Ciena builds its IP edge
Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 9:31AM Ciena’s acquisition of AT&T’s Vyatta team is a further step in its campaign to bolster its internet protocol (IP) expertise.
Ciena will gain 60 IP engineers with expertise in network operating systems (NOS).
“If you believe that IP-optical convergence is a trend, and Ciena does, then you need expertise in both areas,” says Joe Marsella, vice president, product line management, routing and switching at Ciena.
Joe Marsella
Ciena has been growing its IP expertise for the last five years. “We are competing against companies that have been doing this for 30 years,” says Marsella. “The more experience we can bring in, the more it helps us.”
Ciena says the deal emerged gradually. ”I can’t say it was a Ciena or an AT&T idea; it was a mutual discussion over time that finally resulted in an acquisition,” says Marsella.
Ciena will also gain its first R&D centre in Europe. The deal is expected to be completed before the year-end.
