Extreme Connect 2026 Recap: From AI Vision to Operational Impact

“This is a critical moment in the history of technology development,” said Tom Gruber, co-founder of Siri, to a packed audience of attendees during his Extreme Connect 2026 keynote presentation in Orlando. “We have the opportunity—a small window—in which to choose how we will use AI… And we should do the right thing because it's so powerful and happening so fast, the choices that we make now are going to have big consequences down (the road)."

The Extreme Networks annual user conference brought together IT leaders and experts with Extreme customers, partners, and distributors to explore how Extreme innovation empowers the enterprise.

Here’s a look at the biggest moments from Extreme Connect, and what they mean for today’s IT teams.

A clear theme: simplicity at scale with AI-human collaboration

Throughout Extreme Connect 2026—in keynotes, breakout sessions, and conversations on the show floor—one message stood out: AI is best when it streamlines operations and augments human innovation, while keeping IT teams in control. Instead of adding layers of complexity, the emphasis was on blending AI with human expertise to make networks smarter, faster, and more adaptable to rapid change.

“The purpose of AI is to help meet human needs by augmenting and collaborating with people,” said Gruber. “I call this humanistic AI because it puts humans at the center of everything."

Through live demonstrations and strategic discussions, Extreme Connect illustrated how keeping humans at the center of AI deployment leads to smarter, more resilient networks without adding unnecessary complications.

The practical impact of these innovations was evident as Extreme showed how AI can take routine and complex tasks off of IT's to-do list, enabling teams to save time, work smarter, and optimize the network for a more efficient enterprise.

Extreme Platform ONE™ takes the next step forward

One of the central announcements at Extreme Connect was a major evolution of Extreme Platform ONE, with enhancements designed to help IT teams move faster while staying in control.

“Extreme Platform ONE is our modern platform with an agentic AI core,” said Ed Meyercord, CEO at Extreme Networks. “Truly, this is where we’re going. It’s not a question of if; it’s a question of when. And we know everyone is going to go at their own speed, at their own pace. In this case, it’s about trust—you’ve got to trust who you’re working with. You’ve got to know there’s a human in the loop.”

Rather than positioning Extreme Platform ONE as “just another platform,” the mainstage demonstration by Nabil Bukhari, President of AI Platforms and EVP, CTO at Extreme Networks, showcased how it is redefining network capabilities, leading to the next big announcement of how it will use AI to reimagine enterprise networking.

Extreme Agent ONE™: AI that works with IT teams

In two mainstage presentations, Bukhari introduced Extreme Agent ONE, a new class of AI agents for enterprise networking, including:

• Agent ONE Coworker, an AI agent designed to work alongside IT teams and deliver proactive, context-aware intelligence with real-time decisioning and automated execution at machine speed.
• Agent ONE Operator, an always-on, autonomous agent designed to extend AI beyond real-time interaction to continuous network operation.

“This is a level of intelligence that AI has not had until now, especially in the enterprise,” he said. “It’s the right technology, the right relationship—right now.”

Through detailed live demos, Bukhari and the team showed how agentic AI is built into Extreme Platform ONE to help simplify complexity for IT teams so they can respond faster and work smarter. For a rapt audience, the demos helped shift AI from the abstract to being grounded in real‑world use.

"We didn't build Agent ONE Operator for the last 30 years, we built it for the next 30 years--for today and tomorrow. That is how we move AI forward; that is how we deliver the outcome."

Customer success: the power of Extreme innovation in action

On the main stage, real-world customers captured the spotlight: Chip Suttles, VP of Technology for the Seattle Seahawks; Jim Clendenen, GVP & CIO of The Kroger Co.; Kenneth Chang, EVP & CMO of Korean Air; and Chet Patel, Complex Director of IT, Caribe Royale Orlando & Buena Vista Suites.

In sharing their real-world experience as Extreme customers, these IT leaders emphasized what distinguishes their shared approach: a relentless focus on forging connections and deeply understanding the customer experience. They were clear that this philosophy played a central role in their decision to partner with Extreme Networks. Today, those partnerships continue to evolve through close collaboration, shaping more capable and resilient network experiences.

Demos: where the message met reality

A highlight for many attendees was the consistency between what was said on stage and what was shown in the booths and explained during the many breakout sessions.

From guided walkthroughs of Extreme Platform ONE workflows, to hands‑on looks at AI‑assisted operations, the demos reinforced a simple idea: innovation should be tangible. Attendees didn’t just hear about reducing mean time to resolution or simplifying security—they watched it happen through real-world demos.

Ed Meyercord, CEO of Extreme Networks, closed the event by reflecting on the company’s 30‑year journey and the growth that has shaped it. He noted that customers have long chosen Extreme switches for their quality and performance—and as the company enters the AI era, partnership remains central to its approach.

“We want to be your partner on this journey, and we're really excited about where we are and the capabilities that we have,” Meyercord said, underscoring Extreme’s continued focus on innovation and collaboration as the company begins its next chapter.

Momentum you can use now

Extreme Connect isn’t about following fleeting trends, but about empowering IT teams with real, actionable momentum for today and the road ahead.

If you missed us in Orlando or want to revisit the announcements, be sure to check out the on‑demand replays, blog posts, and highlights on the Extreme Connect 2026 event page.