F5 And NVIDIA To Boost Edge AI Applications With Cloud-Native Network Functions

F5 Inc. FFIV has announced an expansion of its partnership with NVIDIA Corp., introducing the integration of BIG-IP Next Cloud-Native Network Functions (CNFs) on NVIDIA BlueField-3 Data Processing Units (DPUs).

The partnership focuses on deploying F5’s network infrastructure solutions such as edge firewalls, DNS, and DDoS protection through lightweight, cloud-native functions powered by NVIDIA’s BlueField-3 DPUs.

By placing CNFs at the edge, the arrangement aims to bring applications closer to end-users, reducing latency and boosting performance in industries reliant on real-time decision-making.

“Customers are seeking cost-effective ways to bring the benefits of unified application delivery and security to emerging AI infrastructures, driving continued collaboration between F5 and NVIDIA,” said Ahmed Guetari, VP and GM, Service Provider at F5.

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“In particular, service providers see the edge as an area of rising interest, in that data ingest and inferencing no longer must take place at a centralized location or cloud environment, opening up myriad options to add intelligence and automation capabilities to networks while enhancing performance for users.”

It also tackles the challenge of scaling AI across distributed environments, especially where legacy systems fall short of handling AI workloads’ computational requirements.

F5’s Application Delivery and Security Platform plays a crucial role in powering the majority of Tier-1 telecom networks globally, supporting both mobile and fixed-line services.

The new infrastructure, powered by F5’s CNFs and NVIDIA’s hardware acceleration, will also strengthen security features like firewall protection and DDoS mitigation, while enhancing connectivity for both AI workloads and traditional RAN services.

F5 BIG-IP Next CNFs deployed on NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs are expected to be available by June 2025.

Price Action: FFIV shares traded lower by 0.49% at $291.01 last check Monday.

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