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The year felt like it stretched on forever, and in that extra space the networking world reshaped itself. We traded weekly cadence for deeper focus, shipped an AWS Advanced Networking book that the community embraced, and then watched the landscape pivot as vendors consolidated, clouds connected to each other, and AI hype met the hard edges of security and reliability.

We dig into the acquisition wave with clear eyes: Arista picking up VeloCloud from Broadcom and what that means for SD‑WAN customers; HPE’s Juniper deal clearing regulatory review and the open questions around Mist and portfolio strategy; and why Broadcom–VMware didn’t trigger instant mass migrations, even as budgets and CSP support shifted. Then we chart the most surprising turn—AWS and Google offering a cross‑cloud link that’s not a one‑off database play, but a general connective fabric. If pricing trends toward pipe capacity rather than per‑GB egress, multi‑cloud networking stops being a niche product pitch and becomes an operator reality. We even explore the idea of a Cloud Exchange Point, where automation snaps providers together at scale.

AI was everywhere and still uneven. We call out real wins—friendlier automation workflows and eBPF‑powered visibility via Cisco’s Isovalent acquisition—while laying out the unsolved work: agentic AI with least privilege, auditable actions, and enforceable data boundaries. Until those controls are standard, enterprises will limit autonomy and keep AI close to expert hands. Against the constant layoff drumbeat, we offer direct advice: build skills across cloud interconnects, Kubernetes networking, and eBPF telemetry; document outcomes in the language of cost and risk; and lean into community for opportunities and perspective.

If you want a no‑nonsense guide to what changed, what actually matters, and how to prepare for a faster 2026, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a teammate who needs signal over noise, and drop your take: which shift will shape your architecture next year?

Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/

Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking News
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/

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