Cloudflare's global network relies heavily on Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) to efficiently manage traffic across over 200 cities in more than 100 countries. Unlike CPUs or GPUs, ASICs are designed for specific tasks, providing high efficiency, reduced power consumption, and lower failure rates, making them ideal for networking equipment where new technologies emerge slowly. ASICs facilitate critical networking functions like packet switching, routing, and firewall operations using specialized memory types like TCAM for rapid data retrieval. The networking ASIC market includes major players like Broadcom, Intel, Mellanox, Juniper, and Cisco, each offering unique solutions with varying throughput, buffer sizes, programmability, and feature sets. Broadcom dominates with its Tomahawk, StrataDNX, and Trident series, while Intel's Barefoot Tofino represents a paradigm shift with its programmable architecture. Mellanox's Spectrum ASICs offer high-speed switching capabilities, and Juniper's Trio and Express families provide robust routing solutions. Cisco's ASICs, including Bigsur and Tahoe, support their extensive network equipment portfolio. These technological innovations enable Cloudflare to optimize its network infrastructure, ensuring high-performance, scalable, and reliable services.