News

The conversation around AI in network operations is shifting. It's no longer just about whether AI can be deployed safely. It's about where to start and how to deliver real results.In Episode 118 of ONUG's Built for Trust podcast, NetBrain CEO Bernadette Nixon joins host Nick to discuss the future of Agentic NetOps, AI-driven automation, and how organizations are already putting AI agents to work.Key TakeawaysAI is delivering measurable results One financial services customer is using NetBrain's Deep Diagnosis Agent to automatically resolve and close 25% of its network trouble tickets, while helping engineers troubleshoot the remaining issues faster. Live network context makes the difference NetBrain's NetOps Harness combines live network context, Network Intents, and automation to help AI agents operate with the right intelligence and guardrails. Autonomous networks are a journey By combining Diagnosis, Assessment, and Change Agents, organizations can move toward self-healing and se

R13 is here, bringing the latest capabilities of the NetBrain Agentic NetOps Platform to your network operations.With R13, you can build and govern your AI Agent Team from one place, put specialized agents to work across diagnosis, assessment, automation, and change, and keep every action grounded in accurate network data. R13What'sNewWhat’s new in R13:AI Agent Studio & Operations Console — Build, govern, run, and approve agent work from one place. Specialized AI Agents — Automation, Assessment, Change, and Companion Agents each take on specific NetOps workflows. Governance and human oversight — Agent access, data, and actions are scoped and logged, with human approval required before changes execute. R13What'sNew Smarter, more accurate network data — AI Doctor, Knowledge and Memory Studio, and AI-powered ticket analysis help keep the context agents rely on accurate and reusable.Ready to get started?Upgrade to R13: https://success.netbrain.com/professional-services/request-upgrade/

NetBrain has announced a major expansion of its Agentic NetOps Platform, introducing new Change and Assessment Agents alongside its existing Diagnosis Agent to help network teams accelerate troubleshooting, execute changes safely, and proactively prevent outages.Powered by the NetOps Harness, these agents leverage live network context, automation tools, and built-in guardrails to support network operations across the full lifecycle, from diagnosis and assessment to change management and prevention.With human oversight and approval built into every action, network engineers can work alongside AI agents to improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and shift toward more proactive network management.Learn more about the latest advancements in Agentic NetOps and what they mean for your network operations.👉 Read the Annoucement: https://www.netbrain.com/news/anopl/💬 Which capability are you most excited to explore: Diagnosis, Change, or Assessment?

NetBrain just launched NetOps Advance, a new technical editorial series for enterprise network operators navigating the shift to Agentic NetOps.This isn’t a product blog. It’s a practical source of ideas, lessons, and perspectives from the front lines of modern network operations.Each issue looks at how teams are evolving from reactive troubleshooting toward more governed, automated operations using deterministic resolution, AI-assisted diagnosis, and agentic reasoning.In Issue 01, “The 3 AM Hero Is Retiring,” NetOps Advance explores a challenge most network teams know well: critical troubleshooting knowledge often lives with a handful of experienced engineers. The article looks at how that expertise can be turned into repeatable, governed resolution so teams can spend less time solving the same incidents over and over.New issues publish weekly, with the first two already live.📖 Explore NetOps Advance: https://advance.netbrain.com/ 

We’re proud to share that NetBrain has been named to the 2026 MES Midmarket 100, recognizing technology vendors helping midsize organizations modernize operations, improve efficiency, and tackle increasingly complex IT challenges.This recognition reflects NetBrain’s continued commitment to helping network teams reduce outages, accelerate troubleshooting, and move toward more intelligent, automated operations.Hear directly from NetBrain CEO Bernadette Nixon and CMO Scott Fitzgerald as they discuss the evolution of Agentic NetOps and how organizations can build on their existing automation investments to create more intelligent and resilient network operations.Watch the conversation:Explore the full 2026 list:https://www.mescomputing.com/awards-and-lists/midmarket-2026

Agentic NetOps is no longer just a vision statement. Gartner has released its first-ever Market Guide for Agentic NetOps Software, setting a formal definition, criteria, and projection for the category.The report outlines what production-grade AI in network operations requires, including:Multivendor, heterogeneous infrastructure support Deep operational context across topology, path, policy intent, and knowledge Multiple autonomy modes, from human-in-the-loop to governed execution Pre-execution validation before changes touch the network Transparent and explainable reasoning operators can trustGartner also predicts:“By 2030, AI agents will be the most common approach for executing network runtime activities, up from less than 1% in early 2026.”Download the Gartner Market GuideWhat part of Agentic NetOps do you think will have the biggest impact on network operations: context, validation, autonomy, or explainability?

