With all of the industry consolidation, Extreme Networks seems like a logical target. First, full disclosure. I’ve worked with Extreme Networks (EXTR) for a long time. That said, I was saddened to see that the company announced a re-organization this week and laid off 70 people.At this point, Extreme Networks’ market cap is less than $200 million so the obvious questions is: Why isn’t someone buying the company? I wish I knew because it seems like a steal to me. Yes, Extreme Networks is small compared to other vendors but the company has a strong operating system, core to edge networking coverage, and some unique functionality that eases network operations. Oh and by the way, Extreme Networks offers high-end networking gear at near commodity networking prices. The logical suitor in my view is HP (HPQ). HP ProCurve networking has tons of momentum but lacks a high-end aggregation and/or core switch. Purchase Extreme Networks and that problem goes away.In spite of the setback, Extreme continues to do well in vertical industries like education and hospitality. I hope that Extreme can ultimately benefit from the re-organization and emerge stronger or end up somewhere where its innovation and feistiness are appreciated. Related content analysis 5 things security pros want from XDR platforms New research shows that while extended detection and response (XDR) remains a nebulous topic, security pros know what they want from an XDR platform. By Jon Oltsik Jul 07, 2022 3 mins Intrusion Detection Software Incident Response opinion Bye-bye best-of-breed? ESG research finds that organizations are increasingly integrating security technologies and purchasing multi-product security platforms, changing the industry in the process. By Jon Oltsik Jun 14, 2022 4 mins Security Software opinion SOC modernization: 8 key considerations Organizations need SOC transformation for security efficacy and operational efficiency. Technology vendors should come to this year’s RSA Conference with clear messages and plans, not industry hyperbole. By Jon Oltsik Apr 27, 2022 6 mins RSA Conference Security Operations Center opinion 5 ways to improve security hygiene and posture management Security professionals suggest continuous controls validation, process automation, and integrating security and IT technologies. By Jon Oltsik Apr 05, 2022 4 mins Security Practices Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe