Hewlett-Packard is acquiring the wireless infrastructure firm Aruba Networks for around $2.7 billion. This is the company’s first major acquisition since it bought the British software maker Autonomy in 2011 for $11 billion.
Both companies’ boards of directors have approved the deal.
Aruba, based in Sunnyvale, is a leader in wireless networking – with around 1,800 employees. It focuses on creating Wi-Fi networking systems for corporate campuses, hotels, universities, and shopping malls.
As more people are using their mobile devices at work its business has grown significantlly.
In fiscal 2014 the company posted revenue of $729 million and over the last five years it had reported compound annual revenue growth of 30 percent.
HP and Aruba will offer ext-generation converged campus solutions. The combined organization will be led by Aruba’s Chief Executive Officer Dominic Orr, and Chief Strategy and Technology Officer, Keerti Melkote, reporting to Antonio Neri, leader of HP Enterprise Group.
Meg Whitman, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of HP, said:
“Enterprises are facing a mobile-first world and are looking for solutions that help them transition legacy investments to the new style of IT,”
She added:
“By combining Aruba’s world-class wireless mobility solutions with HP’s leading switching portfolio, HP will offer the simplest, most secure networking solutions to help enterprises easily deploy next-generation mobile networks.”
Aruba’s Chief Executive Officer Dominic Orr said:
“Together with HP, we have a tremendous opportunity to become an even greater force in enterprise mobility and networking,”
“This transaction brings together Aruba’s best-of-breed mobility hardware and software solutions with HP’s leading switching portfolio. In addition, Aruba’s channel partners will have the opportunity to expand their businesses with HP offerings.”
“Together, we will build on Aruba’s proven ‘customer first, customer last’ culture, creating an innovative, agile networking leader ideally positioned to solve our customers’ most pressing mobility, security and networking challenges.”