The network continues to grow in importance as a strategic business asset. A recent joint study between ZK Research and The Cube Research found that 93% of organizations felt the network was more critical to business operations than two years ago.

At the same time, 80% of respondents believe the network has grown in complexity in that same time frame. The continuation of these two trends will lead to an untenable situation.

This is where artificial intelligence comes in. AI has the potential to automate many of the tasks required to operate a network, which leads to better uptime, reduced costs, and lower complexity. A true win-win-win.

However, regarding AI, the quality of the insights depends on the data. In data sciences, there’s an expression that states, “good data leads to good insights,” and though that’s true, it’s also a fact that silos of data lead to partial insights, and that’s what most companies have today.

To help with this, Extreme Networks Inc. today announced it has teamed up with Intel Corp.‘s Connectivity Analytics Program to enhance its AI Expert solution, which is currently being tested in Extreme Labs. The enhancements involve using data from networks via Extreme and PCs with Intel data and combining that with generative artificial intelligence and the Intel Connectivity Analytics software development kit to make networks more intelligent, faster and more reliable.

Extreme Labs is a new hub dedicated to developing emerging technologies, and Extreme AI Expert is the hub’s first technology preview. Extreme AI Expert transforms the search process by replacing keyword searches with simple questions. AI scans an extensive database of technical documents and provides relevant recommendations for network issues, which helps the information technology department respond quickly to security and performance problems.

Extreme AI Expert does this by combining data from Extreme’s knowledge bases with information from customer networks. According to Extreme, the partnership with Intel will provide greater insight into networks by including data from Intel-connected devices. Hence, the solution will be able to provide even better recommendations.

Intel Connectivity Analytics started as a collaboration with Cisco Systems Inc., enabling Intel-based PCs to share client information with Cisco access points. The program now includes other providers that work with Intel experts to improve solutions using additional insights from PCs and networks. The program aims to understand connectivity issues and drive innovations in PC networking for better user experiences.

Integrating Intel’s advanced analytics with Extreme’s AI solution is expected to enhance network performance and threat detection significantly. Real-time monitoring and analysis of network data help pinpoint potential security threats, lowering the risk of data breaches and improving overall network security.

Extreme introduced AI Expert in April at Extreme Connect 2024. It plans to integrate Extreme AI Expert into its products later this year. At the event, I talked to Extreme Chief Technology Officer Nabil Bukhari, about the product, and he told me the company is focused on building intelligence into the network to improve the human experience.

Much of what the company has built to date is in the area of Wi-Fi, which is the hardest part of the network to troubleshoot. The company’s expertise in delivering great wireless experiences is one reason it’s widely used in sports and entertainment. Adding the Intel data gives customers a streamlined way of seeing the end-to-end customer experience, which includes the network and client devices.

For most companies, the network is the hub of operations. It powers point-of-sale devices, Zoom meetings, security systems, environmental controls and everything else in a company. Delivering a best-in-class experience requires visibility across the ecosystem, and by partnering, Intel and Extreme can provide better insights. With AI, data matters, and I’m hoping to see this type of partnership begin a trend where PC manufacturers or makers of internet of things endpoints work with networking companies to help unify data that historically sat in silos.

Zeus Kerravala is a principal analyst at ZK Research, a division of Kerravala Consulting. He wrote this article for SiliconANGLE.

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