We’re excited to announce that NetBrain 12.3a will be available starting June 1, bringing new capabilities that help network teams move closer to Agentic NetOps — where automation, AI, and live network intelligence work together to support faster, more reliable operations.Today’s network teams are being asked to do more with greater speed and precision. But too often, teams are still stuck jumping between tools, manually validating network paths, recreating troubleshooting steps, and relying on tribal knowledge when issues hit.NetBrain 12.3a helps change that.This release strengthens the foundation for Agentic NetOps by giving teams the verified network context, validated paths, and operational intelligence needed to support more confident diagnosis, remediation, and automation.What’s new in NetBrain 12.3aAI Path DoctorValidates network paths, flags inaccuracies, and generates runbooks to remediate issues. Reliable paths are the foundation for every diagnosis and automation that agents

NetBrain’s David Mann, Global Services Leader, joined Nick Lippis on the Built for Trust Podcast for a conversation on how AI is changing the future of network operations.In the episode, “From Observability to Reasoning: How AI Is Transforming Network Operations,” David discusses why traditional tools can detect network problems, but often cannot reason through them. That gap is becoming a major challenge for enterprise IT teams as networks grow more complex.Nick and David cover what AI-driven network operations looks like in practice, including why context and intent are critical to effective automation, how standard changes and runbooks can become the foundation for autonomous agents, and where human oversight still plays an important role.They also discuss how AI workloads are reshaping enterprise infrastructure, changing traffic patterns, and forcing network teams to rethink how they design and operate networks for the next era. 

NetBrain R12.3 is now available, bringing new AI-driven capabilities designed to help teams troubleshoot faster, reduce manual effort, and operate networks with greater confidence.This release focuses on making automation more practical in day-to-day operations—helping teams move from detection to resolution with less friction and better insight.What’s New in R12.3R12.3 introduces several enhancements that strengthen NetBrain as an AI-powered automation platform: AI Deep Diagnosis Automatically identifies the root cause of many network issues with transparent reasoning and visualized results, reducing time spent chasing symptoms. Runbook Companion by AI Helps generate runbooks for tickets and network issues, making it easier to standardize troubleshooting and capture knowledge as work happens. Quick Assessment Streamlines network validation and assessment, helping teams identify configuration drift and risks across multiple devices in minutes. Cloud Automation Extends automation

NetBrain Technologies, Inc., a leading AI NetOps platform for hybrid network observability, today announced the closing of the previously announced majority investment by funds managed by Blackstone Growth (“Blackstone”) in the company. The investment is focused on accelerating the company’s global expansion and advancing its AI‑powered network automation platform.Alongside the completed transaction, NetBrain is also announcing several leadership updates supporting its next phase of growth.Bernadette Nixon has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of NetBrain and will join the company’s Board of Directors. Founder Lingping Gao will transition from CEO to Chair of the Board, following two decades of visionary leadership and innovation. Lastly, Gus Malezis, executive strategic advisor and Chairman, IRIS Software Group and Jerry Guo, Founder, former CEO and Chairman of Casa Systems, Inc., will join the company’s Board of Directors.Nixon brings an extensive track record of driving growth

Network downtime isn’t getting cheaper—and for many teams, it isn’t getting shorter either.Across enterprises, the same patterns keep showing up: MTTR still stretches into hours for critical incidents The same issues repeat, often after routine change Human error and configuration drift remain a major source of outages To address this, NetBrain just released a new white paper that takes a step back from tools and features and looks at the operating model behind reliable networks.📄 Reduce Network Downtime by Half Every Year — The Promise of AI-based Automation for Modern Network OperationsThe paper breaks down how teams can move from reactive troubleshooting to a more repeatable, scalable operating model by: Identifying which incident types consume the most time and recur most often Making diagnosis consistent so outcomes don’t depend on who is on call Turning every outage into input for prevention, not just a closed ticket Reducing risk from change by catching configuration

However and wherever you’re celebrating, thank you for being part of the NetBrain Exchange Community and for the work you do every day to keep critical networks running. We’re grateful for the conversations, collaboration, and momentum you helped create this year.Wishing you a restful holiday season and a strong, steady start to the New Year. Here’s to what we’ll build together next.

November delivered on all fronts—awards, analyst buzz, big blogs, new videos, and plenty of activity from our members. Here’s everything that shaped the Exchange this month.NetBrain Takes Over Times Square   🏆 Awards & Industry RecognitionNetBrain picked up major momentum in the wider industry, earning both awards and high-profile analyst mentions.Awards & SpotlightMost Innovative Security Validation – Cyber Defense Magazine Next Big Thing in Enterprise Tech – Fast Company Recognized in Gartner’s Digital Twins Market Guide Included in The Fast Mode: Leading Networking Vendors in 2025These honors reflect two decades of innovation in AI-driven network automation—helping companies like Nike and CVS validate security, automate troubleshooting, detect CVEs, and prevent outages. 📚 New Blogs Worth BookmarkingNetBrain’s content team dropped several strong pieces this month—each one tackling a real challenge network teams face today.Decode your network’s DNA with NetBrain’s Digital Tw

