Juniper Networks agreed to acquire Contrail Systems, a start-up developing software defined networking (SDN) solutions for approximately $176 million in cash and stock.
Contrail is believed to be working on a virtualization architecture for very large cloud service providers with multiple data centers.
Contrail Systems is headed by Ankur Singla (CEO), who previously served as Chief Technology Officer and VP of Engineering at Aruba Networks. The Contrail team includes Dr. Kireeti Kompella (CTO), who was formerly CTO and Chief Architect, JunOS at Juniper; Pedro Marques,previously a developer of control applications for the Cluster Management Team at Google and before that a distinguished engineer at Cisco and Juniper; Harshad Nakil, previously at Aruba Fellow and also distinguished engineer at Juniper and Cisco; and others.
Juniper was a strategic investor in Contrail earlier this year. Khosla Ventures was also an investor.
http://www.juniper.net
http://www.contrailsystems.com
Some other recent SDN start-up news
Plexxi Unveils its SDN Switch with LightRail Optical Interconnect
Plexxi, a start-up based in Cambridge, MA, introduced a Software-defined Networking (SDN) data center switch that creates network connections by implementing efficient topologies based on actual workload needs and by scaling with a proprietary "LightRail" optical interface between switches. Plexxi is targeting cloud and virtualized data centers. The aim is "a system that directly manifests workload-optimized solutions in the real, physical network,...
NoviFlow Debuts 100Gbps OpenFlow 1.1 Switch
NoviFlow, a start-up based in Montreal, released a 100Gbps Open Flow 1.1 compatible switch designed to bring network virtualization and programmability to large data centers, network operators, cloud and financial service providers. The NoviKit 100 leverages EZchip's NP-4 Network Processor. Key features include: High performance NoviWare 100 OpenFlow 1.1 switching software – with demonstrated performance rates of 100 Gbps OpenFlow-based...
Big Switch Ships its Open SDN
Big Switch, a start-up based in Palo Alto, California, announced the full commercial release of its Open Software-Defined Networking (SDN) product suite, encompassing a Big Network Controller (BNC), the Open SDN platform for network applications which scales to more than a thousand switches and 250,000 new host connections per second; Big Tap, a unified network monitoring application which provides cost-effective enterprise-wide network visibility;...
VMware to Acquire Nicira for $1 Billion for Network Virtualization
VMware agreed to acquire Nicira, a start-up focused on software-defined networking (SDN) for approximately $1.05 billion in cash plus approximately $210 million of assumed unvested equity awards. The goal of SDN is to allow enterprises and service providers to create the most flexible network topologies that seamlessly span any cloud environment. Nicira, which is based in Palo Alto, California, has developed a software-based Network Virtualization...
