Is Arista’s ‘blue box’ bash gaining a darker shade of hybrid?

Arista’s “Blue Box” Switch Platform Evolves

Arista Networks introduced the term “blue box” earlier this year to describe a switch platform positioned between traditional color categories in the network hardware market. Unlike typical white box systems that use generic hardware for third-party software and black box systems running proprietary software on exclusive hardware, the blue box combines robust hardware with open support for third-party network operating system (NOS) software.

Market Traction and Usage

This blue box concept has attracted attention from hyperscalers such as Meta, which seek stronger hardware than white boxes offer but still desire to run their own NOS software. While Arista acknowledged that blue box platforms generally deliver lower margins than proprietary systems, they tend to yield better margins than white box alternatives.

CEO Insights on Adoption

Arista CEO Jayshree Ullal told investors during the third-quarter earnings call that the company was “already quickly seeing success” with its blue box platform, but noted that at least one customer’s adoption had shifted toward what she described as a “hybrid strategy.”

Summary

Arista’s blue box platform blends robust hardware with flexible NOS options, gaining early success and evolving toward hybrid deployment strategies favored by major hyperscalers.

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SDxCentral SDxCentral — 2025-11-06

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