Juniper is using AI-driven automation to change the way networks are built, operated and secured and it said its acquisition of Apstra "accelerates this" by combining network automation based on an open, multivendor architecture with Junos, its operating system for data centres and cloud networks.
Although no value has been put on the deal, Juniper said it does not expect the acquisition to materially impact revenue in 2021. While the acquisition is expected to be approximately breakeven to non-GAAP earnings for the full-year 2021, it will likely be dilutive during the first half of the year. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to revenue growth and non-GAAP earnings in 2022.
Rami Rahim, CEO of Juniper Networks, explained: “Juniper’s Data Center portfolio is consistently recognised by both analysts and customers as industry leading, with top marks for performance, scale, security and simplified operations through automation. Adding Apstra’s intent-based networking and automated closed loop assurance advances our vision to transform data centre operations. With the combination of Juniper and Apstra, customers get the best infrastructure and fabric management with integrated design, deployment and automated root cause identification and remediation to satisfy any data centre environment. This is networking for the modern cloud era.”
For its part, Apstra allows architects to "describe how the data centre should behave in terms of outcomes and the system implements and continuously assures that the network operations and experience match the intent".
While safeguarding the network, Apstra also enables self-service delivery, with its advanced automation accelerating time to market along with lowering data centre outages and opex.
David Cheriton, CEO and co-founder of Apstra, said: “We founded Apstra to automate the data center as a holistic system from its initial design to all aspects of its operation and maintenance. Our automation allows valuable network engineers to focus on strategic issues and avoid spending time on network configuration and troubleshooting, particularly with the attendant risk of human error. Joining Apstra with Juniper's strong reputation in networking and its commitment to open networking removes the long-standing tradeoff between manageability and vendor lock-in and advances the industry toward the true self-driving network.”