There was a time when a network could fit neatly on a Visio diagram—when teams could literally point to a problem on paper. Those days are long gone.Today’s hybrid networks span data centers, public clouds, and countless vendors and versions. Static maps that once brought clarity now only add confusion—showing idealized snapshots of a network that no longer exists.So where did things go wrong? The challenge isn’t visibility—it’s fragmentation. We’ve built a tool for every task, but none that connects the dots. The result: data overload, tool sprawl, and alert fatigue. We’re collecting puzzle pieces from different boxes, and a clear picture never emerges.This article breaks down how to move from static maps to living network intelligence with NetBrain’s Intent-Based Digital Twin.Inside the article: The ongoing operational crisis of tool sprawl and alert fatigue The shift from static diagrams to living intelligence How real-time visibility drives true business value Read the full sto

Modern networks are a living puzzle of on-prem, cloud, and virtual environments — constantly changing and challenging to manage. Our latest eBook, “Hybrid Network Auto-Discovery, Mapping, and Documentation,” breaks down how NetBrain’s Intent-Based Digital Twin gives you a live, always-accurate view of your entire hybrid infrastructure.Learn how you can: Automatically discover and map every device, path, and policy across your hybrid network. Replace static documentation with dynamic, agentic AI-driven reporting. Build a true single source of truth for visibility, troubleshooting, and compliance. 📘 Download the full eBook here: Hybrid Network DiscoveryWe’ll leave you with one question: if your network could automatically document and update itself in real time, how would that change your daily operations?

We want to hear from you! Your perspective as a NetBrain customer helps shape how others see the future of network automation — and it helps us keep improving.Take a few minutes to share your experience with NetBrain on Gartner Peer Insights. Reviews are anonymous and take about ten minutes to complete.As a thank-you, the first five published reviews will receive a $25 gift card from the Gartner Peer Insights team.Your insights matter — and they inspire innovation across the NetBrain community.Start your review - https://gtnr.io/tLskplrDX

Our Women in Tech group is officially live on the community! 🎉This space continues the meaningful conversations started during the Women in Tech luncheon at NetBrain LIVE 2025—where so many inspiring voices shared ideas on leadership, mentorship, and the future of women in network automation.Join the group to connect with peers across the industry, share your own experiences, and keep the dialogue going year-round. Whether you attended the luncheon or are just discovering the community, everyone’s welcome to join the discussion.👉 Join the Women in Tech group

We’ve just announced our new ACE+ (Assessment Consultant Edition Plus) Partner Program — designed to help partners accelerate customer value with revenue-generating automated network assessments.ACE+ provides flexibility, speed, and scale:Desktop option for on-site demos (up to 1,000 nodes) Partner-hosted cloud option for unlimited scale on AWS or Azure Full platform access with hundreds of pre-built automations in our Golden Assessment LibraryWhy does this matter?Automated assessments uncover hidden vulnerabilities, highlight hardware refresh needs, and cut compliance checks from weeks to minutes. Partners like Presidio and Technologent are already using ACE+ to deliver outcome-driven engagements that strengthen customer trust and accelerate sales cycles.Ryan Couch, NetBrain’s CMO and Head of Channel, told CRN:“The idea of learning quickly and being proactive and more efficient, doing more with less, is kind of the big selling point with this new ACE+ [program]. It’s still ACE, but th

What if network outages weren’t inevitable—but preventable?New Gartner research reveals that Agentic NetOps—autonomous, AI-driven network operations—can unlock near real-time self-healing capabilities to dramatically reduce downtime and minimize impact on end users.NetBrain is proud to be named in this research as a Representative Provider, delivering the intent-based automation and AI capabilities that make this transformation possible.The report, “Agentic NetOps Will Revolutionize Network Operations,” lays out a roadmap for adopting this new era of network management. Inside, you’ll find guidance on how Agentic NetOps can help you: Stay competitive: Track the industry shift to autonomous operations. Plan smarter: Prepare your team, processes, and budget for the transition. Make informed choices: Balance the benefits and risks of autonomous solutions. The future of network operations is clear: complexity and outages don’t have to be accepted as the norm. With Agentic NetOps, netwo

We’re bringing the NetBrain community together in Boston for three days of interactive learning, thought leadership, and hands-on experience.What to Expect Keynotes & Thought Leadership: Hear from NetBrain executives, industry leaders, and customers driving innovation. Customer Stories: Real-world panels and use cases from peers solving today’s toughest network challenges. Breakout Tracks: Four tracks designed around your business goals and technical needs. Hands-On Labs & Workshops: Put Agentic AI and the latest automation in action. Expert Access: Meet with NetBrain specialists to tackle your roadblocks and open new opportunities. Evening Connections: Great food, craft drinks, live entertainment, and networking with some of the best in the industry. Special Highlight🎉 Customer Appreciation Dinner Cruise – Kick off the event with a 3-hour evening on the Odyssey ship. Take in Boston’s skyline, enjoy dinner, and dance to a live band featuring world-class musicians who