UK Competition Watchdog Probes Hewlett Packard’s Juniper Networks Acquisition

Britain’s competition regulator has stated that it is investigating Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks for potential antitrust concerns. Find out more about the deal and the implications of the investigation.

June 21, 2024

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  • The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has stated that it will investigate whether Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s proposed $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks.
  • The CMA has invited comments from interested parties, which, if concerns are raised, could result in a deeper investigation.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s competition regulator, has announced its intention to open a probe against Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) upcoming $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks over potential concerns of anti-competitive conditions being established in the country. The CMA has invited comments from interested parties to raise concerns, which could result in a deeper investigation.

Earlier this year, Hewlett Packard announced that it would acquire Juniper Networks, a networking hardware manufacturer, to improve its portfolio of artificial intelligence (AI) offerings. The company expects to ramp up its networking business to capitalize on the AI boom and the increased spending in the last few years. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

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The CMA has until August 14 to decide whether to initiate a deeper investigation into the deal. Hewlett-Packard has stated that it is working with the regulator to complete any review and meet all requirements to gain clearance in a timely manner.

If successful, the deal will give Hewlett-Packard access to Juniper’s AI-native networking business. Juniper’s portfolio is expected to complement that of HPE Aruba Networking, allowing HPE to effectively compete with market leaders such as Cisco, Broadcom, Palo Alto, and others supporting growth in the Cloud, AI, and Data Center verticals.

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Anuj Mudaliar
Anuj Mudaliar is a content development professional with a keen interest in emerging technologies, particularly advances in AI. As a tech editor for Spiceworks, Anuj covers many topics, including cloud, cybersecurity, emerging tech innovation, AI, and hardware. When not at work, he spends his time outdoors - trekking, camping, and stargazing. He is also interested in cooking and experiencing cuisine from around the world.
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