Through the acquisition, HPE aims to offer private networking capabilities directly to enterprises as part of its Aruba networking portfolio as well as enable CSPs to quickly deploy private 5G networks for their customers
Athonet acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise. (Credit: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP)
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has acquired private cellular network technology provider Athonet for an undisclosed price in a move to expand its connected edge-to-cloud offering.
Based in Italy, Athonet provides 4G and 5G mobile core networks and solutions to enterprises and communication service providers (CSPs) worldwide.
Through the acquisition, HPE aims to offer private networking capabilities directly to enterprises as part of its Aruba networking portfolio as well as enable CSPs to rapidly deploy private 5G networks for their customers.
Athonet CEO and co-founder Gianluca Verin said: “Athonet was founded to provide customers with private 4G and 5G solutions that deliver carrier-grade reliability and performance to suit their increasing and more challenging connectivity needs.
“We are excited to join HPE and combine our highly skilled teams as we expand our joint service provider offerings for the rapidly growing private 5G market and build on HPE’s strategy to be the leading edge-to-cloud solutions provider.”
Following the acquisition, HPE will integrate the technology of Athonet into its existing CSP and Aruba networking enterprise offerings to develop a private networking portfolio that expedites digital transformation from edge-to-cloud.
The integration with Aruba Central will allow network managers to control Wi-Fi and private 5G through a single platform, bringing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) powered insights, workflow automation, and powerful security, stated HPE.
HPE communications technology group global vice president and general manager Tom Craig said: “Telco customers are looking for simpler ways to deploy private 5G networks to meet growing customer expectations at the connected edge.
“At the same time, enterprise customers are demanding a customized 5G experience with low-latency, segregated resources, extended range and security across campus and industrial environments that complement their existing wireless networks.
“With the acquisition of Athonet, HPE now has one of the most complete private 5G and Wi-Fi portfolios for CSP and enterprise customers – and we will offer it as a service through HPE GreenLake.”
Last month, HPE acquired US-based software startup Pachyderm to boost its artificial intelligence at-scale portfolio.