Palo Alto Networks Buys AI Agent Platform Consult, Posting 34% Revenue Jump

Key points

• Palo Alto Networks announced the acquisition of AI agent platform Console alongside its latest quarterly earnings report.
• Quarterly revenue grew 34% compared with the same period last year.
• The company also reported strong growth in next-generation security ARR, meaning the annual recurring revenue it earns from its newer cloud-based security products.
• The deal signals a broader industry push to weave AI automation into everyday security operations.

Palo Alto Networks, one of the largest cybersecurity companies in the world, has acquired Console, a platform that uses artificial-intelligence agents to automate security tasks. AI agents are software programs that can reason through a problem and take actions on their own, without a human clicking through each step.

The company announced the deal alongside its quarterly financial results, first reported by SecurityWeek.

What did the numbers show?

Revenue rose 34% year-on-year. That is a meaningful jump for a company of Palo Alto Networks' size, and it came alongside what the company described as strong growth in next-generation security ARR, which is the predictable, subscription-based income it earns from its newer cloud and software products rather than from older hardware boxes.

The ARR figure matters because it tells investors whether customers are sticking with the company's newer product lines, not just buying one-off equipment.

Why does an AI agent platform matter to ordinary people?

Security teams at hospitals, banks, retailers, and schools use platforms like Palo Alto Networks' products to watch for criminals trying to break into their systems. Today, much of that watching is done by human analysts staring at screens full of alerts.

AI agents, in theory, could handle the routine alerts automatically, so human analysts can focus on the genuine emergencies. If the technology works as promised, organisations that protect your medical records or your bank account may be able to respond to attacks faster.

The caveat: AI systems can also make mistakes, and handing more authority to automated software introduces its own risks, which regulators and standards bodies are only beginning to address.

What should organisations watch for?

For businesses considering AI-driven security tools, the practical questions are straightforward. Who is responsible when an AI agent takes the wrong action? What audit trail does the platform keep? And does the vendor's product meet any sector-specific rules, such as those under the European Union's NIS2 Directive (the Network and Information Security Directive, which sets minimum cybersecurity standards for critical industries across the EU) or the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's guidance on AI in critical infrastructure?

Those questions do not have clean answers yet. Regulatory frameworks covering AI in security operations are still in early draft stages on both sides of the Atlantic.

Common questions

Does this acquisition affect customers directly?

Will regulators scrutinise the deal?

Any large acquisition in a critical-infrastructure-adjacent sector can attract regulatory attention, but no formal review has been announced. The relevant thresholds under US and EU merger rules depend on deal value and market share figures not yet published.

Does this acquisition affect customers directly?

Not immediately. Existing Palo Alto Networks customers will likely see Console's capabilities offered as part of the company's broader platform over time, though integration timelines have not been disclosed.