Juniper Networks will be acquiring smart wide area networking startup 128 Technology for $450 million. In March 2019 Juniper Networks acquired Mist Systems for $405 million, another AI-powered networking company. By acquiring 128 Technology, Juniper Network receives more AI SD-WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Network) technology. SD-WAN networks have capabilities that enable them to cover a wide geographical area, such as satellite offices rather than just a small, singular, corporate office. The acquisition of 128 Technology not only strengthens the SD-WAN offering, but highlights a trend of utilizing AI analytics to further support these SD-WAN networks and prevent downtime.
Juniper Networks is a large networks solutions providers with a variety of products and services to offer. Juniper Networks’ enterprise offerings include: wired and wireless network access, data center services, SD-WAN, security solutions, secure remote workforce solutions and enterprise WAN product. Juniper Networks implemented Mist’s AI capabilities to drive its architecture and boost user experience, simplify operations and improve end-to-end security. These are achieved through insight derived from AI-generated analytics alongside AI network automation.
128 Technology specializes in SD-WAN, which has a market size that’s projected to grow to $10 billion by 2024. This SD-WAN technology has a virtual architecture which allows leverage of any combination of services such as MPLS, broadband, LTE and satellite to connect users. While SD-WAN was initially deployed for cost savings, it has been further adopted as users have found greater reliability, resiliency and scale. 128 Technology is able to eliminate inherent inefficiencies and cost constraints of traditional WAN products and legacy SD-WAN solutions. 128 Technology is able to target locations that are suboptimal for network connectivity. Through ‘Session Smart Networking’ 128 Technology is able to improve utilization, performance and resiliency of underperforming satellite links and spotty 4G connections, which can increase available WAN capacity by up to 900% and TCP transmission rates by up to 100%.
Some similar M&A activity has happened recently as well, such as Open System’s acquisition of Sqooba to add AI network and business analytics to its SD-WAN and Security-as-a-Service solutions. Open Systems is a secure access service edge (SASE) pioneer with cloud-native architecture. Sqooba is a Swiss-based leader in big data analytics that utilizes AI and machine learning (ML) to provide real-time visibility across enterprise operations and business applications. Open Systems adds Sqooba’s analytics capability to its broad network and security components of its SASE platform to deliver critical insights to customers, and to further develop SASE’s managed SD-WAN and security-as-a-service.
VMware acquired AI-based networks analytics vendor Nyansa. Nyansa enables VMware to deliver end-to-end network visibility, monitoring and remediation solutions within VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud. This will allow VeloCloud to proactively predict client problems and optimize application and network performance. Additionally, this expands VMware’s existing network and security portfolio, making it easier for customers to troubleshoot the Virtual Cloud Network and further develops VMware’s “self-healing networks.”
VDC Research has previously explored the concepts of the growing need to develop enterprise network connectivity, alongside self-healing networks through AI and real-time analytics. Juniper Networks’ further addresses these trends and needs through its acquisition of 128 Technology. Due to Juniper Network’s previous acquisition of Mist, it is already well-positioned with its AI capabilities and is continuing to grow its AI/ML abilities. Self-healing networks alongside zero-trust security and network automation is a growing trend that will only expand as more features of AI and ML are discovered. Juniper Networks is now one step ahead of this trend by adding the 128 Technology team to their enterprise. Furthermore, this transaction alongside the previous transactions, aligns with the shift VDC Research has observed concerning connecting the modern-day workforce. Ability to remain connected to a network if mission critical in enterprises today, and spending on network infrastructure has grown consistently over the years. Juniper Network’s acquisition of 128 Technology providers’ further products and services to help enterprises ensure that their workers and their mobile devices can remain connected to their network. Please reach out to us at info@vdcresearch.com if you’re interested in learning more about evolving IT management solutions, enterprise mobility management, and enterprise mobility.