Techstrong TV - February 27, 2026

Why It Matters

Forward AI demonstrates how AI can be safely integrated into critical network infrastructure, offering enterprises faster, more reliable operations while mitigating the risks of unchecked automation.

Key Takeaways

• Forward Networks launches Forward AI, a conversational agentic platform
• AI strategy built on mathematically accurate digital twin of networks
• Chief AI Officer emphasizes data quality and trust for safe automation
• Forward AI integrates with existing SDN tools, not a wholesale rebuild
• Company will demo solutions at Cisco Live, RSA, and Vegas events

Summary

Techstrong TV featured Nikquille Hondigal, co‑founder and Chief AI Officer of Forward Networks, to discuss the company’s evolution from a software‑defined networking (SDN) startup to an AI‑enabled network operations provider. Founded twelve years ago by Stanford PhDs, Forward Networks has maintained its mission to make global networks agile, predictable, and secure, while recognizing that network complexity now exceeds human capacity. To bridge this gap, the firm introduced Forward AI, a conversational, agentic system that leverages a mathematically accurate digital twin to execute multi‑step workflows safely.

Hondigal explained that Forward AI is not a generic AI overlay but a purpose‑built platform that relies on two pillars: high‑quality data and verifiable trust. The system ingests natural‑language commands from network, security, or cloud operators, translates intent into actionable plans, and autonomously carries out tasks through a series of orchestrated steps. By grounding decisions in the digital twin, the AI can reason about network state with precision, reducing the risk of erroneous actions in critical infrastructure.

The interview highlighted customer feedback that the company’s decade‑long foundation in SDN and observability is essential for AI success. Rather than discarding legacy tools, Forward Networks grafts AI onto proven monitoring, tracing, and analytics capabilities, avoiding the “magic‑AI‑on‑raw‑data” myth. The firm also announced an aggressive demo schedule, inviting prospects to request live demonstrations via its website, explore the Forward Quest sandbox, and meet the team at upcoming events such as Cisco Live Europe, Cisco Live US, and RSA in San Francisco.

For enterprises, Forward AI promises to accelerate network operations, improve reliability, and enhance security without sacrificing control. By combining trusted data, a rigorous digital twin, and conversational interfaces, Forward Networks positions itself as a leader in the emerging “agentic operations” paradigm, where autonomous agents augment human operators in managing increasingly complex and mission‑critical networks.

Original Description

Taming Network Complexity: Forward Networks Co-Founder Nikhil Handigol explains why autonomous network operations require mathematically accurate digital twins, enabling AI agents to reason, plan and execute safely on a foundation of provable network truth.

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