December 22, 2023 at 03:43PM
Cisco is closing a busy year of acquisitions with a new deal to enhance multicloud networking and security capabilities, announcing its intention to acquire cloud-native security and networking startup, Isovalent. The acquisition will build on Cisco’s “Security Cloud” platform and plans to continue offering and building on open source projects. Cisco has made 11 acquisitions in 2023, with six related to security. The acquisition of Isovalent is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024.
From the meeting notes, we can gather that Cisco is closing out a busy year of acquisitions by announcing its intention to acquire Isovalent, a cloud-native security and networking startup. The acquisition will enable Cisco to boost its multicloud networking and security capabilities. Isovalent has played a key role in developing open source technologies such as eBPF, Cilium, and Tetragon, which provide enhanced visibility and security for cloud-native applications.
The acquisition aligns with Cisco’s focus on strengthening its “Security Cloud,” an AI-driven, cloud-delivered, integrated security platform. Tom Gillis, senior vice president and general manager at Cisco’s Security Business Group, emphasized the importance of a credible hybrid, multicloud security capability to ease operational complexity for customers. It’s noteworthy that Cisco plans to continue offering and building on the open source projects even after the acquisition.
In addition, the meeting notes mention Cisco’s previous acquisitions in 2023, highlighting a particular focus on security-related acquisitions. Notably, Cisco’s acquisition of Splunk for $28 billion in September was the largest deal, further indicating the company’s strategic emphasis on enhancing its security capabilities.
The acquisition of Isovalent is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024, and Isovalent will join Cisco Security Business Group following the closure. However, the purchase price was not disclosed.
Overall, the acquisition of Isovalent represents a significant step for Cisco in bolstering its multicloud networking and security capabilities, in line with the company’s strategic focus on enhancing its security offerings.