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2026 Next-Gen Enterprise Connectivity
A Collaboration of Converge! Network Digest and AvidThink
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Ray Mota, CEO & Principal Analyst at ACG Research, examines the gap between marketing promises and actual capabilities in zero touch AI and automation for networking, arguing that zero trust should be treated as a comprehensive security posture requiring telemetry enforcement, micro-segmentation, and continuous AI-driven monitoring rather than a standalone product.
Early feedback on New Faces of Enterprise Connectivity Report: “very comprehensive,” “covers cutting-edge trends in the enterprise networking market,” “insightful.” Grab your copy now!
Views expressed are those of the presenting individuals and companies and may not necessarily represent views of Converge! Network Digest or AvidThink.
Jeff Raymond, VP, EOS Product Management and Services at Arista Networks, outlines three key pillars for modern enterprise connectivity. He explains how Arista integrates network infrastructure, operational models, and security technologies to deliver comprehensive enterprise connectivity solutions.
Renuka Nadkarni, Chief Product Officer at Aryaka, addresses the challenge of delivering consistent user experience and security for hybrid workforces accessing SaaS, data center, and cloud applications from multiple locations, noting that disparate solutions create inconsistent experiences and security gaps.
Sunil Varanasi, CTO and Co-Founder of Meter, explains that network and security convergence is accelerating as customers seek to escape complex multi-vendor deployments, purchasing decisions, and pricing models. He explains how Meter’s single integrated stack for network, security, performance, and management with unified pricing can delivers best-of-breed performance.
Pankaj Patel, CEO and co-Founder of Nile, discusses the company’s seven-year journey to disrupt networking through ruthless automation powered by AI engines, data analytics, and zero trust fabric architecture, chalking up 500 deployments to date.
Ray Mota, CEO & Principal Analyst at ACG Research, examines the gap between marketing promises and actual capabilities in zero touch AI and automation for networking, arguing that zero trust should be treated as a comprehensive security posture requiring telemetry enforcement, micro-segmentation, and continuous AI-driven monitoring rather than a standalone product.
Nav Chander, Consulting Analyst at AvidThink, and lead author of the report shares his findings on enterprises challenges faced in converging networking and security. He discusses some of the key insights the report delivers, including enterprise convergence journeys and recommendations for both vendors and enterprises in the near term.
Siân Morgan, Research Director at Dell’Oro Group, discusses how AI ops features in enterprise networking have evolved from cutting-edge capabilities to standard vendor offerings, while full network autonomy remains elusive due to technical and trust challenges, accompanied by a value shift from hardware to recurring software licenses.
Archana Khetan, SVP of Product Management and Technical Marketing at Ericsson, explains how the company distinguishes itself in enterprise connectivity with wireless WAN solutions designed for mobile connectivity in vehicles, IoT, and mission-critical deployments where connectivity loss affects public safety.
Bob Friday from HPE discusses the convergence of networking, security, and application monitoring into unified solutions, emphasizing the critical importance of continuous uptime through orchestrated upgrades and cloud-based seamless experiences.
Paul Savill, Global Practice Leader for Network and Edge Computing at Kyndryl, discusses the challenges enterprises face modernizing decade-old legacy MPLS networks to SDWAN, SASE, and zero trust architectures, including complexity, business process integration, and poor inventory records.
Sunil Khandekar, Chief Enterprise Development Officer at Mplify, discusses how the company’s Enterprise Leadership Program enables global enterprise leaders to collaborate directly with service providers and technology vendors from the outset of development, driving industry-first innovations like automated circuit impairment communications and cyber security alerts.
Rich Davis, Director of Solutions at Netskope, addresses how IT and security teams can maintain performance, reliability, and visibility amid GenAI-powered applications and anywhere access, advocating for a consolidated SASE framework rather than adding more tools as GenAI introduces significant data volumes and new breach risks.
Yogesh Ranade, Senior Director of Product Management at Palo Alto Networks, outlines how enterprises pursue SASE and network security transformation through either network-led approaches (SD-WAN evolution, branch augmentation) or security-led approaches (SWG, SaaS application security, AI access security, DLP, CASB).
Steve Martin, CEO of Shasta Cloud, explains how his company addresses industry challenges including equipment commoditization, vendor consolidation, increasing network complexity, security threats, and IT skills shortages by leveraging open networking systems to create multi-vendor interoperable ecosystems that shift value from hardware to services.
Jeff Raymond, VP EOS Software and Services at Arista Networks, in this extended interview, discusses Arista’s strategy for breaking down traditional network silos and delivering unified multi-domain management. He also explores how cloud networking principles are reshaping enterprise infrastructure, enabling consistent security policies across multiple domains, and making advanced automation accessible to broader user bases.
In this director’s cut, Renuka Nadkarni, Chief Product Officer at Aryaka, explains how the company’s OnePass architecture solves enterprise challenges with disparate branch security and remote access solutions with consistent security policies and provides unified visibility for hybrid workforces. She describes how Aryaka’s SASE as a Service 2.0 platform addresses AI traffic challenges with reliable connectivity, better observability and comprehensive access control and data leakage prevention.
Sunil Varanasi, CTO and Co-Founder of Meter, in this extended interview, shares details on Meter’s vertically integrated stack that includes firewalls, switches, access points, PDUs, and cellular equipment. He explains how their powerful cloud backend can automate network operations through real-time data processing for intelligent decisions.
Shashi Kiran, Chief Marketing Officer at Nile, explains how they address critical enterprise networking gaps in campus and branch environments by applying data center and cloud principles to create a zero trust fabric with security built into the network foundation, delivered through an AI-powered secure network as a service model.