VMware acquires PlumGrid technology assets

VMware, a subsidiary of Dell, has purchased assets from OpenStack software-defined networking (SDN) startup PlumGrid to strengthen its SDN and container strategy. The deal closed on Friday, though financial terms were not disclosed, according to Znet. Founded in 2011 by ex-Cisco engineers, PlumGrid recently announced a partnership with Quanta Cloud Technology to provide an OpenStack solution using SDN and network functions virtualisation, following the release of its CloudSecure platform targeting micro-segmentation with private virtual domains, policy-based virtual tap, third-party firewall service insertion, security policy view with CloudApex, and integrated support with Intel’s Open Security Controller. According to Crunchbase, PlumGrid has raised nearly $46 million in venture capital across three rounds to date, including $16.2 million in a Series B round mid-2014.

“Today we’re announcing that we will be starting a new journey as we continue revolutionizing and transforming the networking industry to build and expand on software-defined infrastructure for private and public clouds. Our technology and IP have been acquired, and many of our employees have joined a new team,” wrote Pere Monclus, Co-founder and CTO, PlumGrid in a blog post. “On behalf of everyone at PLUMgrid, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you and we look forward to having you join us on our next journey to make new discoveries, break barriers, and invent new technologies that make the impossible, possible,” he added.

According to the blog post, PlumGrid will shut down, and some of the company’s employees will join VMware.