The self-driving network starts here:
a competitive comparison
Not all AI in networking is created equal. While competitors race to bolt AI onto legacy architectures, HPE is delivering a true self-driving network built on more than a decade of AI-native innovation. With experience-first intelligence, autonomous operations, and integrated networking and security across the full client-to-cloud stack, HPE helps organizations move beyond reactive troubleshooting toward networks that continuously learn, optimize, and act on their own. The result is simpler operations, faster resolution, reduced downtime, and better experiences for users and applications—without sacrificing visibility, governance, or control.
Performance you can measure
Reliability you can count on
- 90%
Reduction in tickets
- 90%
Reduction in management time
- 90%
Reduction in on-site service calls
Compare self-driving networks
| HPE AI | Cisco AI | Arista AI | Dell AI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI-native architecture |  Yes—HPE Mist + Aruba Central share a microservices architecture enabling “develop once, deploy twice.” |  No - Fragmented—Long-standing integration challenges (e.g., Meraki still not fully integrated after a decade). | Yes, for networking. EOS, CloudVision, NetDL, and AVA create a consistent network operating model across Arista domains, though not a compute/storage stack. |  Partial. Dell has strong infrastructure integration through AI Factory, Enterprise SONiC, and SmartFabric Manager, but AIOps / networking operations are spread across infrastructure platforms. |
| Trust-based, self-driving actions | Yes, delivered today—HPE provides assisted and fully self-driving actions with a growing library of autonomous behaviors. | Not yet delivered—Cisco has not delivered a single self-driving action since announcing AI Canvas. | Emerging. Arista's AVA limits its AI capabilities to basic troubleshooting, event correlation, and root cause analysis. True self-driving actions and broad automated remediation remain non existent today and sit strictly as future roadmap items. | No. Dell AIOps provides recommendations, integrated workflows, APIs, and automation triggers; it is not positioned as a broad self-driving networking action library. |
| Autonomous protection | Yes—AI-native security built-in from client to cloud; guardrails and policy enforcement are inherent. | Yes—Security integration via Cisco Security Cloud Control (SCC). | Yes, for network security. CloudVision integrates zero trust, AGNI, NDR, segmentation, and security observability, but not full-stack compute/storage security.
| Partial. Dell AI Ops includes cybersecurity posture, misconfiguration, advisory, and hardening recommendations across Dell infrastructure. |
| Experience-first agentic intelligence | Yes, using the LEM (Large Experience Model), Digital Twin (Marvis Minis, UXI, Netrounds), Agentic Mesh with true agentic workflows. | No - Cisco AI Canvas with Domain Network Model (DNM) conversational interfaces, and task-oriented agents; relies on multiple Cisco products for value. | Yes, for networking. AVA and Ask AVA provide conversational and agentic networking workflows grounded in NetDL, but the scope remains primarily network infrastructure. | Partial. AIOps Assistant uses generative AI for Dell infrastructure questions and recommendations, but it is not a client-to-cloud networking agentic mesh. |
What it takes to deliver self-driving networking
As organizations move from AI experimentation to real-world operational autonomy, networking platforms must evolve to deliver experience-first intelligence, agentic AI, integrated security, and full-stack enterprise alignment across distributed environments.
Experience-first agents
HPE's experience-first agents continuously observe, reason, and act to optimize user and application experiences across the network. By correlating real-time user, application, and network data, HPE identifies issues competitors often miss—helping IT teams move beyond reactive troubleshooting toward autonomous operations.
AI-native infrastructure
Unlike competitors layering AI onto legacy architectures, HPE delivers AI-native infrastructure built on microservices, distributed intelligence, and unified operations across wired, wireless, SD-WAN, and data center environments. The result is a scalable foundation for self-driving networking with autonomous actions available today.
Autonomous protection
HPE embeds security directly into the network—integrating AI-driven protection, Zero Trust enforcement, and unified policy management across users, devices, and workloads. Instead of stitching together disconnected security tools, HPE delivers built-in protection designed to simplify operations and strengthen resilience across the enterprise.
What analysts are saying
Self-driving networks. Not bolt-on AI.
What organizations increasingly require is not simply more automation layered onto legacy operational models, but a more fundamental shift toward AI-native operations built around shared intelligence, continuous telemetry, integrated security, and human-guided autonomy.
Furthest in vision. Highest in execution.
HPE positioned furthest in "Completeness of Vision" and Highest for "Ability to Execute" in 2026 Magic Quadrant™ for Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure by Gartner® for fifth consecutive time.
