Vyatta

About Vyatta

Founded in 2005, Vyatta carved a niche in the networking industry by developing a software-based network operating system. This system was conceived as a flexible and cost-effective alternative to proprietary hardware from established vendors like Cisco and Juniper. The company was started by Allan Leinwand, who, after discussions with IT professionals in the financial sector, identified a demand for open-source solutions to replace expensive networking hardware. Vyatta's core offering was a product that combined routing, firewall, and VPN functionalities into a single software package. The software, based on a Debian Linux distribution, could be installed on standard x86 hardware or deployed as a virtual machine in various environments, including VMware, Xen, KVM, and later, Microsoft Hyper-V.

Vyatta operated on a dual-license model. It provided a free, open-source version called Vyatta Core (VC), which attracted a community of developers and users. Concurrently, it offered a commercial Subscription Edition that included additional features like a graphical user interface, API access, technical support, and training. This business model allowed the company to generate revenue through subscriptions, professional services, and consulting. The company’s target market included enterprises and service providers looking to virtualize their network infrastructure, reduce costs, and increase flexibility, particularly in branch offices and data centers.

Vyatta's journey involved several significant milestones, primarily through acquisitions. After raising over $40 million in funding from investors such as ArrowPath Venture Capital and Citrix, the company was acquired by Brocade Communications Systems in November 2012. Brocade aimed to integrate Vyatta's software-defined networking (SDN) capabilities into its product line. Following the acquisition, Brocade discontinued the open-source Vyatta Core, which led to the creation of an independent fork called VyOS by the community. In June 2017, AT&T acquired the Vyatta software assets from Brocade to accelerate its own network virtualization efforts. The journey of the technology continued when Ciena, an AT&T supplier, announced its acquisition of the Vyatta talent and assets from AT&T in September 2021 to enhance its solutions for 5G and edge computing.