This year’s Leaders quadrant features mainstays Juniper Networks and HPE Aruba, while Cisco Systems and Extreme Networks dropped into the Challenger and Visionary quadrants, respectively. Meanwhile, three NaaS newcomers joined this year’s report for the first time.
And backing that theme up is this prediction from Gartner: By 2028, 35 percent of enterprises will use AI to improve network operations and resilience, which is a major increase from less than 10 percent in 2025. AI networking standout Juniper Networks, which stands alone for the last time on the report as it is now part of HPE Networking, once again took the top spot in the 2025 report, followed by HPE (Aruba), Huawei, and Fortinet.
But the Leader quadrant was not without some drama this year as networking leader by market share Cisco Systems dropped into the Challenger quadrant. Smaller but mighty networking specialist Extreme Networks also landed in the Visionary quadrant, as opposed to the Leaders quadrant in which the vendor has found itself for the last six years.
Then there were the additions of the three Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) vendors that made their debut on this year’s Quadrant: Join Digital, Meter and Nile. These Visionaries are turning heads and that’s because by 2028, on-premises campus NaaS will be adopted by 15 percent of all enterprises, a marked increase from less than 2 percent this year, Gartner forecasts.
Rejoining the list this year was H3C. Dropped from the 2025 list was former Niche Player Cambium Networks.
With a total of 15 wired and wireless vendors that landed on the 2025 Magic Quadrant this year, here are the companies that ranked as a Leader, Challenger, Niche Player or Visionary, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each vendor according to Gartner.
Leader: Fortinet
Fortinet, a security and networking player, is a Leader once again in this year’s Magic Quadrant. Fortinet Security Fabric offers extremely tight integration between its wired and wireless products, Gartner said. The company is expected to continue to invest in AI networking capabilities and improved third-party management and network performance monitoring.
Strengths: Fortinet’s strong suit is that the company’s Secure LAN offering strongly resonates with clients prioritizing cybersecurity. Gartner also pointed to Fortinet offering consistent capabilities and cost-effective licensing, across both on-premises and cloud deployment options.
Weaknesses: Gartner said that Fortinet’s security customer base is still buying switches and WLAN products from networking competitor as the company’s relationships often start on a security footing. Fortinet also lags in the AI networking capability to integrate with IT service management applications, which is becoming essential for enterprises in troubleshooting and change management, Gartner said.
Leader: HPE (Aruba)
HPE Aruba Networking, a longtime Leader thanks to what Gartner calls its comprehensive approach to enterprise networking managed by HPE Aruba Networking Central, which can be deployed on-premises and via the cloud/virtual private cloud. Gartner expects HPE Aruba Networking to continue investing in its cloud offerings and expanding in the market with private mobile networking and SASE solutions. The company at the time of this report has not merged with Juniper Networks and the two companies were treated as separate entities.
Strengths: Gartner cites that HPE Aruba’s strengths lie in its security-first AI network infrastructure that was designed to meet the broad demands of the enterprise market. It offers an automated and secure wired and wireless fabric, facilitating the deployment of a zero-trust architecture.
Weaknesses: HPE Aruba Networking offers multiple NaaS options for end customers and its channel with can be confusing. Separately, customers have voiced concerns about the Juniper acquisition, citing uncertainty regarding future portfolio investments, Gartner said.
Leader: Huawei
Huawei was cited as a Leader once again in this year’s Magic Quadrant once again due to its CloudCampus offering, which includes CloudEngine S-series switches, AirEngine wireless APs and iMaster NCE-campus application. Huawei has had notable growth in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, but geopolitical challenges have resulted in a lack of presence in countries such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K. and India, where Huawei has ceased activities voluntarily, Gartner said.
Strengths: Huawei offers advanced AI networking capabilities, including digital twins and intent-based features, such as VIP FastPass, which automates network provisioning and optimizes user experience, Garter said.
Weaknesses: Huawei continues to face ongoing geopolitical issues that limit its exposure in some geographies. The company also does not plan on offering a consumption-based model, Gartner warned.
Leader: Juniper Networks
Taking the top spot once again, Juniper Networks leads the report with its wired and wireless LAN offerings, which include its EX series switches and wireless access points driven by the company’s market-leading Mist AI engine. The company is heavily investing in its integrated AI and machine learning operations, as well as cloud-based security capabilities, Gartner said.
