The complexity of modern infrastructure grows as companies adopt edge computing to support applications like AI, IoT, and global digital experiences. In this landscape, Perforce Software has announced the launch of Puppet Edge, an extension aimed at bringing enterprise-level automation to network and edge devices. The new add-on will be available across all three platform editions —Puppet Core, Puppet Enterprise, and Puppet Enterprise Advanced— and integrates within the same governance and security framework that already manages servers and cloud environments.
Underlying Issue: 67% of Networks Still Managed Manually
Manual management remains dominant in networking. According to Gartner®, 67% of network activities in companies are performed manually, leading to poor incident management and change performance. This reliance on manual processes amplifies configuration inconsistencies across firewalls, routers, and edge platforms, directly impacting downtime and increasing security and compliance risks.
The growth of edge introduces configuration drift, tool sprawl, and provider fragmentation. This all escalates operational costs and hampers innovation. As Jake Hookom, SVP of Product Management at Perforce, states:
“With Puppet Edge, we’re addressing the complexity and fragmentation plaguing modern infrastructure. By extending our automation capabilities to network and edge devices, we help teams eliminate manual processes, reduce configuration overhead, and close compliance gaps — enabling faster innovation without sacrificing governance or security.”
How Puppet Edge Works in Practice
With Puppet Edge, infrastructure and network teams will be able to:
- Apply consistent configuration policies across all environments.
- Reduce manual effort and human errors through centralized orchestration.
- Scale automation confidently to thousands of distributed nodes without losing visibility or control.
Unlike point solutions that handle only edge or network, Puppet Edge offers these capabilities within a unified platform, extending Puppet’s policy-driven automation framework to servers, cloud, network, and edge. This approach eliminates the need for additional orchestration layers or parallel tools, closing blind spots that could pose risks or lead to misconfigurations.
Benefits for Organizations
According to Perforce, integrating Puppet Edge enables organizations to:
- Accelerate time-to-market by automating edge device management and removing operational bottlenecks.
- Lower operational costs by consolidating tools, simplifying workflows, and minimizing manual intervention.
- Enhance resilience and security by applying uniform policies across all environments.
- Protect previous investments since existing playbooks can be reused within the new unified platform.
- Frictionless scaling in hybrid environments, managing thousands of distributed nodes alongside traditional infrastructure from a single point of control.
This strategy positions Puppet Edge as a catalyst for organizations to innovate right to the edge, ensuring that management complexity doesn’t hinder their initiatives.
A Unified Automation Vision
The launch of Puppet Edge reflects Perforce’s goal of achieving unified automation across hybrid infrastructure. The company plans to expand capabilities in both declarative and imperative models, providing flexibility for diverse automation strategies. Furthermore, they anticipate integrating artificial intelligence to optimize efficiency, predict issues, and reduce operational risks.
This approach consolidates Perforce’s position as a key player in the DevOps ecosystem, supported by its presence in over 80 countries and more than 75% of Fortune 100 companies as clients.
Conclusion
In an environment where manual management still leads to frequent failures, Puppet Edge offers a concrete solution to the challenge of comprehensive automation. By extending Puppet’s governance and security model from servers and clouds to network and edge devices, organizations can reduce costs, enhance resilience, and accelerate innovation.
Perforce sends a clear message to the market: automation is no longer optional. Those looking to scale AI, IoT, and global digital experiences require centralized, consistent control that spans from data centers to the last edge device.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Puppet Edge and how does it differ from other network automation solutions?
Puppet Edge is an extension of the Puppet platform that extends automation to network and edge devices within a single unified framework. Unlike specialized tools for edge or network, it integrates governance and security across servers, clouds, networks, and distributed environments.
What problems does Puppet Edge solve in managing hybrid infrastructures?
It reduces reliance on manual processes, eliminates tool fragmentation, applies consistent policies across all environments, and enables scaling automation to thousands of distributed nodes without losing control or visibility.
What tangible benefits can companies expect from implementing Puppet Edge?
Faster time-to-market, lower operational costs, enhanced resilience and security, reusability of existing playbooks, and frictionless scalability in hybrid environments.
Is Puppet Edge available across all Puppet platform editions?
Yes. Puppet Edge is part of Puppet Core, Puppet Enterprise, and Puppet Enterprise Advanced, making it accessible for both basic deployments and complex enterprise environments.
via: perforce