core business activities.”
• Higher-level specialisations: By consolidating management and monitoring responsibilities, Logicom is attempting to address one of the industry’s largest pain points — the human capital gap in security operations — which can be a decisive argument for midsize institutions and public entities.

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Risks, caveats and operational considerations​

Trust, control and vendor lock-in​

Handing operations to a partner reduces internal complexity but creates dependencies. Organisations must assess:

• Data access and custody: where logs and telemetry are stored, who has long-term access, and how data is handled on termination of services.
• Vendor lock-in: managed Meraki ties the organisation’s operational model to Meraki’s cloud architecture and licensing. Migration away from Meraki, if required later, would incur operational cost and complexity.
• Transparency and inspection: customers should insist on audit access to monitoring data, incident timelines and response playbooks.

SLA realism and coverage boundaries​

Managed services typically publish SLAs for detection and incident response, but customers should clarify:

• What constitutes a “critical” incident and how prioritisation works
• SLA measurement windows (business hours vs 24/7)
• Out-of-scope activities (for instance, custom application troubleshooting or third-party cloud workloads might not be included)
• Escalation paths for severe incidents and war-room procedures

Contracts must be precise about matrixed responsibilities — what the partner will do and what remains the customer's obligation.

Security posture and change management​

While managed services can improve baseline security operations, they also introduce new attack surfaces:

• The partner’s administration access is a high-value target; strong identity controls, multi-factor authentication and role-based access are non-negotiable.
• Change control processes must be transparent; unified policies and emergency change procedures need to be coordinated to avoid configuration drift or accidental outages.
• Regular tabletop exercises and joint incident response rehearsals are essential to avoid misunderstandings during live incidents.

Cost-benefit and TCO​

Buying managed services replaces capital and headcount costs with recurring operational expenses. Decision-makers should model total cost of ownership (TCO) across scenarios:

• Continue with in-house operations (hire/training, tooling, retention)
• Hybrid model (retain strategic functions in-house, outsource 24/7 monitoring)
• Full managed model (partner assumes operations end-to-end)

Each path has different implications for agility, control and cost predictability.

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What organisations should ask before signing up​

Before moving critical security and network operations to a managed provider, procurement and IT teams should demand clarity on these topics:

• Governance and data ownership: Where is telemetry stored, and what happens to it at contract end?
• SLAs and penalties: Precisely how are response times measured and what remedies are available for SLA breaches?
• Escalation and communication: What are the escalation paths during high-severity incidents?
• Audit and compliance: Can the customer perform security audits and receive compliance reports for regulators?
• Local support footprint: Are field operations handled locally or from remote hubs?
• Security hygiene of the provider: What certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2, etc.) does the managed provider hold?
• Integration and customization: How will bespoke policies, identity systems, or third-party tooling be handled?
• Exit strategy: What’s the transition plan if the relationship ends or the organisation wants to change providers?

Answering these questions upfront reduces ambiguity and prevents surprises mid-contract.

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The regional market impact: higher education, public sector and enterprise​

Logicom’s announcements are particularly meaningful for three buyer segments in Cyprus and the region:

• Higher education: Universities are consolidating remote learning, research computing, and campus IoT services. Managed Meraki reduces operational load while delivering visibility and role-based access control that universities need for GDPR compliance and service continuity.
• Public sector: Governments face strict compliance and resilience requirements but often lack scale to build SOC capabilities. Managed XDR offers a path to professionalised security operations without the political overhead of hiring large SOC teams.
• SME and enterprise: Midsize companies can adopt enterprise-grade detection and network lifecycle management without large capital outlays or chronic hiring challenges.

The broader effect is to accelerate a trend where local integrators act as the operational arm of global vendors, enabling organisations to consume security and networking as a managed capability rather than a project.

