Innovators Circle

Hi Innovators!

In the IT networking industry, sustainability plays a crucial role in responsible resource management and reducing our environmental impact. As part of Earth Week celebrations, we're excited to announce a unique opportunity to get your sustainability questions answered by our very own Sustainability Director, Chris Demers! 

Here's the scoop:

• This will be an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session taking place from April 22nd to 26th during Earth Week.
• From now to April 26th, you can post your questions on this page at any time, and Director Chris Demers will pop in to answer your questions.
• Feel free to collect questions from your colleagues who aren't yet part of the community and post them here on their behalf. If they'd like to join in on the conversation and future events, they can simply reach out to insights@juniper.net.
  

Why participate?

• This is your chance to get insights directly from company leadership on sustainability initiatives, specifically within the IT networking industry.
• Have questions about broad topics like climate change or specific ones related to Juniper's sustainability efforts, like the energy efficiency of our products? This is the perfect forum to ask!
• The asynchronous format allows you to participate at your own pace, no need to juggle schedules.
  
  

Here are some question ideas to get you started:

• What are Juniper's biggest sustainability goals for the coming year?
• How can I personally contribute to a more sustainable IT infrastructure within my company?
• What are some ways Juniper's technology can help customers build more energy-efficient networks?
• Are there any upcoming  projects from Juniper focused on responsible e-waste management for networking equipment?
  

Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to learn, engage, and make a difference!

We look forward to your questions!

Innovators Circle Team

Hi Kyla,

Question for the team. How can we explain to leadership the need for sustainable products if they are more expensive?

Appreciate the help, thanks!

Hi Jackie,

I can think of a few things to help you make your point, all of which go to economics.

I'd start with energy. Strategies to use energy-saving products result in appreciably lower energy bills which contribute to TCO. We are moving from a paradigm where measure of overall data center energy use was the focus, to individual box/system energy observability and management-where energy and temperature sensors are found throughout the infrastructure. Better product energy efficiency is going to be an important differentiator to show individual energy contribution and contribution to data centers and networks.

Next, I'd stress that certified pre-owned products should be looked at whenever IT purchases are made. There is considerable price parity between certified pre-owned products and newly manufactured products-where certified pre-owned have a much smaller carbon footprint associated with them because most materials used are from a previously manufactured good.

I would also make the argument that vendor management of critical minerals should be among cost considerations-as in good management will reduce your costs long-term. Critical minerals are common in electronics hardware and facing scarcity. The more use of recycled content and better recycling network practices of producers mean more of these minerals stay in the value chain. Sufficient amounts of some critical minerals at reasonable prices will be factor as more are captured in products at a given in point in time-so sustainable products also support overall marketplace viability.

Thanks, Chris

Hi, thanks for the opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions.

Why do Juniper not offer an option to buy multiple access points in a single box (10 or more under a single SKU) when other vendors have been offering this option for many years, therefore cutting down on packaging?

Will there ever be an option to order switches with brackets already attached, and other parts (console cables) removed?

Its great that Juniper APs fit on existing vendor brackets - but it means I have hundreds of unused band new Juniper AP brackets and no way to return them or order the APs without brackets in the first place.

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ALEX ISRAEL
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Dear Alex,

We appreciate your ideas to make us better. We've made some big advances in packaging recently (trying to prioritize reducing plastics and ridding ourselves of single use plastics). Are you thinking 10+ APs in a single box or something smaller?

On the bracket issue, we will follow up with you. We want to understand the exact items you are talking about. We will find a solution to avoid identified waste.

Thanks, Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the response

Yes, exactly that. When we used to order APs from Cisco you could order as single units or a 10 pack which came as a single carton and thin cardboard divides between the APs - it certainly cut down on the amount of cardboard waste. We have just ordered 600 APs for delivery in June, and am alreaady dreading the unboxing process. I know that APs weigh considerably more in recent years certainly the 6GHz units, so 10 units may not always be possible - but even in 5's or 8's I think the waste would be cut down.

Regarding brackets, each AP comes with an 'APBR-U' metal ceiling mouting bracket in the box. However, as the Mist APs fit onto Cisco AP brackets which we already have installed, when we swap out we leave the existing bracket in place. We have installed 1,500 APs to date, and only used the provided brackets for around 300 - so recently we sent 1,000 never used brackets for recycle. Would have been great if we could order APs without the bracket, as sure we are not the only company in a similar situation - or alternatively if we could have returned them to Juniper and they could have been reused, but despite asking a few times this did not appear to be possible.

