As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries, its impact on networking and security operations is becoming increasingly significant. In a recent CUBE Conversation with Markus Nispel, Head of AI Engineering at Extreme Networks, we explored the evolving role of AI in NetOps, SecOps, and business operations—and how Extreme’s new Platform ONE is positioned to meet these challenges head-on.
The Growing Complexity of Modern Networks
The modern enterprise network is more critical—and more complex—than ever before. Research shows that over 90% of organizations now view their network as essential to achieving business objectives. Yet 80% of those same organizations report increasing network complexity, driven by growing traffic, IoT proliferation, and digital transformation efforts. The resulting data surge creates operational burdens that traditional tools and manual processes struggle to handle.
AI and AIOps (AI for IT Operations) are emerging as necessary solutions to address this complexity, yet adoption remains challenging with 88% of organizations reporting difficulties deploying AIOps, primarily due to data silos and the absence of a unified AI engine capable of spanning diverse environments.
Platform ONE: A Unified Approach
To meet these needs, Extreme Networks launched Platform ONE —a platform designed to simplify networking and security operations while enabling more effective AI utilization. As Nispel explained, Platform ONE was born from a clear vision: to unify disparate network and security applications, eliminate fragmented licensing models, and bring together siloed data sources under one roof.
“A key driver for us was simplifying the user experience,” Nispel said. “By consolidating the application landscape, we not only streamline management but also make AI more efficient and effective.”
The platform integrates AI, automation, and analytics within a single framework, enabling customers to manage complex environments more intuitively. With unified access to data and insights, AI can perform better analysis, deliver more accurate recommendations, and support smarter decision-making.
Building Trust in AI
Nispel emphasized that trust is the cornerstone of AI adoption. AI must be accurate, transparent, and secure for AI in NetOps, SecOps, and business operations to be embraced. Platform ONE addresses this through robust data governance, privacy protection, and a layered interaction model that evolves alongside user trust.
At the entry level, users can engage with AI via a conversational interface to retrieve documentation, analyze infrastructure status, or accelerate workflows. As comfort grows, users can collaborate with AI to derive deeper insights and eventually offload complex tasks to autonomous agents within the platform.
This progression, Nispel noted, ensures organizations can adopt AI at their own pace while maintaining human oversight through “human-in-the-loop” controls. Users can approve, reject, or refine AI-generated recommendations, reinforcing confidence and control.
Reimagining the Infrastructure Lifecycle
Platform ONE’s value extends beyond operations. It reimagines the entire infrastructure lifecycle—from onboarding and deployment to support and decommissioning. Extreme Networks scrutinized each phase to identify where AI could eliminate pain points, accelerate processes, or introduce new capabilities.
For instance, onboarding new talent is a significant challenge amid industry-wide skills shortages. Platform ONE helps bridge the gap by reducing training times through AI-powered knowledge management. According to Nispel, locating the right documentation for troubleshooting used to take hours. With Platform ONE, that task now takes minutes—or even seconds.
AI also enables consistent support experiences across teams, ensuring new hires can operate effectively from day one. This consistency not only improves user satisfaction but broadens the talent pool by reducing reliance on highly specialized expertise.
Field Testing for Real-World Impact
Extreme Networks took a hands-on approach to validating Platform ONE before launch, engaging employees and partners in extensive field testing. Leveraging AI in NetOps, SecOps, and business operations for over 60,000 actions provided critical feedback on platform usability, accuracy, and desired functionality. More than 90% of these interactions were neutral or positive, underscoring the platform’s effectiveness.
The company also gamified feedback to encourage participation and gather specific input on workflows, documentation, and new feature requests. “That level of explicit, in-the-moment feedback allowed us to iterate quickly and deliver a more mature and useful product,” Nispel noted.
Embracing Agentic AI and Digital Co-Workers
A key innovation within Platform ONE is its support for agentic AI—autonomous AI agents that can reason, plan, and execute complex workflows. Unlike traditional automation, which depends on predefined rules, agentic AI leverages specialized agents working together under a master planner agent to dynamically achieve goals.
“Agentic AI will replace traditional AI as the dominant conversation,” Nispel predicted. “It allows systems to adapt to ambiguity and evolving conditions, making them far more effective.”
These AI agents function as digital co-workers, collaborating with human teams to drive efficiency. They interpret goals, build execution plans, and adjust strategies in real-time—all while keeping human users informed and in control.
The Road Ahead
Looking to the future, Nispel sees immense potential in hybrid human-AI teams. As AI systems grow more capable and trusted, they will take on increasingly strategic roles, enabling human employees to focus on higher-value tasks. The challenge will be enabling organizations to upskill and empower their workforces to thrive in this new paradigm.
“The era of agentic AI is just beginning,” Nispel said. “We’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible.”
Extreme Networks’ thoughtful, user-centric approach to AI adoption—combined with the technical sophistication of Platform ONE—ensures it can have a significant role in the next wave of networking and security innovation. As AI continues to reshape the enterprise landscape, tools like Extreme Networks Platform ONE will be essential in helping organizations simplify complexity, accelerate operations, and unlock new levels of value.
For more information on Extreme Platform ONE please visit Extreme Networks.
To see additional coverage of Extreme please visit the links below
Recapping Extreme Connect: Extreme Networks’ with Forward-Looking Customers – theCUBE Research
