Forward Networks
 | |
| Industry | Computer software |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 23, 2013 |
| Founder | David Erickson, Nikhil Handigol, Brandon Heller, Peyman Kazemian |
| Headquarters | |
| Website | https://www.forwardnetworks.com/ |
Forward Networks, Inc. is an American company founded in Palo Alto, California and headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company develops enterprise software for network management and software-defined networking.[1]
History
[edit]Forward Networks was founded by David Erickson, Nikhil Handigol, Brandon Heller, and Peyman Kazemian, who met as Ph.D researchers at Stanford University. While operating software-defined networking deployments running OpenFlow[2] at the university,[3] Erickson, Handigol, Heller, and Kazemian built a software platform based on Kazemian's research at Stanford for his electrical engineering dissertation.[4] Kazemian's research enabled the use of configuration data and operational state information from devices on a network to create a virtual copy of that network.[5]
Until November 2016, the company operated in stealth mode[6] and raised $16 million in funding by DFJ,[7] with participation from Andreesen Horowitz.[8]
In October 2019 the company raised $35 million in Series C funding led by Goldman Sachs, also a customer of the company.[9]
In January 2023, following 139% year-over-year growth, Forward Networks announced it closed $50M in Series D funding.[10] The round was led by MSD Partners with support from new investors, Section 32 and Omega Venture Partners.[citation needed]
Forward Networks' other customers include PayPal, Ubisoft, and Telstra.[11]
Intent-based networking
[edit]Intent-based networking (IBN), a term coined by Gartner in 2017 describes a system designed to automate a network lifecycle from design and implementation to deployment and validation.[12]
Forward Networks' technology focuses on verification with regards to intent-based networking. The platform generates a mathematical model of the network to perform functions such as composing timestamped collections of network configurations and state information of a network infrastructure.[13] The product is marketed as a network assurance platform[14] called Forward Enterprise.[15]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Forward Networks Inc - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.
- ^ "Startup Aims To Simplify Network Management". IT Infrastructure Advice, Discussion, Community - Network Computing. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ Butler, Brandon (2016-11-14). "Startup Forward Networks helps search, protect and predict network behavior". Network World. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ "Accelerating and De-Risking Network Operations | Forward Networks | David Erickson". Business Magazine. 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ "Forward Networks creates digital twins to assure network performance". FierceTelecom. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ "Forward Networks nets $16M to help prevent network outages". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
- ^ DFJ (2017-08-23). "Fast Forward with Forward Networks". Medium. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ Krause, Bill (2016-11-14). "Déjà Vu All Over Again with Forward Networks". Andreessen Horowitz. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ "The Wave of Digital Media Consolidation Isn't Over Yet". Fortune. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- ^ Lunden, Ingrid (2023-01-24). "Forward Networks raises $50M for digital twin technology to help model, manage and secure complex enterprise networks". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ "Network Verification Software". Forward Networks. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- ^ "Intent-based network: the next big thing?". Network Middle East. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- ^ Arcilla, Alex. "ESG Technical Review: Verifying Network Intent with Forward Enterprise". www.esg-global.com. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ "NFD13: Forward Networks Comes Out of Stealth to Impress". NetCraftsmen. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- ^ Inc, Gartner. "Forward Networks Network Automation Software Reviews". Gartner. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
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