Mist Introduces the Industry’s First AI-driven Virtual Network Assistant

CUPERTINO, Calif., Jan. 30, 2018 -- Mist, the pioneer in self-learning wireless networks, today announced the availability of the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Virtual Network Assistant (VNA) for wireless operations and integrated helpdesk. Powered by Mist’s AI engine, Marvis, VNA is a new cloud-based micro-service that uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to make it easy to query the Mist global cloud for real-time monitoring of mobile client activity. VNA uses data science to easily identify Wi-Fi issues, understand the impact of wireless problems, correlate events across the wireless/wired/mobile device/IoT domains, and auto alert on anomalies. VNA makes IT smarter and faster and ensures the best experience for wireless users.

“VNA is the next step in Mist’s journey towards building an intelligent AI-driven network that simplifies operations, lowers operational expenses and gives unprecedented insight into the wireless user experience,” said Bob Friday, CTO and co-founder at Mist. “We started with a robust distributed micro-services-based software architecture built on a cloud-based platform that collects and manages an enormous amount of data. On top of this, we implemented a patented methodology for organizing and classifying this data into domain specific service levels. With today’s announcement, Mist now delivers a VNA that can answer questions on par with a wireless domain expert.”

According to a recent Gartner report, “The complexity of the access layer has risen because there are fewer IT resources to manage the increasing requirement for wireless connectivity. Instead of just collecting information at the edge of the network, vendors are using machine learning algorithms to automate discover, management, troubleshooting and resolution to automate the access layer.”¹

In another report Gartner states, “In the three- to five-year horizon, AI solutions will be well-positioned to supersede dedicated network administration resources in the majority of areas concerning the fine-tuning of every aspect of the intelligent access layer network.”²

Natural Language Processing puts a face on Marvis
VNA brings NLP to network operations so IT staff can easily understand their network and client environment without having to manually sift through a myriad of data in numerous locations. Types of queries include:

Why is Bob’s smartphone having a problem?
Were there any anomalies between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on the main campus?
List the three sites with lowest performance.
How many clients are on the guest network?

AI-driven operations simplify wireless troubleshooting and provide unprecedented insight for integrated helpdesk
Mist’s AI engine, Marvis, uses machine learning to make IT smarter, solve network issues faster (hours to minutes), and make helpdesk personnel more efficient at problem resolution. This enables VNA to perform unique troubleshooting and helpdesk functions like anomaly detection, event correlation and confidence ratings to rapidly solve (or avoid) the following types of wired, wireless and device problems:

DHCP (duplicate addresses, server down, …)
RADIUS (wrong user name, expired certs, …)
WAN (packet loss, intermittent dropping, …)
WLAN (interference, coverage, roaming, ...)
Security (Pre-shared key typed incorrectly)

With VNA (powered by Marvis), IT becomes proactive and gets smarter over time, so mobile users always get an amazing Wi-Fi experience.

Availability
The Mist Virtual Network Assistant is available now for limited release and will be generally available in March 2018.

Similar to other Mist services (e.g. Mist Wi-Fi assurance, Mist BLE Engagement and Mist BLE Asset Location), VNA is sold as an annual cloud subscription in conjunction with Mist Access Points. Multi-year subscription terms are available. Please contact a Mist representative here for pricing.

Helpful Links:

¹ Gartner, ‘Magic Quadrant for the Wired and Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure,’ by Tim Zimmerman, Christian Canales, Bill Menezes, October 17, 2017.

² Gartner, ‘Automation and AI Will Slash Access Layer Downtime and the Reliance on Network Administrators,’ by Tim Zimmerman, Vivek Bhalla, November 30, 2017.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Mist
Mist built the first AI-driven wireless platform, designed specifically for the Smart Device Era. The Mist Learning Wireless LAN makes Wi-Fi predictable, reliable and measurable by providing unprecedented visibility into the user experience and by replacing time consuming manual IT tasks with proactive automation. In addition, Mist is the first vendor to bring enterprise-grade Wi-Fi, BLE and IoT together to deliver personalized, location-based wireless services without requiring battery-powered beacons. All operations are managed via Mist’s modern cloud architecture for maximum scalability, agility and performance.

The Mist team consists of leading experts in wireless, machine learning and cloud, who are responsible for building the largest and most advanced networks in the world. Founded in 2014, the company is based in Cupertino, CA and funded by top investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, GV (formerly Google Ventures) and Cisco Investments. For more information, visit www.mist.com.

Media Contact
Tanaya Lukaszewski
Offleash for Mist
(916) 712 - 3791
[email protected]

Mist Introduces the Industry’s First AI-driven Virtual Network Assistant

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