EdgeConnect, HPE Networking’s SASE offering, is coming to both Mist and Aruba Central. That might not sound like a big deal at first, but according to HPE, it is. In addition to LAN and WLAN, the WAN side is now also getting the Marvis treatment, which HPE Networking considers crucial for the development of a truly autonomous network.
“The step we’re taking today is a very important one in the evolution toward a self-driving network,” says Jeff Aaron, VP of Product and Solutions Marketing at HPE, getting straight to the point at the start of a conversation we had with him about today’s news. This is because an autonomously operating network, as envisioned by HPE Networking, requires a single foundation. “It’s very difficult to develop a self-driving network in silos,” in Aaron’s words. Until now, EdgeConnect was its own silo. But that will soon be a thing of the past.
EdgeConnect meets Marvis
EdgeConnect is HPE Networking’s SASE solution. It was formerly known as SilverPeak and was positioned by HPE as a so-called single-vendor SASE solution, back when that was still a key feature for this segment of the market. SASE is essentially a combination of SD-WAN and Security Service Edge (SSE). It is designed to ensure that organizations’ WAN connections are optimally configured and that employees can securely log in to the organization’s distributed network from anywhere.
Marvis has long been one of the driving forces behind the self-driving network that Mist, later Juniper Mist, and now HPE Networking, is developing. It is the AI engine and assistant, and ultimately the underlying agent-based system, that’s at the helm. Juniper had previously been integrating this technology into more and more parts of its own portfolio. This integration continues following HPE Networking’s acquisition of Juniper.
The final major piece of the full-stack puzzle
Step by step, HPE is integrating more and more components into the agentic framework, powered by Marvis. Now it’s SASE’s turn. This integration gives network and security teams a single view of campus, branch, WAN, cloud, and security. In other words, HPE Networking’s offering has now been “unified,” as it is called in the parlance of our times.
You might wonder why completing the self-driving network stack is so exciting right now. Managing and controlling LAN and WAN within a single environment makes sense, but WAN is a very different beast from those other two components. Aaron admits that’s true, but he immediately adds that you can’t view the components in isolation from one another. A unified approach is crucial, especially as organizations seek greater autonomy in the areas of NetOps and AIOps.
After NetOps and AIOps comes SecOps
When we ask Aaron about the implications of this latest step for HPE Networking’s security strategy, he indicates that it will certainly play a role in the future. The focus is now primarily on NetOps and AIOps, because those areas must be in order first before SecOps can be added.
For now, EdgeConnect customers are also experiencing the“full glow” of Marvis, as Aaron calls it. This means that autonomous actions are becoming available, which organizations can implement step by step. In addition, there is user experience twinning, which detects and resolves issues without requiring users to be present. A Large Experience Model (LEM) is also designed to predict and prevent outages with applications such as Zoom and Teams.
Of course, the addition of EdgeConnect works both ways. Through Marvis, Mist and Aruba Central customers gain access to SASE capabilities such as application-aware routing, WAN optimization, integrated security, and SSE integration. The idea is that those who purchase HPE’s full stack (LAN, WLAN, WAN/SASE) will gain end-to-end visibility and control.
Availability
HPE Networking is rolling out the integration in phases. HPE Mist is first in line. That integration will be completed sometime in 2026. HPE Aruba Central customers will have to wait a little longer: integration with that platform is scheduled for the first half of 2027. The reason for this phased rollout is primarily operational, not so much because integration with Mist is simpler, Aaron explains, even though Juniper had already added the necessary SD-WAN concepts to Mist following its acquisition of 128 Technology in 2020.
Finally, Aaron emphasizes, perhaps needlessly, that bringing the various components together isn’t so much about a single dashboard. While that’s certainly convenient to have, it’s much more about what he calls “common intelligence.” That’s what’s going to make the difference for the entire stack. In addition, he expects significant growth opportunities in the SD-WAN/SASE space. “We intend to grow faster than the market,” he concludes. The market (Cisco, Arista, Extreme) has been warned.