Hewlett-Packard Enterprise in advanced talks to acquire Juniper Networks in $13 billion deal

Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) is currently engaged in discussions to acquire Juniper Networks in a deal estimated at approximately $13 billion, as disclosed by sources on Monday, 8 January 2024.

The potential merger between the two tech giants is poised to be officially announced later this week.

The market’s initial response was swift, with Hewlett Packard’s shares experiencing a 7.7% decline, while Juniper Networks witnessed a substantial 21% surge in extended trading.

The proposed acquisition is seen as a strategic move to enhance the technological capabilities of the nearly century-old HPE. A report from the Wall Street Journal highlighted that the deal would specifically strengthen HPE’s artificial intelligence (AI) offerings.

It’s worth noting that HPE announced the launch of a cloud computing service last year, specifically designed to power AI systems akin to ChatGPT, demonstrating the company’s commitment to advancing AI technologies.

Juniper Networks, on the other hand, is renowned for its high-performance network and service offerings encompassing routing, switching, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), network security, AI-enabled enterprise networking operations (AIOps), and software-defined networking (SDN) technologies. If the deal materializes, it could mark a pivotal moment in the evolution of both companies’ strategic objectives.