Cisco to acquire hyperconverged software vendor Springpath in US$320m deal

Cisco has announced its plans to acquire hyperconvergence software company Springpath in a US$320 million deal in a move Cisco says will enable it to bolster its data center portfolio.

Springpath developed a distributed file system for hyperconvergence which enables server-based storage systems.

Cisco and Springpath have worked together since early last year to launch the Hyperflex integrated hyperconverged infrastructure system.

"This acquisition will allow Cisco to continue to grow its computing business, enabling more customers to realise the benefits of simple and economic software-defined infrastructure," Cisco says.

The acquisition comes as Cisco, best known for its networking and data center hardware, continues its shift to selling software and services.

In March, Cisco acquired application and business performance monitoring software vendor AppDynamics for US$3.7 billion, followed by acquisitions of SD-Wan startup Viptela and MindMeld. It also snapped up advanced analytics technology and the advanced analytics team from Saggezza and last year it bought cloud-based internet of things service platform Jasper for $1.4 billion.

Rob Salvagno, Cisco vice president of corporate business development, says of the latest acquistion: "This acquisition is a meaningful addition to our data center portfolio and aligns with our overall transition to providing more software-centric solutions.

"Springpath's file system technology was built specifically for hyperconvergence, which we believe will deliver sustainable differentiation in this fast growing segment.

"I'm excited to be able to provide our customers and partners with the simplicity and agility they need in data center innovation.

The deal is expected to close in Cisco's first quarter of financial 2018 subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory review.