Competition Watchdog Clears HPE Acquisition of Juniper Networks

This article was published in ISP Review on August 8 2024. You can read the original article here.  

In response to the recent approval by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) acquisition of Juniper Networks, Hannes Gredler, CTO of RtBrick, has voiced significant concerns over the implications of such large-scale mergers in the telecom industry.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has followed a similar decision in the EU by clearing the move by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to acquire Juniper Networks for an all-cash transaction for $40.00 per share (here), which represents an equity value of around $14 billion (£11bn).

At the time of writing the CMA has yet to publish the details of their decision and, following a brief Phase 1 investigation, have merely issued the following statement: “The CMA has cleared the anticipated acquisition by Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company of Juniper Networks, Inc. The full text of the decision will be published shortly” (i.e. it didn’t raise any major competition concerns).

Network operators across the UK (e.g. broadband ISPs, data centres etc.), and elsewhere across the world, have been watching the agreement to see how the change might impact the vital networking kit and services they buy and use, particularly in terms of its cost, quality and performance. This is because Juniper’s networking kit (routers, SDN, WiFi etc.) and related services are used by many operators.

However, the newly combined company has previously pledged to “provide customers of all sizes” with a complete, secure portfolio that enables the networking architecture necessary to manage and simplify their expanding and increasingly complex connectivity needs. Nevertheless, some still fear that HPE might attempt to re-focus the network biz over time to cater for more lucrative clients and thus cast aside the Service Provider (SP) market.

Clearly, the CMA felt as if this was not an area where they had any significant concerns.

RtBrick’s CTO, Hannes Gredler’s, told ISPreview:

“These big acquisitions are becoming the norm, especially in the telecom industry, and it’s quite alarming for customers. The market is clearly shifting towards bigger players consolidating power, which is why the CMA has tried to scrutinize the deal. The bottom line is that while HPE has strengthened its market position by acquiring Juniper, it has also left a concerning dent in competition, customer choice and confidence.

Another example is Nokia’s recent $2.3 billion acquisition of Infinera, underscoring the company’s push to dominate the optical network market, boosting its market share and enhancing its competitive edge. However, this move also reduces the number of independent vendors in the optical networking space, further consolidating market power among a few large entities and limiting customer choice. Acquisitions of this nature inevitably come with product overlap and resetting priorities by the acquiring company, leaving customers uncertain about the future of their chosen products.

We welcome CMA’s decision today, but we need to carefully inspect the impact of such deals on the wider market and ensure the right to fair competition and innovation. We’ll be watching this one closely.”