Why AI and cloud are the next frontier for federal network automation

Federal agencies are navigating a perfect storm: more threats and complexity, but fewer resources to manage it all. However, according to HPE Networking Chief AI Officer Bob Friday, the convergence of cloud and agentic AI allows agencies to rethink how networks are built, secured and automated.

“I think we’re hearing the same thing from federal customers that we hear from our commercial customers, with the additional requirement that we have to meet new security requirements to move to the cloud,” says Friday, citing FIPS and the need for FedRAMP certification for secure cloud adoption.

Friday emphasized that AI is no longer a theoretical capability but central to how agencies design and operate mission-critical networks. “We are moving into what I call a cloud AIOps paradigm,” he says. “Any CIO running an IT organization is in the middle of figuring out how to embrace all the agentic AI technology coming down the pipe. It’s not just a technology shift; it’s an organizational shift.”

He noted that to implement AI-driven automation successfully, agencies must align their data science, IT and support teams in new ways. “How we develop and automate software is changing, and you really have to get your domain experts involved to know if you’re making progress,” he says.

Friday also discussed the impact of HPE’s recent acquisition of Juniper Networks, calling it an accelerant for federal network modernization efforts. “The mission has not changed,” he says. “It’s still the same vision of trying to get to a self-driving network. What’s going to accelerate this is the agentic AI technology itself — and the fact that we now have two market-leading data science teams pushing the same rock up the hill.”

As agencies increasingly rely on applications such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to support critical operations, Friday said the future of network visibility will extend beyond traditional infrastructure monitoring. “We’re moving into a paradigm of client-to-cloud,” he says. “What’s more important is that critical business experience. With these new models, we can narrow problems down to the client, wireless, LAN or WAN layer.”

Looking ahead, Friday warned that federal agencies must also prepare for looming post-quantum cryptography mandates. “By 2035, the U.S. government is going to require almost all networks to be post-quantum safe,” he says. “Right now, the question many agencies are asking is, ‘What is it going to cost to get our networks ready?’”

His advice to federal leaders: start embracing the cloud-AI paradigm now. “When you say the word AI, on the other side of that coin is cloud,” says Friday. “Get to know FedRAMP, get to know the different levels of FedRAMP and start that journey sooner than later.”

Learn how HPE helps federal agencies implement faster and more efficient network and security operations.