Juniper Networks plans to acquire startup Ankeena Networks, which has developed an Internet streaming-video system aimed at providing a "television-like viewing experience" while cutting delivery costs, in a deal valued at less than $100 million.
Juniper -- whose chief competitor is Cisco Systems -- expects to offer service providers high-performance content delivery networking and "three-screen" media delivery solutions based on Ankeena's software.
"Juniper's acquisition of Ankeena reflects our commitment to transforming the experience and economics of networking -- in this case by delivering an enhanced TV-like user experience of both fixed and mobile video traffic, while enabling crucial TCO [total cost of ownership] reductions for operators," Manoj Leelanivas, Juniper executive vice president and general manager of Junos Ready Software, said in a statement.
Ankeena's investors include Clearstone Venture Partners, Trinity Ventures and Mayfield Fund. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based based company was founded in 2008 as "Nokeena Networks."
The Ankeena Media Flow Director supports different adaptive-streaming technologies to allow uninterrupted playback without buffering or stuttering, by dynamically detecting the available bandwidth and varying the delivery bit-rate, according to the company.
