Forward Networks is a company that is founded by David Erickson, Nikhil Handigol, Brandon Heller, Peyman Kazemian, when they were PhD graduates. The four enterprising friends and co-founders of the company created a software platform that uses configuration and operational state information from network devices to make a virtual copy of the network. Something that was started as a research project in the university later turned into a multi-national business set-up.
Today, Forward Networks offers its customers a wide range of intent-based networking services that involve network configuration, data security, network verification, network modeling, etc. It has robust software in place that can scale to complex networks, handling many devices at a time. Its mathematical model enables it to offer multi-vendor coverage with full scalability with ease. Its user-friendly approach also gives it an edge; the intuitive app interface allows the customers to verify their network’s behaviour, configuration, and network wide network with ease. The company also offers the ability to model a variety of networks and technologies including ‘on-prem’, cloud and virtual overlay networks.
As the company provides varied services at low risk and asy deployability, it has gained many reputed customers from different backgrounds such as telecommunication, retail, banks, service providers, government agencies, etc. Forward Networks has Fortune 50 financial institutions and Fortune 50 telecom providers among its list of clients.
ACCELERATION AND GROWTH
The company’s co-founders may never have imagined such a steady growth of their company in a short span of time. They had registered the company name in 2013, and their excellent idea and impressive business model soon got them ample funding of 11 million dollars in 2014. It worked in stealth mode until 2016, when it raised $16 million in funding from Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ). The company again raised $35 million through funding from Goldman Sachs, which is also its client. Forward Networks has since then seen a rapid surge with a vast business establishment in place and big multinational corporate firms such as Goldman Sachs, Paypal, and Telstra as its loyal customers. Over the years, it has won over 20 industry awards for its exemplary services and technological developments. Today, massive platforms like global financial institutions, multiple US Government agencies, and global international media distributors bank on Forward Networks for various networking solutions.
EXPLORING NETWORK SECURITY
Forward Networks has recently decided to explore the security space by introducing ‘Zero Trust Verification.’ It endeavours to expand operations further by introducing 3 new features to prevent and contain security mishaps. The Zero-Trust Verification gives absolute security to the client’s online data and operations through its pro-active feature that would immediately drop the level of connectivity to an absolute minimum. The contributions that Forward Networks is making in the intent-based networking and network modeling industry are commendable. With the same level of commitment and dedication towards its services, the firm is sure to make a considerable mark in the industry.
