Networking giant Cisco is trying to buy the data analytics software company Splunk.
Cisco has made an offer worth more than $20 billion for the outfit recently although neither side is in active talks over a deal.
If it goes through the deal would mark Cisco’s biggest ever acquisition – smashing the $6.9 billion acquisition of Scientific Atlanta in 2005.
Splunk, which is currently searching for a new chief executive after Doug Merritt stepped down from the role in November, sells a platform that monitors and searches and visualises machine data.
The two companies already have a partnership, and Cisco has continued to put its efforts into moving towards software in recent years, with CEO Chuck Robbins praising partners in November for helping the company’s shift toward software and services.
