Dell is betting on the SONiC open-source network operating system to power the next generation of AI infrastructure, with Dell ISG President Arthur Lewis comparing its potential impact on networking to Linux’s dominance in servers.
Dell Technologies is positioning SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud) as the future standard for AI networking, with Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) President Arthur Lewis comparing the open-source network operating system’s trajectory to Linux’s rise as the dominant server OS.
Speaking about Dell’s networking strategy, Lewis said AI infrastructure requires an open, multi-vendor ecosystem built around high-bandwidth, low-latency networks. “For the same reason that Linux became the standard operating system for servers 20 years ago I believe that SONiC is going to become that operating system for the network. It’s open. It’s multi-vendor and continuously improved by a global community,” he said.
Lewis said Dell has extensively tested and deployed SONiC and believes it can eliminate networking bottlenecks that leave costly AI GPUs underutilised. “You will not idle the GPUs with a SONiC operating system deployment,” he said.
Dell now supports SONiC across its PowerSwitch portfolio, including systems based on Nvidia’s Spectrum 6 Ethernet switches and Broadcom’s Tomahawk 6, which is billed as the industry’s first 102.4Tbps Ethernet switch chip.
Lewis argued that the conditions driving AI networking adoption closely mirror those that fuelled Linux’s success, making the shift toward open-source networking inevitable rather than speculative.
Beyond technology, Dell sees significant opportunities for partners to build services around its AI Factory offerings. According to Lewis, growing demand for AI deployments and networking expertise creates what he described as “an innovator’s dream” for partners and entrepreneurs.
