Arista Introduces New Switches to Support Campus Networks Initiative

Arista Networks’ expansion of its networking portfolio from the data center out to the campus will give enterprises more options in what is becoming an increasingly important part of their infrastructures and open up a new front in the vendor’s ongoing competition with rival Cisco Systems.  At the company’s analyst meeting this month, Arista officials unveiled their first products aimed at campus networks, including two new switches that are designed to reduce network complexity by collapsing what typically have been multiple networking tiers—including the leaf and spine—into a single layer that they refer to as the “spline.” At the same time, the plan is to use its EOS network operating system and CloudVision management platform to drive the company’s Cognitive Cloud Networking approach, extending the principles of cloud computing—including automation, software-based control, open standards and simplification—to the campus. The officials also pointed to partnerships with Aruba Networks and VMware to help drive their vision of the “cognitive campus.” Aruba, which is owned by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, is driving HPE’s edge computing efforts and will help Arista in that area as well.