Introduction

According to the June 2025 Gartner "Market Guide for Campus Infrastructure and Operations Software," the campus networking market has matured to the point where "hardware has become a commodity." As a result, Infrastructure and Operations (I&O) leaders must now prioritize software capabilities when evaluating vendors. This shift aligns perfectly with the evolving needs of the broader business market—from small and midsize businesses (SMBs) to large distributed enterprises—where demand is transitioning from standalone devices to integrated, cloud-managed systems.

What is Campus Infrastructure and Operations Software (CIOS)?

You might be hearing the term CIOS more frequently. So, what exactly is it? We turn to the definition provided by Gartner®, the world-renowned research and advisory firm.

Gartner® defines campus infrastructure and operations software (CIOS, pronounced “see-os”) as “the capability to deliver campus network management, automation and security features.” These platforms, which can be cloud- or on-premises-based, are essential because they “connect, secure, manage and optimize the experience of users and devices through campus infrastructure.”

In practical terms, CIOS is the intelligent software layer that transforms a collection of individual networking hardware—like Wi-Fi access points, switches, and security gateways—into a unified, responsive, and secure system. It’s the central brain that provides a single pane of glass for IT teams to automate complex tasks, enforce security policies, and guarantee performance for every user and device.

The Core Capabilities of a CIOS Platform

According to Gartner's framework, a true CIOS platform must deliver a comprehensive set of capabilities. At a minimum, it must provide "network security, automation or management functionality" and be offered as a "cloud-based or available to run locally on a physical or virtual appliance." Beyond these mandatory features, leading solutions commonly integrate capabilities across three key pillars:

• Security, through access control, Network Access Control (NAC), and Zero Trust principles.

• Automation, leveraging AI for intelligent assistance, traffic simulation, and tools for configuration management and network digital twins.

• Management, encompassing planning, performance analytics, and streamlined troubleshooting with ITSM integration.

This holistic approach is what enables platforms like Ruijie Cloud to provide the unified operational experience that modern businesses require, effectively managing the complexity of diverse network environments from a single console.

Mandatory and Common Features for Campus Infrastructure and Operations Software (CIOS)

Key Market Insights from Gartner

Key Findings

Gartner’s 2025 Market Guide highlights that the Campus Infrastructure and Operations Software (CIOS) market is “emerging and developing rapidly.” This growth is driven by three critical pressures facing modern organizations: escalating security risks, the “commoditization of hardware,” and a widespread “lack of IT resources” to manage complex campus environments.

The report notes that while traditional vendors offer integrated CIOS solutions, few provide the breadth and depth of functionality clients need. This gap is fueling demand for more flexible integration options. Gartner outlines three primary adoption paths: integrated single-vendor offerings, multi-vendor solutions, and third-party-managed or consumption-based services.

Strategic Planning Assumptions

Gartner's strategic planning assumptions confirm the growing relevance of platform-based solutions and multi-vendor environments for businesses of all sizes. The report states:

• "By 2028, over 90% of new enterprise campus network projects will purchase ‘infrastructure-platform-based’ architectures."

• "By 2028, over 75% of new enterprise campus networks will deploy network security, automation, and management applications from multiple vendors for at least one component of the solution..."

This trend underscores the need for solutions that can manage multi-vendor environments, a key capability of a comprehensive cloud management platform. A platform like Ruijie Cloud provides this unified operational experience, effectively managing the inherent complexity of diverse technologies.

Ruijie Cloud Earns Gartner Recognition as a Representative Vendor

We are proud to announce that Ruijie Networks has been identified as a Representative Vendor in the Gartner Market Guide for Campus Infrastructure and Operations Software. Vendors were selected by Gartner after a rigorous search and analysis of market offerings, and this inclusion recognizes Ruijie’s technical strength in delivering unified management, security, and automation across multi-vendor hybrid network environments.

Ruijie Cloud delivers a comprehensive network management platform that seamlessly supports both enterprise and small-to-medium business requirements. It provides complete lifecycle coverage—from pre-project planning through development and maintenance.

The reliability of Ruijie Cloud has been independently validated by Tolly Group, the industry’s leading third-party testing authority. This objective validation is further demonstrated through massive global adoption: the platform currently supports over 45 million network devices and serves 6 million users across 120+ countries. These figures confirm the solution’s stability and scalability for organizations of all sizes—from small businesses to large distributed enterprises.

Click here to learn more about Ruijie Cloud: Ruijie Cloud - Cloud Network Management Solution for SMB - Ruijie Reyee
Ruijie Cloud Recognized as Representative Vendor in Gartner Market Guide

Source: Gartner, Market Guide for Campus Infrastructure and Operations Software, By Tim Zimmerman, Mike Leibovitz, Christian Canales, Nauman Raja, 6 June 2025

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.