Akamai Technologies is acquiring Inverse, a provider of zero trust and secure access service edge (SASE) solutions for enterprise IoT (Internet of Things) customers. Financial terms were not disclosed.
This is M&A deal number 91 that MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E have covered so far in 2021. See all technology M&A deals for 2021 and 2020 listed here.
Inverse's platform includes a cloud-based data lake that supports HVAC, lighting systems, medical equipment, robotics, and printers. Moreover, the data lake "understands" the devices' expected network behaviors. And Inverse offers infrastructure monitoring services.
Akamai Acquires Inverse: Executive Perspectives
In a prepared statement about the deal, Ludovic Marcotte, president and CEO of Inverse, said:
"Any number of internet-connected devices can be a jumping-off point for malware to discover and exfiltrate sensitive corporate data. The Fingerbank data lake provides visibility into the device landscape - what the devices are communicating with and their typical behavior. With an anticipated 41.6 billion internet-connected devices by 2025, according to IDC, this data is essential so that enterprises can apply the correct security controls."
Added Robert Blumofe, executive vice president, platform and general manager, enterprise division, Akamai Technologies:
"Enterprises already have thousands of 'things' connecting to their networks, and that number is only expected to grow, making securing the enterprise ever more difficult. Gaining context and visibility into the device landscape, with what the devices are communicating and their typical behavior is critical. By combining the Inverse device fingerprint data repository with Akamai's own security data from the 1.3 billion device interactions that take place daily across the Akamai Intelligent Edge security platform, we believe we can create an industry leading solution to apply zero trust controls and enhanced security to the full landscape of devices and workforce."
Akamai: IoT Acquisition Focus
Akamai has been active in the M&A market. The company in October 2020 also acquired mobile, IoT and security solutions provider Asavie in an all-cash transaction. Akamai is usig Asavie’s solutions to expand its 5G security strategy and explore ways to protect mobile and cellular devices against evolving cyber threats, according to a prepared statement.
