Imagine a world where networking is as elegant and intuitive as an Apple product. That’s the bold vision Meter, a networking startup, is chasing—and it’s turning heads. But here’s where it gets controversial: can networking hardware ever be as beautiful as it is functional? At their annual event overlooking San Francisco Bay, Meter’s CEO and co-founder, Anil Varanasi, declared with passion, ‘We love moving packets.’ It’s a simple statement, but it encapsulates a profound truth: everything in our digital world, from emails to container ships (yes, even those!), boils down to packets—units of data in motion. And this is the part most people miss: as the number of networks, devices, and data explodes, the number of networking engineers is shrinking. Meter’s solution? Autonomous networks by 2026, powered by AI—though they wisely avoid overhyping that buzzword.
Varanasi’s message echoes Steve Jobs’ philosophy, particularly his nod to Alan Kay’s famous quip: ‘People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.’ Meter is doing just that, adopting Apple’s vertically integrated, own-the-stack model. Their networking-as-a-service offering spans hardware, firmware, operating systems, software, APIs, and AI models. But unlike Apple’s consumer-focused design, Meter’s hardware isn’t about shiny surfaces or bespoke colors. Instead, it’s about precision and trust. Joshua Markell, head of hardware, proudly recounted fighting to shift a port position by 2 mm—a tiny detail that speaks volumes about their commitment to excellence.
Here’s the twist: Meter’s customers don’t own their hardware. They pay a subscription fee based on square footage for cloud-managed gear. So, while Meter’s hardware feels like a cathedral, its customers are visitors, not owners. This raises a fascinating question: Does beauty in hardware matter if it’s not yours to keep?
When Ethernet co-inventor Bob Metcalfe asked Varanasi if AI is a bubble, he dodged the question with a smile. But Metcalfe didn’t hesitate: ‘There’s definitely a bubble. The only question is when it will pop.’ Meter’s networking-as-a-service model, he argues, is what makes them a game-changer. In a world where Cloudflare’s cough can shut down half the internet, and DDoS attacks hit record highs, Meter’s promise of autonomous, AI-driven networks feels both ambitious and necessary.
So, here’s the thought-provoking question for you: Is Meter’s focus on hardware aesthetics a genius move or a distraction in a world where networking is increasingly invisible? Let us know in the comments—we’d love to hear your take!