How could Cisco's AI-driven code modernization affect Arista Networks?
Cisco's AI code rewrite may challenge Arista Networks' market position Cisco is undertaking a major internal overhaul, utilizing unlimited AI tokens to rewrite 98% of its legacy code. This ambitious project, spearheaded by engineer Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy under the direction of President Jeetu Patel, aims to complete the modernization within 24 months. This significant boost in internal technological capability and operational efficiency could strengthen Cisco's standing in the AI and cloud networking infrastructure market, putting increased competitive pressure on rivals like Arista Networks.
- Effect
- Mild negative
- How direct
- Brind's reasoning
- When
- Within months
- The story
- No new developments lately
How it reaches Arista Networks
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Cisco announced on October 30, 2026, that it is utilizing AI tokens to rewrite legacy code. Cisco president Jeetu Patel provided unlimited AI tokens to engineer Padmanabhan Krishnamurthy to attempt this task. Krishnamurthy was tasked with rewriting 98% of the company's legacy code within 24 months, and as of October 30, he had four weeks to prove the approach.
The full event1independent outlet -
Successfully rewriting a vast amount of legacy code through AI is expected to dramatically improve Cisco's internal operational efficiency and technological agility. This modernization effort strengthens Cisco's overall competitive standing in the high-growth AI and cloud networking infrastructure market.
No report states this step directly. Brind drew it from the reporting on each side of it, so treat it as an informed guess.
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The facts so far
As reported. Each one links to where it comes from.
Why it matters
The AI and cloud networking infrastructure market is highly competitive, with Cisco and Arista Networks vying for technological leadership and market share. Cisco's ability to rapidly modernize its core systems using AI could translate into faster product cycles and more efficient operations, giving it a significant advantage over rivals.
This move is part of a broader trend among big tech companies to leverage AI specialists to tackle massive, complex internal projects. The outcome of Cisco's ambitious code rewrite will be a key indicator of how quickly large enterprises can adopt AI to solve deep-seated operational challenges.
What we don't know yet
- How successful will the AI-driven rewrite of 98% of Cisco's legacy code actually be?
- How will Arista Networks respond to increased competitive pressure from a modernized Cisco?
What would change this answer
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Reporting
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Brind's analysis is written by AI from the reporting linked above and can be wrong. This explainer is a possibility worth considering, not a forecast: steps marked as Brind's reasoning are not stated in the reporting. It is not investment advice; do your own research.