Making Networking Cool Again

Meter has really caught my attention over the course of 2024. Let me explain why.

Learning About Meter

As part of our TNOps research efforts, I started investigating NaaS models to understand their impact on #NetOps teams and overall Enterprise consumption of NaaS services. Through that research, I came across Meter and started digging in.?

After some intro calls, I finally had the opportunity to sit down with Meter CEO Anil Varanasi for a TNOps podcast on 1 October, and then attend their first public event, MeterUp, on 2 October. I also had the honor of participating in the panel on Through these events, I get the sense that their vision for a highly-integrated networking play is a new level of “comprehensive” that I haven’t seen in awhile, maybe ever.?

Meter’s vision consists of the following (and more):

• Vertically integrated networking elements (switches, wifi APs, routing and security services, all the way down to the PDUs) built with high performance in mind
• A focus (not an afterthought) on management interfaces, dashboards, and network equipment that all look good, establishing their brand visually, with an indicator of the high performance the equipment is designed to deliver
• Comprehensive NaaS, amplified 10X, where Meter can run and manage your enterprise network infrastructure, including the pricing, selection, and management of Internet connectivity (via their Connect service)
• Robust network management, operation, and query capability via their Command interface
• Pricing models that shift to OPEX consumption from CAPEX; you don’t need to worry about software or hardware upgrades, as Meter manages all this and includes it as part of their services

What Else is Coming

Private Wireless

There is rising interest in Private Wireless, and Meter plans to address this via 5G support under their service called Cellular (I see an emerging trend in Meter service naming). One of the biggest barriers to the adoption of Private Wireless is its operational complexity - it’s a complex technology that requires largely new skills for most IT networking staff engineers, and it needs to be at least as easy as WiFi to see any sustained traction. Meter’s Cellular addresses this directly by offering it as part of their service suite, along with Wifi, allowing an enterprise to support the access models that fit them best. This can only help enterprises that want to go with Private Wireless.

Other Network Domains

Today, Meter is focused on branch and office connectivity through wired and wireless connectivity, and procuring and managing the SP links between those Enterprise locations. It’s not hard to imagine other parts of the network where Meter can deliver highly performant network equipment with a similar consumption model. I’ll be watching for this in 2025.

Impact to NetOps

So what about the impact of this model on an Enterprise NetOps team? Could a model like Meter’s reduce the need for networking expertise within the IT organization? Yes, it certainly could. But there are several things to think about on this front:

• Through conversations at MeterUp and in other venues, there are organizations that are having trouble finding and acquiring network engineering talent; Meter’s approach here can directly help companies struggling with this talent deficit
• There is the network automation cliche that states that “network automation just frees up network engineers to focus on more interesting things”; many network engineers’ eyes roll into the back of their heads when they hear this (with good reason), but Meter Command does a powerful job of letting you look at and analyze the network (not just a port, a switch, or an AP). Between Meter Command and other similar interface improvements from other vendors (for example, see here), we might be seeing the arrival of a next generation of natural language interaction with networking equipment that really does let the human network engineer do more.
• We need to remember that we live in a tech ecosystem that has - and relies on - regular innovation and disruption. This is an honest view of the networking world and broader tech universe. It’s best for each of us to keep developing new skills to grow and move as needed. Meter provides an opportunity for this with new networking gear, new interfaces, and new approaches to getting enterprise networking done.

Company Culture

I don’t have a complete view of Meter’s company culture, but I saw some key things during the podcast session and MeterUp that really impressed me.?

Anil was very approachable and easy to talk to; I can see him being the same with all the members of his team. Cofounder and CTO Sunil Varanasi left very much the same impression on me during MeterUp. There was lots of sharing of responsibility and talk time on the main stage throughout the whole MeterUp program; no single exec was trying to do it all. There were tours that took all attendees through Meter’s test lab, warehouse, and service delivery teams; every Meter person was engaged in what they were doing. That includes all the support staff as well. And there was one point in the program where there were questions about certain capabilities of Command, and the responsible product leader was immediately invited up on stage to be part of the conversation.

The cynical reader (like many of my SE and NetEng friends) could write off all of the above commentary as “of COURSE they were all happy and engaged - they needed to be for a public event”. Sure, you want everyone on their best behavior. But I saw what I saw; having done this for a while, working at and with many different networking vendors, my read is that it was genuine. People want to be proud of what they’re building, and that is the vibe I got from Meter.

Making Networking Cool Again

Anil and I share a concern for the lack of new talent coming into the network engineering field. Part of our conversation centered on the decline of network engineering programs in universities; ironically, the program he graduated from no longer offers network engineering, and I taught in the same program as an adjunct faculty member years ago.

Anil wants to make networking cool again. There needs to be more of a draw for talent into network engineering, and Anil and Meter are doing their best to help by encouraging more young talent into the field. Many of us are trying to do the same through Network Automation Forum , US Networking User Association , and more. I’m sure we’ll find ways we can collaborate with Meter.

Wrapping it Up

If you are open to rethinking how you design, purchase, and operate your enterprise network, Meter is definitely worth a look.?

I can’t condense all the content referred to here; I’ve embedded links above, and you can check out additional links below.

TNOps with Meter podcast on Packet Pushers :

https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/packet-pushers-interactive-llc_meter-ceo-anil-varanasi-joins-scott-robohn-activity-7250515655488122881-YMSa?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop?

https://packetpushers.net/podcasts/fat-pipe/tno005-making-networking-cool-again-with-meter-sponsored/?

Meter's coverage - and note the excellent guest speakers Michelle Zatlyn and Jay Parikh as well:

https://www.meter.com/meterup/replay?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/201545039@N03/albums/72177720320860793/?