Cisco to acquire real-time data analytics start-up Perspica

20 Oct 2017

Cisco office in Switzerland. Image: Denis Linine/Shutterstock

The acquisition of Perspica will mean sharper data insights provided by Cisco.

Yesterday (19 October), networking hardware company Cisco announced it intends to acquire Perspica, a firm that specialises in data stream analysis via machine learning.

This follows its March acquisition of AppDynamics, a privately held software firm dealing in app and business performance monitoring. AppDynamics’ real-time data platform is correlated with Cisco’s own data platforms and ostensibly helps customers make smarter business decisions based on the insights provided.

Cisco stated: “In our experience working with the world’s largest companies, we know that machine learning is only as good as the data it ingests; only as relevant as the data’s timeliness; and only as valuable as the data’s business context.

“Cisco’s AppDynamics datasets span wherever the application components are deployed, and there is a massive opportunity to correlate this with user experience and business context.”

Improving data analysis capabilities

Now with its intention to acquire Perspica publicised, Cisco says customers will be able to capitalise on these opportunities. Clients will “be able to further take advantage of machine learning capabilities to analyse large amounts of application-related data, in real time and with business context, including when an application is deployed in a company’s public, private and multiple cloud environments”.

“Together, AppDynamics and Perspica can provide enterprises with a way to filter crucial signals from the noise and drive their growth based on the digital streaming insights of their businesses.”

Perspica is examining the application of machine learning in terms of vast amounts of business operations data, fitting in well with Cisco’s (and almost every large firm out there’s) continued interest in data-driven business.

Cisco looking to harness the power of data

This is part of a continuing shift from Cisco towards becoming a more service-led company. Perspica’s real-time capabilities will work alongside the existing AppDynamics technology to help companies sift through vast mountains of data at a rapid pace.

The team at Perspica will be folded into Cisco’s AppDynamics group led by senior vice-president and general manager David Wadhwani within the Applications Group, and the acquisition is set to close in the second quarter of 2018. The purchase price for Perspica was not shared by Cisco at the time of the announcement.

Cisco office in Switzerland. Image: Denis Linine/Shutterstock

Ellen Tannam was a journalist with Silicon Republic, covering all manner of business and tech subjects

editorial@siliconrepublic.com