As the Google Cloud Next 25 event reveals an array of tech companies eager to work with the IT giant on network services meeting the current needs of businesses, in particular coping with artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, Juniper Networks has announced a collaboration with Google Cloud that it says will provide an integrated offering for enterprise campus and branch deployments, and optimise user experiences ready for the AI era.
Juniper Networks said that as the cloud expands and generative AI applications grow, reliable connectivity, enhanced application performance and low latency are paramount. And while businesses were turning to cloud-based network services to meet these demands, many were facing challenges with operational complexity, high costs, security gaps and inconsistent application performance. It stressed that assuring the best user experience through AI-native operations (AIOps) is essential.
The service is designed to simply, securely and reliably connect users to critical applications and AI workloads whether on the internet, across clouds or in datacentres. The integration means Cloud Marketplace customers can subscribe to the Google Cloud WAN service alongside Juniper Mist wired, wireless, NAC, firewalls and software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) services. In particular, the campus and branch services on Google’s Cloud WAN can now provide a single, secure and high-performance connection point for all branch traffic.
This means a variety of wired, wireless, NAC and WAN services can be hosted on Google Cloud Platform, enabling businesses to eliminate on-premise hardware, something that Juniper assures will “dramatically” simplify branch operations and reduce operational costs. In addition, the native integration is designed to enable rapid deployment of new branches and services, while improving security through consistent policies and cloud-delivered threat protection.
“At Google Cloud, we’re committed to providing our customers with the most advanced and innovative networking solutions,” said Muninder Singh Sambi, vice-president and general manager of networking at Google Cloud. “Our expanded collaboration with Juniper Networks and the integration of its AI-native networking capabilities with Google’s Cloud WAN represent a significant step forward.
“By combining the power of Google Cloud’s global infrastructure with Juniper’s expertise in AI for networking, we’re empowering enterprises to build more agile, secure and automated networks that can meet the demands of today’s dynamic business environment.”
Sujai Hajela, executive vice-president of campus and branch at Juniper Networks, added: “Mist has become synonymous with AI and cloud-native operations that optimise user experiences while minimising operator costs. [The integrated offering is] enabling enterprises to overcome campus and branch management complexity and optimise application performance through low latency connectivity, self-driving automation and proactive insights.”
In June 2024, Juniper Networks made what it said were significant enhancements to the cloud-native Mist AI engine for all network domains, claiming a first with AIOps to WAN routing and enhancing branch capabilities.
With the intended result of driving “exceptional” value and cost savings to enterprises requiring secure branch connections, the company’s WAN Assurance, Premium Analytics and Marvis Virtual Network Assistant products were augmented with what is said to be new and unique AI for networking capabilities that deliver simple, seamless and secure SD-WAN and secure access service edge experiences.