Thanks

Alex

Hey Kyla, 

Thank you so much for sharing! I have a question:

What do you foresee would be the biggest sustainability challenges/barriers for the industry in 2024?

Thanks!

Hi Casey,

Much appreciation for the question. In reflection, I think I consider these six challenges the greatest:

·      --Coming to common understanding of measures and pathways for emissions reduction between value chain actors, and therein accurate depiction of Scope 3 emissions.

·       --Creating business process around ESG reporting that carry the correct controls and are capable of assurance, while also manageable given the swaths of information being sought.

·       --Right-sizing due diligence on labor rights that considers risk along with evidence burdens.

·      --Generating documentation of circular products and practicing circular economy that mirrors different interpretations of the terms.

·       --Learning to communicate sustainability with urgency to effect business decisions, putting in the context of marketplace competitiveness, while not being alarmist.

·       --Tackling the challenge of sustainability in view of IT growth brought on by AI.

Thanks, Chris

Thanks for doing this Chris. Since AI is such a buzzword now, how do you see AI helping our industry on the sustainability front? Or is it more hindrance than help? Thanks.

Hi,

I'm optimistic about AI's role as a positive force in pursuit of sustainability. We must manage the ramp in energy demands, but fortunately those actors with the infrastructure that are the current backbone of AI are the very actors leading decarbonization efforts--utilizing a high amount of renewables and pushing real carbon removal. As the AI space grows, there should be measures assuring entrants poised to consume large quantities of energy partake in measurable decarbonization. An expansion of fossil fuel use to meet AI demands isn't tenable for the planet. Turning to AIs functional role in decarbonization, give the growth in intelligent networks we see, there is clear evidence AI will be applied to build energy efficiency (AI seems poised to improve the management of every mass system we rely on)-and to solve for growing overall demand-as its inventive applications help us organize complexity better, predict problems and outcomes better, and discover and apply remedies more quickly. 

Thanks for the question, Chris

My question is related to understanding on Juniper initiative on renewable energy strategy which related to takeback , resuse program .

Thanks

Amit

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AMIT GUMBER
HCL Technologies Ltd
NOIDA
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Hi Amit,

We have a growing certified pre-owned program. (https://junipercpo.net/) The program is available in all countries except Brazil, Russia, India, China and any country designated as "New Buy Only" based on country specific regulations. We are set to start a take-back service as well, which will expand our ability to direct decommissioned hardware to reuse or recycling that keeps materials in the value chain. Keep a look out on our webpage and social media for more information on that service launch.

Thanks for asking, Chris

Hi Kyla, I'd like to ask the team if they have plan to design products with better heat dissipation, something much more efficient than fans. Is there any chance to see devices directly connected to water colling systems inside rack? I have in mind my customers (Telco and Internet Service Providers) with their huge Data Centers, tremendously voracious of electrical power...
Many thanks
Massimiliano

Hi Massimiliano,

Liquid cooling is very much on the radar and there are activities in progress across various Juniper Engineering teams to assess the opportunities and challenges and figure out how it fits into our next generation of products. The question now is not so much an "if" but rather a "when"...

Cheers,

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Maitreya Sengupta
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Hello,

Thanks

Hi,

Canada should be in there. The program is available in all countries except Brazil, Russia, India, China and any country designated as "New Buy Only" based on country specific regulations. I can give you a POC if you are not able to successfully contact the program in your region.

Thanks for your question, Chris

Hi Kyla,

What steps are being taken to minimize environmental impact throughout the product lifecycle for juniper products?

Thanks,

Anthony

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Anthony Kuan
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Hi Anthony,

I think the below diagram best answers your question.

Thanks, Chris

When will Juniper help the world towards sustainability by creating industrial products for solar fields, massive battery storage, and other areas where Cisco is the market leader only because of a lack of any meaningful competition? Rugged switches and firewalls would be quickly adopted and deployed in these areas, giving Juniper a huge boost while also helping accelerate the transition to renewable energy.  Does Juniper have any plans to leave the data center and get their hands (and hardware) dirty?

Hi Thomas,

We have been offering ruggedized access points for a while. And we have ruggedized switches in our product roadmap so stay tuned for an update.

Thanks for your question, Chris

I would like to know what the plan is for the Juniper line of switches after the HP Aruba merger completes?

