Company Description
Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE: ANET) is described as an industry leader in data-driven, client-to-cloud networking for large artificial intelligence (AI), data center, campus, and routing environments. Across multiple company press releases and SEC filings, Arista highlights that its platforms are built around an advanced network operating stack designed to deliver availability, automation, analytics, security, and operational simplicity for demanding enterprise and cloud-scale networks.
Core business focus
According to its public disclosures, Arista’s business centers on networking platforms that support large AI clusters, cloud data centers, campus networks, branch locations, and routed backbones. The company emphasizes a consistent operating model across these domains, enabled by its Extensible Operating System (EOS) and related software such as CloudVision, which are repeatedly referenced as foundational to its switching and routing offerings.
Arista reports that it operates as a single reportable segment and generates revenue from product and service lines, as shown in its quarterly financial statements. Product revenue is associated with networking platforms such as switches and routers, while service revenue reflects support and related offerings disclosed in its income statements. Public commentary from Arista also notes that it has gained market share since its founding in 2004, with a focus on high-speed applications and data center environments.
Technology and software stack
Across recent announcements, Arista consistently positions EOS as a common operating system image that underpins its devices and provides open, programmable interfaces. The company describes EOS as part of an advanced network operating stack that supports capabilities such as EVPN, VXLAN, MPLS, and SR/SRv6 for modern routing and data center architectures. Arista also highlights CloudVision as a platform for network-wide visibility and control, including features such as Universal Network Observability (CV UNO) and AI job-centric observability for AI workloads.
In multiple press releases, Arista introduces AI-focused capabilities such as Cluster Load Balancing (CLB) in EOS to help maximize AI cluster performance, and CloudVision AI for observability of modern AI workloads. The company also references NetDL, a unified data lake for network and related telemetry, and AVA (Autonomous Virtual Assist), described as an agentic AI framework that supports conversational troubleshooting, multi-domain event correlation, and automated root cause analysis.
AI, data center, and routing platforms
Arista’s public materials describe a broad portfolio of high-speed routing and switching platforms for AI and data center use cases. In particular, the company has announced the R4 Series of routers and related platforms, including the 7800R4, 7280R4, and 7020R4 families. These systems are positioned for 800 GbE deployments, high-capacity data center and AI clusters, data center interconnect, and routed backbones. Arista states that these platforms support dense 800 Gbps configurations, hierarchical deep packet buffering, and a consistent EOS-based feature set.
The company also emphasizes integrated security capabilities in its data center and routing products. For example, Arista describes TunnelSec as a set of multi-layer encryption technologies, including MACsec, IPsec, and VXLANsec, designed to protect data in transit at wirespeed on supported platforms. These security features are presented as part of the same EOS-based operating environment that runs across the product families.
Campus, branch, and industrial networking
Beyond large-scale data centers and AI clusters, Arista has publicly outlined an expanding focus on campus and branch networking. The company describes a Cognitive Campus approach that aims to provide a single, consistent network experience from client to cloud, including campus, branch, and enterprise WAN domains. Recent announcements introduce AI-driven campus and branch products, such as advanced Power over Ethernet (PoE) access switches and Wi-Fi 7 access points for indoor and outdoor environments.
Arista has also disclosed new ruggedized platforms in its 710HXP family, designed for harsh industrial or outdoor environments. These platforms are described as capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, vibrations, and shocks, and include multi-gig and high-power ports intended to support next-generation devices such as Wi-Fi 7 access points and high-powered outdoor security cameras. As with its other offerings, these platforms run EOS and integrate with CloudVision for a unified operational model.
WAN and SD-WAN expansion
In a press release, Arista announced that it acquired the VeloCloud SD-WAN portfolio from Broadcom. The company explains that VeloCloud provides cloud-delivered SD-WAN solutions with integrated security, including a range of edge hardware platforms with secure firewalling and application-optimized SD-WAN, and options for integrated Wi-Fi and 5G connectivity. Arista states that this portfolio complements its existing CloudEOS routing stack and high-end 7000-series WAN routers, enabling global WAN services that interconnect data centers and distributed campus or branch offices.
Arista has also introduced AWE-series WAN routers for regional connectivity and hub-spine topologies, and describes how these systems can be combined with VeloCloud micro-edge devices to build WAN architectures that align with its client-to-cloud strategy.
Security and zero trust networking
Security is a recurring theme in Arista’s disclosures. The company highlights CloudVision AGNI as a component of its zero trust networking approach, providing AI-driven network access control from large campuses to distributed locations. Arista notes that CloudVision AGNI can be deployed in a fully on-premises model for customers with strict regulatory and data compliance requirements, and that new virtual platforms extend identity-based microsegmentation to remote branches and small campuses.
