Juniper Networks has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 128 Technology.
The deal will enhance Juniper’s AI-driven enterprise network portfolio by uniting 128 Technology’s Session Smart networking with Juniper’s campus and branch solutions driven by Mist AI. The combined portfolio will accelerate the industry’s evolution from first generation SD-WAN technology that focuses on optimizing connections from branch-to-cloud to a modern AI-driven network that optimizes user experiences from client-to-cloud.
Under the terms of the agreement, Juniper will acquire 128 Technology for $450 million, subject to customary adjustments, payable in cash and the assumption of outstanding equity awards. Juniper has also coordinated for 128 Technology to issue retention focused restricted stock units, which will be assumed by Juniper. The acquisition is expected to close in Juniper’s fiscal fourth quarter, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
128 Technology’s session-smart networking enables enterprise customers and service providers to create a user experience-centric fabric for WAN connectivity that’s simple, efficient, agile and secure. By making intelligent decisions based on real-time user sessions and agile business policies instead of static network policies configured on a per tunnel basis, the 128 Technology solution delivers industry-best performance and scale at a lower operational cost than traditional WAN router and SD-WAN solutions.
Future integration of 128 Technology with Juniper’s WAN Assurance software, the branch SRX portfolio and Marvis Virtual Network Assistant, all driven by Mist AI, will enable customers to get even more advanced AI-driven WAN capabilities – from initial configuration to ongoing AIOps, including customizable service levels (down to the individual user), proactive anomaly detection, fault isolation with recommended corrective actions, self-driving network operations and AI-driven support. When coupled with Juniper Connected Security, customers also get zero-trust access, next generation firewall, web/content filtering, real-time threat intelligence and advanced threat protection for advanced protection when and where they need it most.
128 Technology will integrate with Juniper’s AI-Driven enterprise business unit, which includes wired and wireless access and SD-WAN, all driven by Mist AI. The combined portfolio will give customers a unified platform for optimized user experiences from client-to-cloud.