Hi Ted,

We can reveal more after the acquisition is complete. A few more hurdles to go.

Thanks for your question, Chris

Hello

A few things.

1. I happen to see a lot of paper be thrown out from our shipments. Is Juniper looking to add a QR or sticker that directs to accurate up to date information for specific products?

2. This question has kinda been asked before, but is Juniper looking into  "bulk shipping" of items in 5x or 10x quantities to minimize the amount of  plastic and cardboard used?

3. As we have been upgrading certain equipment to 100G, we find that there are more components that need replaced and we have more product sitting on the shelf without a home. It is hard to find certain partners that will reclaim or re-certify equipment. Is Juniper looking for a way to help e-waste and maybe work with partners for re-use or re-certifying programs?

Thanks

My question is: What are the three main goals Juniper is pursuing in its ESG Strategy?

Hi,

We are using Juniper hardware in some interesting and remote locations, and as part of our corporate sustainability requirements, looking at powering some of this infrastructure directly from sustainable and renewable sources, direct solar and wind mainly. As such, very low power efficient hardware is very important to us. Do Juniper have any interesting upcoming or future developments which fit into this new low power and efficient networking world.

Regards, Simon

How will GenAi incorporated in your products will ensure we are still green and sustainable? I am eager to hear what actions are taken or will be taken. Thank you. 

Why did Juniper use green color on new line of SRX firewalls? Is it related to product sustainability?

Hi Mikhail,

Our brand color is conveniently green! :-) We have yet to label products that have sustainable features. Would this be a good idea? Where would you suggest these labels occur? We will look into this.

Thanks for asking, Chris

Does Juniper have plans to make equipment that can handle more extreme temperatures (industrial-rated / rugged)?  This can allow telecom facilities to run at higher temperatures.  I have over 200 buildings on my campus, and it's difficult to keep adding HVAC systems to keep room air cool.  As PoE loads increase, switches will be running hotter and drawing more electricity...

Thanks for taking steps to remove the console cables from switches.  I've thrown away hundreds, if not thousands, of these in my career.

Similarly, I noticed that the plastic packaging materials in the EX4400 products are stamped as being 100% made of ocean-bound plastic.  That's awesome!

But, can products stop including the postcards in plastic bags?  The cards that have regulatory information or a link to a web page.  Anything that's in the box with a product that isn't actually needed to install or power on the product should be eliminated.  We have sent truckloads of plastic bags/styrofoam/etc. from networking equipment to the trash.

Hi Bryan, Juniper has been making rugged access points for a while, and we have rugged switches on our product roadmap--so stay tuned for that. If you'd like SKUs for the rugged APs, let me know. 

We definitely don't want to contribute to "truckloads" of trash. I'll look into the postcards in the plastic bags. Do you mind sharing an image of these postcards? It will help me track down the issue.

Thanks, Chris

Hi Chris,

Does Juniper Networks helps other Organisation in achieving the product sustainability?

Regards,

Praveen Verma 

Hi Praveen,

The energy efficiency of our products have the onward effect of helping customers save energy. So that is one manner. Another manner is that we have a certified pre-owned program (and soon take-back program) that attempt to maximize the useful life of systems--and if you are a purchaser of Juniper Certified Pre-Owned the embodied carbon footprint of those products (which is something customers must account for).  And its also valuable to know Juniper is moving fast to advance energy observability for network operators, allowing others to better manage parts of networks that draw energy.

If you are thinking in terms of services. We don't currently have services that assist other organizations with sustainability. If this is your question, please offer suggestions on customer needs so we can consider.

Many thanks, Chris

Hello,

What resources or tools does Juniper provide to help customers make informed decisions and maximize the environmental impact of using Juniper products

Regards

Vivek Pathak

Hi Chris

How does Juniper measure and report on the environmental performance of its products, including metrics such as carbon footprint and energy efficiency?

Hi Chris,

thanks for taking time out of your day to field all these questions.

Are there any plans within Juniper to create smaller footprint devices?  We have a good number of backbone routers that could easily be 8 or 16 port devices, but because of the speeds and feature sets we need we have to run QFX5K devices, which burn 100's of Watts for just a couple of ports. My utopia would be to have a 2 U chassis type device which could take 4 blades, each of which are separate devices running separate functions. A core router, a management firewall, a management switch etc.  I would buy a bunch of these in heartbeat if they were available, and I'm guessing anyone running remote POPs would be interested too

Thanks again

Martin