In an important development poised to help redefine enterprise networking, Juniper Networks Inc. is spearheading the integration of artificial intelligence into edge routers. With a focus on enhancing performance, reliability and user experience, Juniper’s latest advancements in AI-driven enterprise routing are set to change the industry, according to the company.

Juniper’s foray into AI-driven enterprise routing represents a significant milestone in the ongoing digital transformation of networking infrastructure. By harnessing the power of AI, the company aims to empower enterprises with greater agility, efficiency and reliability in network operations, paving the way for a future where AI is synonymous with intelligent networking solutions.

“We were trying to answer the question of, why is that user having a poor internet experience? It turns out that the access point or the edge of the network has a lot of the data you need to answer that question,” said Bob Friday, chief AI officer and chief technology officer of enterprise at Juniper Networks. “The reason we built an access point wasn’t because we thought the industry needed another one. It was really around making sure we get the data to answering that question.”

Friday and Kanika Atri, senior director of product management at Juniper Networks, spoke with Bob Laliberte, principal analyst at theCUBE Research, as part of an exclusive interview with theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the latest advancements in AI-driven enterprise routing, especially as it pertains to Juniper’s pioneering efforts in infusing AI into edge routers.

Extending cloud AIOps with Mist Routing Assurance

Friday recognized the need to prioritize user experience in network operations that resulted in the shift toward real-time operations at Juniper, propelled by the increasing complexity of modern networks. This realization led to the development of a cloud-native AIOps platform, beginning with access points and extending across Juniper’s entire enterprise portfolio.

“We basically have extended that cloud AIOps coverage across the enterprise portfolio, going from the AP to the switch to the router,” Friday explained. “What we’re talking about here today is extending that across the WAN router inside the enterprise.”

Juniper’s latest announcement, Mist Routing Assurance, extends AI capabilities into enterprise routing, enabling customers to leverage Juniper’s routing gear with Mist infrastructure for enhanced performance and reliability, according to Atri.

“If we focus on this particular customer segment representing the enterprises, number one, they themselves are going through their own digitization journey that started almost a decade ago,” she said. “Now we see that even doubling down on it, especially accelerated by this AI era around us, where the enterprises want to consume more and more AI applications.”

A more sustainable future using AI-driven enterprise routing

Juniper also has a commitment to sustainability and operational efficiency in edge router environments, according to Atri. By designing products for longevity and incorporating automation into operations, Juniper strives to reduce power consumption and enhance resource utilization, aligning with the sustainability goals of modern enterprises.

“From an enterprise perspective, the sustainability goals have come on the forefront now,” she said. “Not only is it about meeting ESG mandates … they need to start thinking about optimizing that power, that space, that longevity and the whole TCO related to sustainability.”

Looking ahead, Juniper envisions the evolution of Mist as the next user interface for networking, powered by advanced AI capabilities. With the integration of natural language understanding and deep learning models, Mist is poised to revolutionize network management and deliver unparalleled user experiences, according to Friday.

“If you look what’s happening inside these big organizations, all those applications that used to run in the data, all those applications have moved out to the cloud,” he said. “What this is requiring is very complex WAN routing pipes or underlays, overlays and getting traffic between data centers, between campuses. Before you even get to AI, half the value is getting the data you need back to the cloud for visibility and observability.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE Research’s industry coverage:

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