Forward, formerly Forward Networks, has launched Forward Predict, a system that shows the complete impact of network changes before implementation. The technology runs proposed changes against a mathematically accurate digital twin of production networks, preventing costly errors from reaching live systems. The platform addresses a long-standing industry problem where production networks served as the only true test environment, creating risk and delays. Forward Predict validates changes across multi-vendor environments and major cloud platforms including AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. The company, backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Goldman Sachs, positions the technology as foundational for autonomous networking, enabling AI agents to propose and verify changes safely. According to IDC, Forward customers average $14.2 million in annual benefits. Forward Predict will be available in autumn 2026.

Forward foresees autonomous, agentic networks with digital twin magic. Release comes amid major rebrand for networking firm May 20, 2026 Forward (formerly Forward Networks) unveiled a digital twin-based tool designed for the autonomous network use cases. Dubbed Forward Predict, the feature works by running each proposed change against a mathematically accurate digital twin of the entire production network. Forward said this approach is designed to prevent costly errors from reaching the production stage, while giving organizations more confidence to accelerate self-driving network efforts without the security pitfalls. "To predict the future state of a network with confidence you first need a mathematically accurate, fully representative model of the entire network estate as it exists today," Forward Chief AI Officer Nikhil Handigol told SDxCentral. "That means every vendor, every device, every operating system, every layer from L2 [layer-two] to L7 [layer-seven], on-premises, and cloud." Handigol explained Forward's Network Digital Twin uses header space analysis to "trace every possible path any packet can take across the network." Specifically, it applies proposed changes to the mathematical model of the production network, including distributed protocols like border gateway protocol (BGP) and open shortest path first (OSPF) and their full control and data plane interactions, before running the complete Forward Enterprise analysis suite against the predicted future state. This process includes routing validation, end-to-end path analysis, firewall and access control list (ACL) verification, segmentation and compliance verification, and automated regression testing. Model precision is backed by software validation against real network devices during testing and development. Upon customer deployment, the platform cross-references the model against the live network baseline to verify accuracy and continuously refine predictions. Downtime and agents on the rise. While Forward's network digital twin debuted over a decade ago, the firm has seen an acceleration in demand for the tech, driven by both AI and the specter of network downtime. Handigol pointed to Gartner estimates that a major unplanned network outage costs more than $500,000 per hour, with total business losses that can exceed $1 million. "Human error remains the leading cause of those outages, and a network digital twin directly addresses that. One of our banking customers reduced MTTR (mean time to repair) by 80%. That kind of outcome keeps demand strong," Handigol said. "The second force is agentic AI," Handigol continued. "As organizations move toward autonomous networking, the margin for error becomes orders of magnitude smaller than it has ever been. A mistake made by a human affects one change. A mistake made by an agent propagates at machine scale and speed. That changes the risk calculus entirely, and it changes what teams need underneath their automation." The exec touted a network digital twin becomes a "prerequisite" rather than an advantage in this case, where increasingly ubiquitous AI agents can get deterministic insight into network behavior and validate the impact of any proposed change before anything touches the production environment. "Without that foundation, autonomous networking is not really autonomous, it is just fast and risky," Handigol said, echoing similar stances from the likes of Nvidia and Google Cloud. The solution launch follows a major rebrand for the Santa Clara, California-based firm. Founded in 2013 as Forward Networks, the company is now simply known as Forward. "Forward was the first word of Forward Networks, and honestly our customers figured it out before we did. They had been calling us Forward for years, so we decided to make it official," Handigol said. That customer base includes Goldman Sachs, PayPal, IBM, and Dell, as well as government agencies and other Fortune 500 enterprises. "But the name change reflects something real," Handigol added. "The network digital twin has always been the foundation, and that does not change. What changes is the ambition. We are moving toward a world where every organization that depends on its network can run it autonomously, intelligently, and without fear of change. Forward felt like the only word that captured that direction. "Less explanation, more momentum. That is what the name means to us." More in automation & virtualization.

