2. Cisco Set To Take Security Market By Storm

Cisco's security business blossomed into a $2 billion annual run rate in 2016 with no hurdles in sight. The networking giant's strategy to embed security throughout the network led to four straight quarters of double-digit growth for its security business. Security is a highly fragmented market. Cisco's unique ability to provide an end-to-end security and network architecture gives channel partners the ability to cut down the number of security vendor products they incorporate into solutions, which can be difficult to manage.

Cisco unveiled a slew of new or enhanced security products and incentive programs in 2016 and has acquired four security vendors over the past 20 months, including August's acquisition of cloud access security broker CloudLock. CEO Chuck Robbins said Cisco doesn't plan to slow down its security M&A in 2017.