Extreme taps Intel analytics to boost its AI Expert assistant

Extreme Networks is incorporating Intel’s network analytics technology into its unreleased AI Expert program.

In April, Extreme previewed AI Expert, an AI-based network assistant that’s being evaluated in its Extreme Labs program. Extreme AI Expert will let customers pose natural language queries about network issues, such as “show me all network anomalies,” and it will generate specific charts and other details about a customer’s network, what anomalies might be causing problems, and what a customer can do to address them, according to Extreme. 

AI Expert works by collecting data from a combination of Extreme’s public repository, knowledge base and Global Technical Assistance Center (GTAC) documentation, as well as customer network details. It pulls and combines data from applications and devices across the network to establish intelligence related to performance and experience, Extreme stated. 

The idea is to build a generative AI offering that delivers optimizations and cost savings in the design, deployment, and management of enterprise networking and security, Extreme stated. “Extreme AI Expert will curate enterprise data to provide insights, automate operations and create alerts when it detects anomalies like network overload, degradation or Wi-Fi dead spots, among others,” Extreme stated. It can recommend preventative actions and suggest network optimization based on business KPIs, the vendor stated.

Back in April, Extreme said it expected to start integrating the technology into its product portfolio – likely in its ExtremeCloud IQ wireless and wired network-management offering, as well as its CoPilot AI-based management tool.

Enter Intel. The two companies this week announced an alliance between Extreme and Intel’s Connectivity Analytics Program to enhance native AI capabilities within Extreme AI Expert. 

The collaboration is aimed at helping customers improve network performance, detect security threats, and reduce operational costs by using network data and device data from PCs through Intel’s Connectivity Analytics SDK and generative AI. Customers will have access to analytics related to Intel client models, driver versions, coverage hole insights, roaming reasons, and power type, according to Intel. “In addition, wireless clients that support Intel Connectivity Analytics will send client reports providing information such as station information, low received signal strength indications, neighboring access points, temporary disconnects, unknown APs, and failed APs when applicable,” Intel stated.

“The primary use cases are to simplify a network administrator’s ability to identify out-of-date or noncompatible wireless client drivers, validate new wireless client drivers, identify nonworking wireless client hardware, troubleshoot issues with wireless client roaming, identify reasons for poor connectivity, and identify misbehaving APs,” Intel stated. 

Intel is looking to expand third-party support of its Connectivity Analytics, which currently features integration with Cisco management software.

“Extreme’s partnership with Intel will deliver increased visibility into both network and client devices and will drive additional development of GenAI tools that enable customers to optimize the design, deployment and management of enterprise networking and security,” Extreme stated. “These new features help to optimize network performance, dynamically adjust bandwidth to prioritize critical devices and improve security threat detection and issue resolution.”

Extreme said it expects to start integrating Extreme AI Expert into Extreme solutions later this year.

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