VMware Buying Avi Networks to Extend Networking, Security Portfolio

VMware is buying Avi Networks to extend its networking and security portfolio with a software-defined application delivery controller (ADC).

VMware said, upon closing, Avi will further enable it to bring the public cloud experience to the entire data center, with the ability to deploy applications with a single click. Financial details of the acquisition weren’t disclosed.

The acquisition should be complete by Aug. 2. It is not expected to have a material impact on VMware’s fiscal 2020 operating results.

VMware’s Tom Gillis

Tom Gillis, senior vice president and general manager of VMware’s networking and security business unit, tells us that, post-closing, he expects all Avi products to be available on the VMware price list within three months. He also said there’s a “high degree of alignment” between VMware and Avi partners.

“So all of the VMware [partner] community will have access to Avi,” he said. “Customers love it.”

Most of Avi’s large partners already work with VMware, so the acquisition shouldn’t cause too much disruption, said Amit Pandey, Avi’s CEO.

Upon closing, VMware will offer both built-in load balancing capabilities as part of VMware NSX Data Center, and an advanced, standalone ADC. The Avi platform allows organizations to “overcome the complexity and rigidness of legacy systems and ADC appliances with modern, software-defined application services,” according to VMware.

“VMware is committed to making the data center operate as simply and easily as it does in the public cloud, and the addition of Avi Networks to the growing VMware networking and security portfolio will bring us one step closer to this goal after the acquisition closes,” Gillis said. “This acquisition will further advance our virtual cloud network vision, where a software-defined distributed network architecture spans all infrastructure and ties all pieces together with the automation and programmability found in the public cloud. Combining Avi Networks with VMware NSX will further enable organizations to respond to new opportunities and threats, create new business models, and deliver services to all applications and data, wherever they are located.”

Pandey said the data center is undergoing the most massive transformation anybody’s seen in the last 25-30 years, which is why combining the two companies makes so much sense. It would have taken Avi 10-plus years to achieve on its own what the two companies can accomplish together, he said.

The combination will bring “interesting and new capabilities” to customers, he said.

“Unlike existing ADC solutions, Avi Networks’ distributed ADC is designed for modern data center and public cloud deployments, with an architecture that mirrors cloud principles,” he said. “Upon close, customers will be able to benefit from a full set of software-defined L2-7 application networking and security services, on-demand elasticity, real-time insights, simplified troubleshooting, and developer self-service.”