Extreme envisions offering specialized, easy-to-deploy AI agents for analytics, sustainability and security.
Extreme Networks this week previewed an AI marketplace where it plans to offer a curated catalog of AI tools, agents and applications. Called Extreme Exchange, it’s designed to give enterprise customers a way to discover, deploy, and create AI agents, microapps, and workflows in minutes rather than developing such components on their own, the vendor says.
“AI is transforming enterprise productivity and breaking down silos with agentic solutions that automate repetitive, error-prone tasks to chat interfaces that turn thousands of pages of documentation into instant answers,” wrote Nabil Bukhari, president of AI platforms and executive vice president and chief technology officer with Extreme, in a blog about the Exchange preview. “Yet, AI sprawl is accelerating, inundating enterprises with countless agents and apps that have unclear ROI. Many tools lack flexibility, are complex to deploy, and demand costly upskilling. Inconsistent procurement, pricing, governance, and monitoring across vendors create friction and remain major barriers to adoption.”
With Exchange, customers will be able to more easily find AI tools built for networking and business use cases that offer plug-and-play simplicity. In addition, users can develop microapps that blend network and business data to deliver new insights and opportunities. Think of it as an app store for AI-powered networking, built for enterprise-grade reliability, security, and scalability, Bukhari stated.
Since this is a preview of the product, Extreme didn’t offer details about how the components would be consumed by customers other than saying that every agent is secure and pre-integrated with the vendor’s Extreme Platform ONE and Extreme Fabric. Extreme Platform ONE is the company’s cloud-based platform that integrates wireless, wired and security product data and then ties in AI and analytics services as well as capabilities from its partners. Extreme’s Fabric is based on the network standard Shortest Path Bridging/802.1aq technology and extended by Extreme’s software and automation tools, the company says.
More details about Extreme Exchange will be forthcoming, Bukhari stated.
In the meantime, Extreme recently published a white paper on changing AI business models that details what it called Agentic App Stores.
“These curated marketplaces allow ISVs, distributors, and resellers to publish certified agents. Like today’s SaaS marketplaces but focused on autonomous agents, these platforms will allow customers to browse, deploy, and integrate agents across vendors. Emerging standards such as the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communication protocols will make cross-platform compatibility practical, while certification programs can assure security and governance compliance,” wrote Justin Hurst, chief technology officer for Extreme, in the paper.
“The commercial potential is significant. Partners who can bridge the gap between vendor-created agents and customer-specific needs through integration, customization, and orchestration will have a competitive advantage in this new economy. Distributors may evolve into gatekeepers, curating agent marketplaces, handling billing, and offering trust and validation services across the ecosystem,” Hurst wrote.
