Brocade has agreed to acquire Connectem, a start-up based in Santa Clara, California developing an LTE virtual Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) solution. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Connectem, which was founded in 2011, has been pursuing an overlay strategy for its Virtualized LTE Evolved Packet Core (EPC), betting that mobile operators will implement its NFV-powered solution first for specific business applications while continuing with their current LTE infrastructure rollouts. Connectem’s solution leverages cloud computing, network virtualization, and software networking technologies to deliver higher scale and efficiency on industry-standard x86-based servers. Connectem software focuses on mapping mobile workloads to cloud resources, eliminating the constraints of physical equipment boundaries yet still maintaining the capablity to integrate with traditional node-based EPC architectures.
Brocade said the acquisition of Connectem extends its portfolion in software networking and virtualized network functions, by enabling service providers and enterprises to offer ubiquitous connectivity between mobile and IoT devices, data centers, as well as public and private clouds. Connectem’s vEPC solutions integrate seamlessly with Brocade’s software and physical networking product portfolios.
“This acquisition strengthens Brocade’s position in the networking industry as the adoption of software-centric networking continues to accelerate,” said Lloyd Carney, CEO of Brocade. “I am very pleased to bring this technology into our portfolio as we invest strategically in New IP across NFV and SDN to provide seemless data center and cloud solutions.”
“There is a step-function in scalability required to connect the billions of new devices joining the Internet of Things,” said Nishi Kant, CEO of Connectem. “As an early strategic investor in our company, Brocade recognized that a new architectural approach would be required to meet these demands. Connectem’s pioneering technology dramatically improves the flexibility, scalability, and total cost of ownership of mobile vEPC solutions. We are excited to realize the full extent of this vision as part of Brocade, a widely recognized leader and innovator in software networking.”