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AI, cybersecurity and enterprise resilience — the panel perspective​

During panel discussions at the conference, Logicom’s leadership positioned AI as both an enabler and a risk in cybersecurity. The key takeaways echo an industry-wide posture:

• AI accelerates detection and reduces analyst fatigue by automating routine triage and enrichment tasks.
• Conversely, AI also enhances attacker tooling with automated reconnaissance and faster exploitation, meaning defenders must emphasise speed, context and human-in-the-loop validation.
• Enterprise resilience is not only a matter of technology but also of processes: incident response, business continuity planning, and cross-organisational coordination are the differentiators during major incidents.

The panel pushed for hybrid models where automation handles alert massaging and human analysts focus on complex threat scenarios and strategic decision-making.

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Vendor certifications and trust signals​

Partners selling managed security must demonstrate credible operational maturity. Look for these trust signals when evaluating providers:

• ISO 27001 and related certifications for information security management
• SOC 2 or equivalent attestations for operational controls
• Published SLAs and clear operational playbooks
• Industry-recognised analyst endorsements or customer case studies that demonstrate delivery at scale

Logicom’s statements at the event emphasised advanced Cisco specialisations — across security, collaboration, networking and data center — which are strong indicators of product competency. However, certification alone is not a substitute for a well-defined operational assurance program that includes regular audits, penetration testing and independent verification.

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Practical recommendations for WindowsForum readers (IT leaders and practitioners)​

• Prioritise outcomes over product lists: When evaluating managed offers, focus on whether the service improves detection speed, reduces operational friction, and provides clean handoffs for incident escalation.
• Run a short pilot: Use a time‑boxed pilot to validate response SLAs, communication workflows and change control processes before committing to a long-term managed contract.
• Demand transparency: Insist on operational dashboards, monthly execution reports, and the right to audits. If a provider cannot show operational telemetry and incident timelines, treat that as a red flag.
• Plan for exit: Ensure there’s a documented, tested transition plan to recover telemetry and re-establish operations if the relationship terminates.
• Maintain strategic internal capability: Even with managed operations, keep a small, strategically skilled team that understands architecture, policy, and governance. They will be required to make high-stakes decisions during critical incidents.
• Treat the provider’s infrastructure as part of your attack surface: Ensure the provider uses hardened administrative access, zero-trust principles, and segmented management planes.

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Final analysis — promise and prudent skepticism​

Logicom Solutions’ expanded managed services portfolio, showcased at Cisco Connect Cyprus 2025, is a natural evolution in a market where technology breadth and operational depth are two sides of the same coin. The combination of Cisco Managed XDR and Cisco Managed Meraki gives customers a compelling path to outsource day-to-day operations while retaining strategic oversight over policy and risk.
Strengths of this approach include accelerated time to value, reduced HR burden, and access to cross-domain telemetry that many organisations cannot achieve independently. The Meraki campus deployment case demonstrates operational competence at scale and highlights the value of a cloud-native management plane for distributed environments.
But buyers should exercise prudent skepticism. Outsourcing operations requires contractual clarity about data custody, SLAs, and exit conditions. Dependence on a partner introduces both concentration risk and potential lock-in to specific cloud-managed architectures. Security benefits hinge on the provider’s operational maturity, transparency, and ability to integrate with customer processes.
For organisations that accept those trade-offs, the managed model is an operational enabler: it turns complexity into a managed input and allows internal teams to focus on innovation and business priorities rather than routine operational firefighting. For IT leaders, the immediate task is to align governance, contractual safeguards and in-house strategic skills to make managed services an enabler, not a liability.

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The industry shift on display at Cisco Connect Cyprus 2025 shows that the future of enterprise IT will be defined as much by managed operating models as by product roadmaps. Logicom Solutions’ announcements signal a local maturation of that model: customers in Cyprus and the region now have clearer pathways to operationalise Cisco’s security and networking technologies without the heavy lift of standing up in-house SOC and NOC capacities. The strategic question for every purchaser is whether they have the governance, auditability and transition plans in place to convert that operational convenience into sustained, measurable security and business outcomes.

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Source: cbn.com.cy Logicom Solutions at Cisco Connect Cyprus 2025: Showcasing Digital Transformation Leadership