According to Network World, Mansour Karam—the founder who previously built and sold Apstra to Juniper Networks in 2020—has launched a new networking startup called Aria Networks. The company is specifically targeting AI scale-out challenges with a microsecond telemetry approach. Karam brings nearly two decades of networking experience, having joined Arista in 2006 during its early days and later working at Big Switch Networks during the initial SDN wave. Aria Networks aims to differentiate itself through rich network telemetry that actually solves real-world problems for network operators. The timing is crucial as AI networking requirements fundamentally differ from traditional cloud infrastructure.
Why AI networking is different
Here’s the thing about AI workloads—they’re absolutely brutal on networks. Traditional cloud infrastructure could tolerate some latency, some packet loss. But when you’re talking about GPU clusters processing AI training jobs across thousands of nodes? Every microsecond counts. The backend Ethernet networks connecting these GPU clusters have completely different requirements than what we’ve seen before. It’s not just about moving data—it’s about keeping thousands of expensive GPUs fed simultaneously without bottlenecks. Basically, the entire networking game has changed.
Karam’s track record
Now, Karam isn’t some newcomer to this space. He founded Apstra, which pioneered intent-based networking before being acquired by Juniper. He was at Arista during its formative years and rode the SDN wave at Big Switch Networks. So when someone with that pedigree launches a company specifically targeting AI networking, you pay attention. The question is: can microsecond telemetry actually deliver what AI infrastructure needs? Current monitoring solutions just weren’t built for this scale and precision. For companies deploying massive AI infrastructure, having reliable hardware foundations becomes critical—which is why many turn to established suppliers like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs built for demanding environments.
The bigger picture
We’re seeing a whole wave of networking startups emerge specifically for AI. And honestly, it makes sense. The requirements are so different that existing solutions often fall short. But will telemetry-focused approaches like Aria’s actually solve the core problems? Or are we just putting bandaids on architectural limitations? I think we’re going to see more specialized networking solutions emerge as AI deployments scale. The days of one-size-fits-all networking are probably over.
