The chiefs of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Juniper Networks have discussed the expected benefits for mobile operators from a proposed $14 billion deal to merge the two companies during their keynote session at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. 

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks Coming at 'Inflection Point With AI'

According to a Mobile World Live report, HPE president and CEO Antonio Neri and Juniper Networks CEO Rami Rahim appeared on stage Tuesday, less than two months after HPE announced it would buy Juniper Networks subject to regulatory approval.

The two outlined the agreement's rationale and its expected customer advantages. Neri described the deal as coming at an "inflection point with AI," pointing to the rising convergence of communications infrastructure and IT in the AI era. 

He underscored the potential for the partnership to drive remarkable advancements benefiting both businesses and society as a whole.

"I think of connectivity as an important aspect for society. We must make it inclusive, we must make it sustainable... AI is going to demand a lot of key innovation to increase power, increase performance and with HPE [combined] with Juniper we intend to do that," Neri noted. 

According to Rahim, the capabilities developed by HPE on "all layers of IT" and software can increase Juniper Networks' relevance solutions "to solve some of our service providers' most pressing challenges today."

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Acquisition of Juniper Networks

According to a blog post by HPE, combining the two companies is poised to revolutionize the networking industry, disrupting the networking "status quo" with a new modern AI-driven networking fabric.

The acquisition aims to pivot HPE's portfolio towards higher growth and higher gross margin areas of the market, complementing the company's existing Aruba Networking portfolio in Campus and Branch.

The deal also aims to create a new full-service networking company with a customer-centric approach to product development. While the acquisition is expected to close in late 2024 or early 2025, both HPE and Juniper Networks assured customers that business will continue as usual.

"The incredible thing about a combination like this one is that there are strong offerings on both sides, and by bringing them together, we will be accelerating value and flexibility for all of our customers," Neri said in the blog post. 

"While it is too early for us to make any decisions or announcements regarding future product roadmaps, my commitment is that all HPE portfolio decisions will continue to be made carefully and thoughtfully," he added.

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