Data centre interconnection technology provider Equinix has completed the $335m purchase of US-based bare-metal automation system developer Packet that enabled corporates SoftBank, Dell, Samsung and JA Mitsui Leasing to exit.
Packet has built an automation software platform for use with bare-metal servers – in other words, servers located in a physical space rather than in the cloud.
The company’s technology will be integrated into Equinix’s enterprise offering while CEO Zachary Smith has been appointed managing director of Equinix’s bare metal division.
The deal, initially announced in January this year, follows $36m in funding for Packet. Telecommunications and internet group SoftBank led its $9.4m series A round in 2016, investing with Dell Technologies Capital, part of computing technology producer Dell.
The company secured $25m in a mid-2018 series B round led by Third Point Ventures that included Dell Technologies Capital, leasing services firm JA Mitsui, VC firm Battery Ventures and Samsung Next, a corporate venture capital vehicle for consumer electronics producer Samsung.
Sara Baack, Equinix’s chief product officer, said: “The Packet acquisition represents a bold move to accelerate our strategy for helping enterprises quickly and seamlessly deploy hybrid multicloud architectures on Platform Equinix.
“By combining Packet’s innovative and agile bare metal automation technology with our dynamic data centre and interconnection platform, we can offer our customers an alternate, agile way to deploy and consume private digital infrastructure.
“This approach will make it easier for our customers to extract greater value from our rich ecosystems, superior global reach and the interconnection platform.”