Strengths: Juniper is a market leader when it comes to AI/ML-driven capabilities, featuring Marvis Minis agentic AI with an embedded digital experience twin that provides enterprises with constant insights into the condition of their network, enabling hands-off operations, Gartner said.
Weaknesses: Similar to HPE Aruba, some Juniper customers have voiced concerns about the upcoming acquisition by HPE, citing the uncertainty it introduces. Also, Juniper Networks on its own does not currently offer NaaS consumption models that support a pay-as-you-go approach, Gartner said.
Challenger: Cisco Systems
Cisco, a challenger this year after falling out of the Leaders quadrant, comes to the market with its Catalyst and Meraki portfolios of wired and wireless access products, network applications and services. Cisco’s strategy of delivering a unified experience with common hardware and licensing marks a significant shift for the company, and Gartner expects Cisco to continue to invest in portfolio integration and AI networking capabilities.
Strengths: Gartner, like last year, pointed to the scope and global reach of Cisco’s wired and wireless hardware and software product portfolio and the company’s integration of ThousandEyes throughout the portfolio as strong points for the company. That Cisco’s Wi-Fi 7 access points introduce a unified licensing model to simplify the buying experience is also a big feather in the company’s cap.
Weaknesses: Gartner called Cisco’s product strategy not well-aligned with key enterprise needs and overall value. Cisco is also still in the process of unifying its entire Catalyst and Meraki portfolio into a coherent offering, which is creating challenges for customers as their needs evolve, Gartner said.
Niche Player: Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE)
ALE, once again a Niche Player, comes to the market with its OmniSwitch switches, OmniAccess Stellar wireless access points and OmniVista management products. The company’s portfolio includes on-premises and cloud-based management options with network fabric segmentation and universal network policy for IT and IoT provisioning, according to Gartner.
Strengths: Gartner praised ALE’s network management capabilities, including zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) capabilities, automation, and detailed analysis of network traffic and client performance metrics. The vendor also has strong campus fabric capabilities with third-party support, which have now been extended to the edge, Gartner said.
Weaknesses: Gartner said ALE has a number of product gaps, including AI networking capabilities. The company also had one of the smallest market footprints compared to the vendors in this report as it has little market penetration outside Europe.
Niche Player: Allied Telesis
In its second year on the report, Allied Telesis offers a broad switching portfolio and a WLAN offering. The company focuses on customers in the healthcare, education and government sectors, and its operations are geographically diverse.
Strengths: Allied Telesis is investing in automated networking in the form of its AMF Plus offering to simplify administration for wired and wireless infrastructure, Gartner said.
Weaknesses: Allied Telesis has limited AI networking capabilities and limited wired and wireless LAN market visibility among customers and prospects outside Japan, Gartner said.
Niche Player: CommScope Ruckus
A Niche Player for the second year in a row, CommScope-owned Ruckus Networks, addresses the market with its Ruckus brand of ICX wired switches, R series wireless access points, and Ruckus One, its network management and AIOps platform. Gartner expects that Ruckus will continue to invest in AI networking capabilities and vertical-focused customer requirements.
Strengths: The company offers a strong solution for enterprises with guest access requirements, such as hospitality, multi-dwelling units (MDUs) and higher-education dormitories. The Ruckus One platform offers wired and wireless segmentation, along with IoT onboarding and automation capabilities at the edge, Gartner said.
Weaknesses: Gartner said Ruckus has limited viability with enterprise clients and highlighted long-term viability uncertainty, as CommScope disclosed financial risks related to its debt in its 2024 financial report.
Niche Player: H3C
Rejoining this year’s report is H3C, a company that offers a broad range of wired and wireless access products that support on-premises and cloud management through its Application-Driven Campus and Cloudnet solutions, respectively. H3C is one of the few vendors capable of delivering a fully optical network, Gartner said.
Strengths: The company provides strong automated deployment capabilities across its campus stack and plans to further enhance these capabilities by integrating AI to boost automation. H3C also has strong customer service, Gartner said.
Weaknesses: H3C has limited third-party management and advanced AI networking capabilities, such as digital twins, as compared to other vendors in this research. Gartner also noted that H3c has limited visibility among enterprise clients.
