Hewlett-Packard buys networking firm Aruba for US$2.7b

[NEW YORK] US computer giant Hewlett-Packard said on Monday it was buying mobile networking group Aruba Networks for some US$2.7 billion.

The tie-up between the two California firms gives HP a broader array of offerings for corporate wireless networking as it prepares to split into two separate companies.

"Enterprises are facing a mobile-first world and are looking for solutions that help them transition legacy investments to the new style of IT," said Meg Whitman, chairman and chief executive of HP.

"By combining Aruba's world-class wireless mobility solutions with HP's leading switching portfolio, HP will offer the simplest, most secure networking solutions to help enterprises easily deploy next-generation mobile networks."

Aruba will become part of HP Networking, the enterprise services group to be created by the split along with a unit focused on computers and printers.

Aruba, based in Sunnyvale, has some 1,800 employees and had revenues of US$729 million in fiscal 2014.

HP has been undergoing a massive reorganization to cope with the move away from traditional personal computers to mobile devices.

The split aims to sharpen the focus of each unit, according to Ms Whitman.

AFP