Juniper Buys Contrail for (More) SDN Smarts

The startup with some fresh ideas about how to apply software defined networking has already been snapped up for $176M in cash and stock

Phil Harvey, Editor-in-Chief

December 12, 2012

1 Min Read
Juniper Buys Contrail for (More) SDN Smarts

Juniper Networks Inc. (NYSE: JNPR) announced late Wednesday in a blog post that it has acquired Contrail Systems , a software-defined networking (SDN) startup founded waaaay back in early 2012.

Juniper is getting Contrail for $176 million in cash and stock ($57.5 million in cash, plus 5.82 million shares of Juniper), says this Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.

If you haven't yet heard of Contrail, please see two stories that give an idea of its capabilities and talent -- Contrail Wants to Be an SDN 'Compiler' and Juniper Veteran Departs for SDN Startup. This message board has a few clues, too.

We'll have more analysis of the situation Thursday. For now, it suffices to wonder if Kireeti Kompella will get his old parking spot back.

— Phil Harvey, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Phil Harvey

Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

Phil Harvey has been a Light Reading writer and editor for more than 18 years combined. He began his second tour as the site's chief editor in April 2020.

His interest in speed and scale means he often covers optical networking and the foundational technologies powering the modern Internet.

Harvey covered networking, Internet infrastructure and dot-com mania in the late 90s for Silicon Valley magazines like UPSIDE and Red Herring before joining Light Reading (for the first time) in late 2000.

After moving to the Republic of Texas, Harvey spent eight years as a contributing tech writer for D CEO magazine, producing columns about tech advances in everything from supercomputing to cellphone recycling.

Harvey is an avid photographer and camera collector – if you accept that compulsive shopping and "collecting" are the same.

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