What is Arista Networks?
Arista Networks is a company that manufactures and sells high-speed multilayer switches for data center and AI driven networks. Their software-defined networking (SDN) solutions are widely used in large data centers and cloud environments, providing low-latency and high-performance connectivity. All Arista devices use Extensible Operating System (EOS), using one operating system for everything. They also offer open APIs and programmable solutions. As of June 2019, Arista has also started manufacturing and selling access layer switches.
History
2004 – Arista was founded by the visionaries Andy Bechtolsheim, Ken Duda, and David Cheriton
2008 – Arista EOS launching
2010 – Arista 7500 series switch was shipped, making it the company’s first modular spine product
2014 – initial public offering on the NYSE under the symbol ANET
2015 – introduction of Arista CloudVision
2016 – release of 3rd generation 7500R
2017 – Arista AnyCloud launched with vEOS Router
2018 – introduction of first campus switching products. Acquisition of Mojo Networks and Metamako
2019 – introduction of 400G and Cloud EOS Any Cloud
2020 – achieved #1 market position in the 100/200/400G ports market. Acquired Big Switch Networks and Awake Security
2021 – Launching of AVA security
2022 – Acquired Untangle and Pluribus Networks. Introduction of cloud-managed solution Arista CUE (Cognitive Unified Edge).
2023 – Entry to the WAN Routing market
2024 – Reached milestone of 10,000 customers, 100 million ports installed globally, and no. 1 market share in data center switching. Smart Etherlink 800G launched. 20th anniversary of the company.
Product Offerings
Spine Switches
- 7800R4 Series
- 7800R3 Series
- 7500R3 Series
- 7500R Series
Distributed Etherlink Switches
- 7700R4 Series
Modular Spline Switches
- 7300X3 Series
Cloud Optimized 100G/200G/400G
- 7388X5 Series
- 7368X4 Series
Dynamic Deep Buffer 25/50/100/400g models
- 7280R3 Series
Multi-function Programmable Leaf and Spine Switch models
- 7170 Series
Ultra Low Latency – Layer 1+ Switch models
- 7130 Series
Cloud Optimized 10G/25G/40G/50G/100G/400G/800G models
- 7060X Series
- 7260X Series
Flexible 100G/400G models
- 7050X4 Series
- 7358X4 Series
Flexible 10/25/40/50/100G models
- 7050X3 Series
Virtualized Cloud 10G/40G
- 7050X Series
1G/10G Switch models
- 7020TR
- 7010TX
Modular Campus POE Switch models
- 750 Series
10M-mGig Campus POE Switch models
- 710P Series
- 720X Series
- 722XPM 720D
Arista also offers software solutions.
Converged Cloud Fabric (CCF) – for on-prem private cloud networking using an AWS style virtual private cloud (VPC).
Multi-Cloud Director (MCD) – for management of Arista products Converged Cloud Fabric (CCF) and DANZ Monitoring Fabric (DMZ).
Arista Clientele
Arista has a number of Fortune 500 clients. Here are some, to name a few:
Cloud Providers:
- Google Cloud
- Microsoft
- Netsuite
- Fiserv
Enterprise
- Oracle
- Accenture
- Foxconn
- Meta
Financial Institutions
- Bank of America
Others:
- SpaceX
- Comcast
- Wells Fargo
- Netwo
- UniSC
From Cisco to Arista
Several Cisco clients are opting to migrate their network to Arista. Factors such as cost savings, performance, ability to leverage Arista’s software driven approach and open architecture. Clients are being drawn to Arista’s superior performance in data center environments at a lower cost. Arista’s open architecture is a great option for clients to avoid vendor lock-in. Latest organization to migrate their legacy data center network to Arista’s solution is Baptist Health, a not-for profit healthcare system, with multiple locations across the United States. Other hospitals are still in the process of evaluating Arista’s solution. In summary, clients from the different sectors like data centers, healthcare, and enterprise networks are transitioning to Arista to save on cost, superior performance, and software-driven solutions.
If you’re an experienced network engineer and new to Arista networking, a great place to start is by comparing it with Cisco. This video highlights the key differences in design, configuration, and operational approach—helping you understand how Arista stands out in modern networking environments.
