Does the U.S. government still stand in the way of HPE’s plans to acquire Juniper Networks? The final hurdle may still be a high one.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have already given their approval, but the United States may still block an acquisition of Juniper Networks by HPE. Representatives of HPE descended on the U.S. Department of Justice this week to convince them to let the deal go through, Bloomberg writes.
HPE announced earlier this year that it was acqu iring Juniper Networks for $14 billion. An agreement between two companies is no guarantee that an acquisition will actually be allowed to proceed, especially when billions are involved. Regulators must first examine whether an acquisition could lead to a concentration of power within an industry.
The Biden administration, which is in its final weeks, has often been cautious about major acquisitions in the tech industry. A verdict in the Juniper acquisition is awaited.
Network giant
The acquisition plans will scare many in the networking sector. With Aruba Networks, HPE already has a firm foot in. If Juniper is added to that, a potential networking giant is on the horizon. CEO Antonio Neri said recently that HPEwill be “at its core a networking company.
HPE remains optimistic that it will be able to finally acquire Juniper in early 2025. To make that clear to the outside world, CEO Rami Rahim was even allowed on stage during Neri’s keynote to declare mutual love. The outcome of the presidential election could possibly cause another delay, though, depending on whether or not the new government will be more favorable to the acquisition.
read also