In addition to access control, Arista references Arista MSS virtual ZTX appliances as part of its zero trust portfolio, and emphasizes that its security capabilities are integrated into the same operational stack that manages switching, routing, and wireless infrastructure.
AI operations and observability
Arista’s public statements describe a strong focus on AIOps and AI-assisted operations. The AVA framework and Ask AVA conversational interface are presented as tools for multi-domain event correlation, continuous monitoring, and automated root cause analysis across wired, wireless, data center, and security domains. By combining EOS, NetDL, and AVA, Arista aims to provide a single source of truth for network data and context, enabling AI agents to make informed decisions across the infrastructure.
For AI workloads specifically, Arista highlights CloudVision AI and Universal Network Observability (CV UNO), which provide end-to-end visibility from the physical network to job-level performance. The company positions these capabilities as helping network teams support AI success by improving troubleshooting and job completion reliability at scale.
Financial reporting and corporate governance
Arista files periodic financial results and material event disclosures with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Quarterly earnings releases show revenue broken out between product and service categories, along with GAAP and non-GAAP metrics such as gross margin, operating margin, and net income. The company explains that it uses non-GAAP measures internally to analyze operating results and for planning and forecasting, and provides reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.
In an 8-K filing, Arista reported that its Board of Directors appointed Kenneth Duda, one of the company’s founders, as President and Chief Technology Officer, with responsibility for cloud and AI systems engineering and business development. The same filing notes amendments to the company’s bylaws, including provisions related to the role of the President and forum selection for certain legal actions under Delaware law.
Customer and ecosystem references
While Arista does not provide a full customer list in the supplied materials, its press releases include comments from organizations using its technology in production. These references span sectors such as higher education, retail, and industrial environments, and describe deployments of Arista’s controller-less Wi-Fi, campus switches, WAN solutions, and zero trust networking tools. The company also cites third-party research, including Gartner Magic Quadrant reports for data center switching and enterprise wired and wireless LAN infrastructure, as context for its positioning in the networking market.
Geographic and market exposure
Arista’s disclosures and the Polygon description indicate that the company derives a substantial portion of its sales from North America, and that it has historically focused on data center and high-speed networking applications. The firm’s public statements also reference engagement with cloud and AI "titans," service providers, and enterprise customers for large-scale AI centers, cloud data centers, and campus networks.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
- What does Arista Networks do?
Arista Networks develops and sells networking platforms and software for large AI, data center, campus, branch, and routing environments. Its offerings are built around its Extensible Operating System (EOS) and CloudVision software, with a focus on data-driven, client-to-cloud networking. - How does Arista generate revenue?
Arista reports revenue from product and service categories in its financial statements. Product revenue is associated with its networking platforms, while service revenue reflects support and related services disclosed in its quarterly results. - What is Arista EOS?
Arista EOS is the company’s network operating system, described as a single, extensible image that runs across its devices. EOS provides open, programmable interfaces and supports features such as EVPN, VXLAN, MPLS, and SR/SRv6 for modern network architectures. - What is CloudVision?
CloudVision is Arista’s software platform for network-wide visibility, automation, and analytics. Public materials describe capabilities such as Universal Network Observability, AI job-centric observability, and integration with AI-driven tools like AVA and CloudVision AGNI. - How is Arista involved in AI networking?
Arista positions itself as a networking provider for large AI centers, offering high-speed platforms such as the R4 Series routers and features like Cluster Load Balancing in EOS. It also provides AI-focused observability and AIOps tools through CloudVision AI, CV UNO, NetDL, and AVA. - What is Arista’s approach to campus and branch networking?
The company describes a Cognitive Campus strategy that extends a consistent EOS-based operating model across campus and branch networks. It has introduced PoE access switches, Wi-Fi 7 access points, WAN routers, and zero trust access control through CloudVision AGNI to support these environments. - What is the significance of the VeloCloud SD-WAN acquisition?
Arista states that acquiring the VeloCloud SD-WAN portfolio from Broadcom adds cloud-delivered SD-WAN with integrated security to its portfolio. This complements its CloudEOS routing stack and WAN routers, enabling global WAN services that connect data centers and distributed campus or branch offices. - How does Arista address network security?
Arista integrates security into its platforms through technologies such as TunnelSec, which supports MACsec, IPsec, and VXLANsec encryption on certain products. It also offers zero trust networking capabilities via CloudVision AGNI and Arista MSS virtual ZTX appliances for identity-based microsegmentation. - Where is Arista Networks based?
SEC filings list Arista Networks, Inc. with a principal office in Santa Clara, California, indicating that the company is based in the United States. - Is Arista Networks still an active public company?
The provided SEC filings and earnings press releases, including quarterly results and 8-K disclosures, show that Arista Networks continues to file reports with the SEC and trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ANET.