Niche Player: Join Digital
Join Digital has entered the Magic Quadrant as a niche player with its NaaS model that includes LAN networking hardware, software, internet connectivity and security via its cloud platform. Its Workplace Analytics offering addresses complex enterprise networking needs and the company serves enterprises in commercial real-estate, high tech and financial services, Gartner said.
Strengths: Join Digital’s strength lies in its plug-and-play approach to NaaS that simplifies Day 1 network deployment, including integrations with digital conference rooms, managed printers and voice over IP (VoIP) phones, Gartner said.
Weaknesses: Join’s exclusive reliance on the NaaS model may not align with the needs of all enterprises, and the company has a limited marketing presence, Gartner warns.
Niche Player: TP-Link
TP-Link, a Niche Player once again, comes to market with Omada, Omada Pro and associated network software products that are focused on addressing the needs of small and midsize enterprises (SMEs). Most of the company’s revenue is generated from customers in EMEA.
Strengths: Omada Pro is available on-premises and in the cloud, offering parity in features and functionality across each deployment model. The company offers competitive pricing for SMEs, Gartner said.
Weaknesses: TP-Link falls behind the competition in supporting AI networking capabilities, according to Gartner. In addition, the vendor’s focus on SME networking is not well-aligned with the emerging needs of enterprises, particularly in addressing advanced operation and security requirements.
Visionary: Arista Networks
Once again a Visionary, Arista Networks is catering to the enterprise networking market with its Cognitive campus switches and Wi-Fi access points, and its CloudVision management platform. Gartner expects Arista to continue to invest in its CloudVision integrated security and AI and ML capabilities.
Strengths: Arista continues to evolve secure campus networking and zero-trust security offerings, and the company’s roadmap aligns with broad enterprise market demands for AI networking capabilities, Gartner said.
Weaknesses: Arista has limited exposure outside its core data center customer base, according to Gartner. The company’s campus switching portfolio also targets large enterprises and comes with a price premium.
Visionary: Extreme Networks
Dropping from the Leader quadrant where the company spent the last six years, networking specialist Extreme Networks’ portfolio ties together wired, wireless and SD-WAN products into a single offering that’s layered on top of a unified management platform that’s available in the cloud or on-premises. Gartner expects Extreme to invest in its Extreme Platform ONEstrategy, launched in December, to enhance its AI networking capabilities.
Strengths: Extreme Networks has been consistently investing in its single wired and wireless infrastructure, which offers a seamless and policy-driven automated campus network fabric. The company also provides universal hardware and licensing.
Weaknesses: The company’s Platform ONE offering requires migration for the current ExtremeCloud IQ installed base. Also, Extreme Networks’ marketing programs have not effectively reached Gartner clients, which affects market awareness, Gartner said.
Visionary: Meter
Making its Magic Quadrant debut as a visionary, Meter offers a NaaS model that includes LAN networking hardware, software, internet connectivity and security via its cloud platform. Meter’s network management platform leverages digital twin technology that eases network operations, and its guest services include a cellular service, Gartner said.
Strengths: Meter’s NaaS offering includes a generative UI, with digital twin capabilities for Day 1 and Day 2 network activities. Additionally, the vendor’s roadmap aligns with enterprise needs to eliminate operational expenditures from network investments, Gartner said.
Weaknesses: Similar to Niche Player and fellow NaaS provider Join Digital, Meter’s exclusive reliance on the NaaS model may not meet the needs of all enterprises. Meter also lags in advanced network security functionality, as well as emerging UZTNA capabilities, according to Gartner.
Visionary: Nile
John Chambers-backed Magic Quadrant newcomer Nile offers a NaaS model that includes LAN switches, access points and cloud-based network applications. Nile’s NaaS delivers a secure campus fabric on Day 1, featuring granular network segmentation for every device and advanced capabilities to segment guests from the LAN to Nile’s cloud. Nile’s operations are geographically diverse, Gartner said.
Strengths: As a NaaS vendor, Nile handles equipment planning and installation through step-by-step survey and activation wizards, which makes for a seamless process, notes Gartner. Nile’s NaaS offering includes an SLA for three performance metrics.
Weaknesses: Nile’s NaaS solution mandates the use of its proprietary equipment and offering no migration path to integrate legacy hardware or transition away from its system. Also, Nile’s service does not provide capability for customers to self-test configuration and validate changes, Gartner warns.
