Extreme Networks buys into cloud management and wireless networking with the $272 million acquisition of Aerohive Networks, a pioneer in cloud-managed networking, AI and machine learning.
According to Extreme Networks, the acquisition adds "critical" cloud management and edge capabilities to its portfolio of end-to-end, edge to cloud network solutions, as well as a subscription revenue stream. It also strengthens the position of Extreme in WLAN during the transition to Wifi 6, with cloud-managed wifi and NAC solutions to complement on-premises wifi and NAC technology.
Aerohive is one of the first companies to offer controller-less wifi and cloud network management, including cloud-managed wifi and network access control (NAC). It recently launched a trio of the first Wifi 6 access points in the industry, together with a first pluggable access point. It currently counts 30000 cloud WLAN customers in verticals including education, healthcare, state and local government, and retail.
Post-acquisition customers and partners will be able to mix and match a broader array of Extreme and Aerhive software, hardware and services to build networks supporting specific needs.
