Interview with Planet Technology Founder, Chairman, and CEO Jack Chen (Ching-Kang Chen)
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the networking landscape in 2026 — but innovation alone is not enough. As the need for security becomes a constant across the connected landscape, and workloads characterized by dense computing and high-bandwidth memory require more targeted cooling and energy management solutions, sustainability is becoming increasingly significant. Organizations must rethink how they approach PoE network security, infrastructure resilience, and sustainable energy management.
The intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and sustainable infrastructure design is defining the next generation of networking. To explore these shifts, PlanetechUSA spoke to Jack Chen, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Planet Technology in Taiwan, about how sustainability and AI are shaping the future of networking. Recently named one of Taiwan’s “Top 50 Entrepreneurs of 2025” by CommonWealth Magazine for his leadership in sustainability, Mr. Chen shared insights on AI-enabled networking, quantum-resilient security, edge infrastructure, and the future of secure PoE environments. 
As PLANET prepares to exhibit at ISC West 2026 (March 23–27, The Venetian Expo, Las Vegas – visit us at booth #23001), Mr. Chen shares practical guidance for strengthening cybersecurity resilience while designing sustainable, AI-ready infrastructure.
Commitment to Sustainability:
What are 1 or 2 key sustainability factors does he see as important in 2026 and going forward?
For 2026 and the years to come, I see two key sustainability factors.
First is resilience-driven sustainability. In recent years, where climate risk, shifts in geopolitics, and digital disruption are becoming the norm, sustainability is no longer just about disclosure or compliance. It is about strengthening a company’s core capabilities, such as risk management, supply chain stability, energy transition readiness, and governance transparency. Companies that anticipate uncertainty and adapt quickly will remain competitive and trusted.
Second is AI-enabled sustainable transformation. AI is not only improving efficiency but also transforming how we manage energy use, data management, cybersecurity, and decision-making. For PLANET, the integration of AI and sustainability is an opportunity to create a smarter and more resilient infrastructure. As we look to the future, sustainability won’t simply be a responsibility; it’ll be a major strategic advantage.
What emerging technology or trend (e.g., in industrial IoT, edge computing, or sustainable networking) excites you most right now?
Several trends are exciting for us.
First, the integration of AI with cybersecurity is one of the most important developments. As more industries adopt AI, the chances of cyber threats also increase. To face these different threats requires a new generation of intelligent, adaptive security architectures.
Second, edge computing transforms how data is handled. By processing data locally at the edge before integrating with the cloud, IoT systems are shifting from simple data transmission to true information processing. This “data-to-information” evolution dramatically improves efficiency, latency, and decision-making.
Third, we see huge potential in intelligent energy management systems and cloud-based management.
Recently, we announced PLANET’s AI Intelligent Energy/Environment Management Solution, which utilizes AI and machine learning to analyze data from environmental sensors, conduct data comparisons, detect energy anomalies, and help enterprises improve energy efficiency. At the same time, this solution can generate ESG-ready reports to help organizations align sustainability with operational performance. Our Cloud NMS Management Platform can efficiently monitor and manage the entire network through the cloud.
2026 AI in Networking
What practical advice do you have for networking professionals to adapt to the AI boom, especially with trends like AI-driven automation, edge computing, and infrastructure resilience?
Prioritizing cybersecurity resilience would be my advice. Resilience remains the foundation as we see networking technologies continue to advance. AI-driven automation architectures are powerful, but without a resilient foundation, they also increase exposure. Technology such as Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) security is designed to increase network defense, and PLANET has fully adapted it into our lineup for cybersecurity gateways and solutions. Networking professionals must design systems that can anticipate, withstand, and recover from cyberattacks.
How should networking professionals redesign enterprise infrastructure to handle the massive data demands of AI models, particularly in distributed environments such as edge computing?
Two areas we can focus on:
First is having high bandwidth and ultra-low latency. We have continuously provided a comprehensive line of Industrial TSN and Data Center Managed Switch Series that can handle large data transfer and provide high performance for critical applications. The industry must continue advancing high-speed networking from 10G to 100G or even 200G, while also adopting tech such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) for industrial environments where responsiveness and reliability are a must.
Second, enterprises should strategically deploy edge computing. By performing image processing or data aggregation at the edge, such as filtering and reducing raw data before transmission, only the most relevant information is sent to the cloud or data center. This greatly reduces network load while improving response times and system scalability.
Which new Planet parts address the needs of emerging AI systems that you are going to feature at ISC West?
At ISC West, one of the major things we will be showcasing is our AI Surveillance System and AI-driven Intelligent Energy/Environment Management Solution. These solutions will demonstrate how AI can enhance security, intelligence, and operational efficiency for industrial and enterprise applications. With the theme of security at ISC, we will certainly showcase more cybersecurity solutions, including hardware-based PUF and FIDO2, as well as Quantum-Resilient security, such as Zero-Trust, PUF, and TRNG (True Random Number Generator) Technology to help professionals enhance and build a resilient network. We will also be bringing several high-bandwidth and high-power PoE networking switch series to increase network efficiency for industrial and enterprise applications.
In your experience, what are the biggest security challenges when integrating AI into networking systems, and how can professionals mitigate them proactively?
I believe the biggest challenge is speed and scale. With more AI adoption, we’ll see faster cyberattacks, and it is getting more difficult to tell if an attack is from a human or an AI. In the future, with the increased use of quantum computing, more risks will need to be addressed, since it could increase the chance of overcoming current VPN and encryption.
At PLANET, we’ve been proactively preparing ourselves for these types of risk and futureproofing against the next generation of cyberthreats by integrating our product with Zero Trust architecture, so professionals can fully utilize security designs such as Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). Another important adoption is Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and hardware-based Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) technologies, which will be showcased at ISC West.
How can networking teams prepare for the convergence of AI with emerging technologies like 6G or quantum networking to drive efficiency in industrial applications?
For quantum networking, the priority should be security. Organizations must begin integrating PQC to defend against future quantum-enabled attacks on existing encryption systems.
Regarding 6G, it’s still fairly new and in development, but it’s something we here at PLANET are actively preparing ourselves to ensure our products and solutions are ready. Networking professionals need to make sure that on-site and edge devices are designed with enough bandwidth and reception capabilities to handle the massive data that will eventually be transmitted wirelessly. Otherwise, a risk bottleneck might happen for local infrastructure as we see an increase in data-intensive, AI-driven applications.
Find Planet Technology at ISC West 2026
PlanetechUSA thanks Jack Chen for sharing his perspective on how AI, sustainability, and cybersecurity are reshaping the future of networking.
PLANET will showcase its latest AI-driven security solutions, intelligent energy management systems, and high-power PoE networking platforms at ISC West 2026. Visit us in booth #23001 at The Venetian Expo (March 23–27) to see how PLANET is helping organizations build secure, sustainable, AI-ready networks.
Contact us to learn more about PLANET solutions or connect with our team at ISC West to discuss your next-generation networking strategy.