Hewlett Packard Enterprise is close to sealing a £10 billion deal to buy Juniper Networks, the US firm behind the world’s smartest network.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the deal could be announced this week unless the talks go pear-shaped.
A spokesHPE indignantly said the company doesn’t comment on gossip or hearsay and Juniper Networks did not say anything either.
Juniper Networks, based in Sunnyvale, California, used to make most of its money from service providers, but has now shifted to selling more to businesses, with its intelligent software and AI gear. It is now the leader in AI-powered networks, with its Juniper Mist platform, which rivals Cisco Meraki and HPE Aruba’s ESP.
HPE has been on a roll lately, becoming a giant in wired and wireless networking. The company splashed out £2.2 billion on wireless whizz Aruba Networks in 2015, which helped it take on Cisco.
Juniper Networks admitted in October that it was sacking staff around the world and spending £43 million on a shake-up to boost its growth.
Juniper’s shares soared by 22 per cent to £27.10 after the news broke last night. HPE’s shares dropped by 7.67 per cent to £11.95.
