Nokia plans to acquire Canadian software firm Nakina Systems for an undisclosed sum, a move that it says will strengthen its position in network security.
The pair previously had a five-year partnership that allowed Nokia to use Nakina’s software in several customer projects. Now Nokia sees a greater need for this type of application, as customers need to bolster their defences to cope with the increasing demands of hyper connectivity, new regulations and emerging technologies.
Nakina specialises in security and orchestration software for virtual and hybrid networks. The company would provide Nokia with unique vendor- and technology-agnostic capabilities that allow operators to administer, control and audit security while simplifying the way insiders access critical network assets.
These capabilities are important for operators wanting to protect their networks and avert service interruptions that could damage or degrade customer experience, cause revenue loss and/or lead to service level agreement penalties.
With the planned acquisition, Nokia also strengthens its ability to manage privileged identities and isolate network security vulnerabilities. Nokia also intends to use the planned acquisition to help customers meet growing regulatory and legal requirements for network security
Bhaskar Gorti, president of applications and analytics at Nokia, said: “The planned acquisition of Nakina is another example of the steps we are taking to build security and privacy into our networks from the beginning. As seventy per cent of all security breaches originate from privileged insiders, Nakina gives us the ability to address a rapidly increasing threat for our customers.”
Nakina's main customers operate some of the world's most demanding networks and include some of the world's largest global service providers.
Mary O'Neil, CEO of Nakina Systems, said: "Nakina bridges the security and operational gaps between the promise of cloud networks and operational realities of running high performance heterogeneous networks. With this deal, our customers will benefit from Nokia's scale, leading expertise and investment scope for software and applications."
The acquisition is expected to close in Q1 2016.
