Forward Networks’ digital twin platform now delivers verified network data directly into Infoblox NIOS, strengthening IP address governance, simplifying NCCM, and improving network assurance
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Forward Networks, the industry’s leading network digital twin platform, today announced that it has joined the Infoblox Technology Alliance Partner Program and now offers a certified integration with Infoblox NIOS DDI, enriching IP Address Management (IPAM) through automated, verified network data synchronization.
With the most accurate and current IPAM data, enterprise IT teams can confidently execute change plans, ensure device configurations and network behavior align with intent, and maintain a reliable, compliant network state. This level of precision accelerates deployments, reduces manual effort, and strengthens both NCCM (Network Change Control Management) and network assurance initiatives. This one-way, automatic synchronization, available in Forward Enterprise versions 25.7.0 and later, pushes validated network data into Infoblox NIOS without any manual effort or code required.
With this integration, Forward turns its network data into structured, Infoblox-ready data. It then automatically syncs that data into Infoblox NIOS, populating network views with accurate subnets, interface IPs, device metadata, and classification details. Everything is driven by a flexible query engine and managed through a simple user interface, enabling organizations to combine the behavioral accuracy of Forward Networks’ digital twin with Infoblox’s robust NIOS DDI (DNS, DHCP, and IPAM) services. Customers can improve data integrity, eliminate manual input, and enhance cross-team visibility across hybrid and multi-vendor environments.
Enterprises can now derive enhanced benefits from their Infoblox NIOS solution while ensuring their network reliably performs as intended. Forward Enterprise automatically adds subnets to the correct Infoblox NIOS Network View, saving time and preventing errors that can occur with manual entry. Because Forward Enterprise delivers unparalleled network visibility – from global views of the entire architecture to specific devices or lines of configuration – users can detect and remediate drift before network issues arise.
“We’re excited to be part of the Infoblox ecosystem because integrating our solutions directly addresses some of the most difficult challenges enterprises face—like streamlining Network Change Control Management (NCCM), preventing configuration drift, and ensuring the true network state is reflected in IPAM,” said Chiara Regale, Vice President of Product Management at Forward Networks. “Together, we’re helping enterprises operate more efficiently and with greater confidence in the accuracy of their network data.”
Solution Benefits:
- Verified Network Data Sync: Automatically transfers structured, up-to-date network data—including subnets, VRFs, VLANs, MAC addresses, and more—into Infoblox NIOS to improve IPAM integrity and compliance.
- No-Code Simplicity and Flexibility: Eliminate manual scripting with an intuitive GUI and customizable field mappings that support diverse operational workflows.
- Built for Scale: Designed to support large, hybrid, multi-vendor environments with tens of thousands of devices, ensuring reliable, consistent data at enterprise scale.
- Enhanced Governance and Assurance: Strengthens NCCM and network assurance by maintaining alignment between intended and actual network state through verified, always-current data.
- Future-Ready Modernization: Offers a seamless, Infoblox-certified upgrade path for NetMRI users, enabling more secure, scalable, and automated network operations.
This combination supports enterprises’ ongoing efforts to modernize their infrastructure, reduce operational risk, and gain actionable insights from their existing investments. Organizations using both platforms can now leverage a unified view of network behavior and address space with minimal overhead and maximum confidence.
NetMRI End‑of‑Life: A Catalyst for Modernization
Infoblox recently announced that its legacy NetMRI network automation and configuration management solution reached Last Order Date on April 30, 2025, with end-of-support scheduled for April 30, 2027. Forward-thinking enterprises using NetMRI are actively evaluating newer tools with real-time observability, proactive automation, and hybrid-cloud compatibility. Forward Enterprise is a certified NetMRI replacement.
The Forward–Infoblox integration offers a compelling modernization path for NetMRI customers, enabling:
- Seamless migration from NetMRI systems
- Enhanced visibility and governance across hybrid, multi-vendor environments
- Improved IPAM accuracy and operational efficiency without disruption
For organizations seeking a reliable replacement for NetMRI, this integrated solution provides a seamless transition, supporting continuity, reducing operational risk, and accelerating network modernization.
About Forward Networks’ Digital Twin Technology
Forward Enterprise is the only true network digital twin, delivering a mathematically accurate virtual twin of an organization’s network, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments. It supports over 30 hardware vendors, more than 35 operating systems, the major public clouds (AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform), and more than 900 OS versions, delivering unparalleled visibility and control.
Forward Enterprise provides current, actionable insights into network behavior, security posture, and compliance status by mathematically modeling every possible path a packet can take. The platform’s unique collection process discovers and documents unknown devices while integrating with CMDB, ensuring a complete and accurate view of the network. Its read-only approach guarantees security while allowing teams to analyze and verify network configurations without risk.
The platform delivers $14.2M in average annual benefits through improved efficiency and security.
About Forward Networks
Forward Networks is revolutionizing the way large networks are managed. Forward’s advanced software delivers a digital twin of the network, enabling network operators to ensure the network is secure, reliable, and agile. The platform supports devices from all major networking vendors and cloud operators, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. Forward Networks was founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D. graduates and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Investors include MSD Partners, Goldman Sachs, Andreessen Horowitz, Threshold Ventures, Section 32, Omega Venture Partners, and A. Capital. For more information, visit www.forwardnetworks.com.
Media Contacts
For Forward Networks
Dustin Rausa, Guyer Group
dustin.rausa@guyergroup.com
Dawn Slusher, Forward Networks
dawnslusher@forwardnetworks.com
SOURCE Forward Networks, Inc.