Forward Networks recognized for advancing AI through Digital Twin Technology. Mar 25, 2026, 09:00 ET Named a 2026 AI Excellence Award winner for Forward AI, delivering operational AI grounded in mathematically precise network data SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Forward Networks, the industry leader in network digital twin technology, today announced that it has been named a winner in the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards for its recently announced Forward AI feature set. Presented by the Business Intelligence Group, the award recognizes organizations, products, teams, and individuals that are applying artificial intelligence in ways that drive real, measurable impact. Forward Networks' digital twin platform is proven in the world's most demanding environments. It models every device, path, and behavior to deliver mathematically precise insight, enabling trustworthy agentic operations and ensuring functional integrity and operational resilience across global enterprise networks. This provides the crucial foundation of comprehensive, mathematically precise network data required for the successful adoption of AI. Forward AI addresses the critical challenges facing global organizations, including increasing network complexity and the need to support AI adoption while safely implementing operational AI to improve network efficiency. By leveraging near-real-time, domain-specific behavioral data, the platform enables AI agents to act on trusted, verified data rather than assumptions, ensuring every action is grounded in precision and validated by guardrails. "We founded Forward Networks to solve a problem the industry had learned to live with. Before Forward, it was hard for network and security teams to know with certainty how a complex network would actually behave," said Nikhil Handigol, co-founder and chief AI officer of Forward Networks. "At scale, assumptions break down, and that risk compounds as organizations move toward automation and AI. A mathematically accurate digital twin changes that by providing a verified foundation teams can trust, so they can operate, automate, and adopt AI with confidence." The 2026 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards honor achievement across a broad range of industries and use cases, spotlighting the companies and leaders moving AI beyond experimentation and into practical, accountable deployment. This year's program recognized winners across 36 industries and more than 15 countries. "AI has arrived! 2026 is about execution, accountability, and results," said Russ Fordyce, Chief Recognition Officer, Business Intelligence Group. "Forward Networks stood out because its work in Digital Twin Technology reflects where the market is headed: practical AI that solves real problems, earns trust, and delivers measurable value. This recognition highlights a team that is not just participating in the AI shift, but helping define what meaningful progress looks like." Handigol concluded, "Being recognized with the AI Excellence Award for the Digital Twin Technology is a meaningful validation of that work, and we're deeply grateful, but more than anything, it reflects the trust that the IT leaders running the world's most critical networks have placed in us." About Forward Networks Forward Networks created the world's first network digital twin, transforming how organizations manage and secure their networks. Customers include global leaders such as Goldman Sachs, PayPal, S&P Global, IBM, and Dell, as well as other Fortune 500 enterprises, fast-growing companies, and government agencies. The company's software creates a mathematically precise model of the production network, giving IT teams unmatched visibility, verification, and agility across multi-vendor environments and every major cloud, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. According to a recent IDC report, the average Forward Networks customer experiences US$14.2M in annual benefits through improved efficiency and security. Trusted by Fortune 100 enterprises and federal agencies, Forward Networks helps organizations reduce risk, ensure compliance, and prepare their networks for the demands of AI and the next wave of digital transformation. Founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D.s, Forward Networks is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and backed by leading investors including MSD Partners, Goldman Sachs, Andreessen Horowitz, Threshold Ventures, Section 32, Omega Venture Partners, and A. Capital. For more information, visit www.forwardnetworks.com. About the Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards Since 2013, the Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards recognize organizations, products, teams, and individuals leveraging AI technology to solve real-world problems. The program evaluates advances across 46 major AI application types and 36 industries, celebrating innovations that improve the human experience and advance society as a whole. Judged by a panel of experienced business executives who provide transparent feedback and detailed scoring, the awards honor those dedicated to using AI as a force for good. About Business Intelligence Group Business Intelligence Group (BIG) is an independent awards organization that has been recognizing outstanding achievement in business since 2012. Now in its 14th awards season, BIG operates 12 annual programs spanning innovation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, customer service, cloud computing, sustainability, sales and marketing, workplace culture, and women's leadership. Business award programs include the BIG Innovation Awards, AI Excellence Awards, Fortress Cyber Security Awards, Excellence in Customer Service Awards, Stratus Awards for Cloud Computing, Sustainability Awards, SAMMY Awards for Sales and Marketing, Best Places to Work Awards, Herizon Awards, We Love Tech Awards, NAA Top Employers Award, and BIG Awards for Business. Unlike popularity contests, BIG programs use professional judging panels and objective scoring benchmarks to identify organizations, products, and individuals making real, measurable impact. Winners receive a complete promotional toolkit - including blockchain-verified credentials, press release support, social media assets, and featured placement across BIG's global community of more than one million business professionals.