WESTFORD, Mass. – Ribbon Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: RBBN), a global software leader in secure and intelligent cloud communications, today announced that it has agreed to purchase the business and technology assets of Anova Data, Inc., a leading provider of advanced analytics solutions. Anova Data is based in the U.S. and its Next Generation (NextGen) products provide a cloud-native, streaming analytics platform for network and subscriber optimization and monetization. These products in combination with existing Ribbon solutions are expected to deliver mobile, fixed and enterprise customers an enhanced suite of applications that utilize big data analytics and machine learning to provide prescriptive insights on subscriber behavior and network performance. With these newly combined solutions, Ribbon believes it can better engage customers with expanded offerings to open new revenue streams, provide advanced service assurance, and improve overall subscriber experiences.

“These assets perfectly complement our existing security and analytics platform, Ribbon Protect,” said Fritz Hobbs, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ribbon Communications. “Anova Data’s cloud-native solutions, which already boast several global Tier 1 deployments, are expected to help us further expand our offerings to mobile service providers with a comprehensive solution set that combines subscriber-level analytics with real-time network optimization and intelligence.” 

“Our powerful machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) analytics solutions have been successful in helping our global Tier 1 mobile service provider customers gain the insightful, actionable intelligence that allows them to deliver enhanced subscriber experiences, while maximizing network efficiencies,” said John St. Amand, Chief Executive Officer of Anova Data. “This acquisition allows us to capitalize on both Ribbon’s global presence and large service provider customer base, while dramatically expanding the reach of Anova Data’s offerings.”

The proposed acquisition reinforces and extends Ribbon’s strategy to expand into network optimization, security and data monetization via big data analytics and machine learning. As the complexity and scale of network operations continue to grow, big data analytics and machine learning are central to efficient, reliable operations and new revenue generation.  Anova Data’s solutions are a logical fit with Ribbon’s security and analytics platform, Ribbon Protect. The combination delivers a robust, end-to-end solution for real time communications (RTC) and IP data service assurance, security, optimization and monetization.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions.  Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the equity owners of Anova Data will receive at closing an aggregate of 3.3 million shares of Ribbon common stock in exchange for substantially all of the assets and liabilities of Anova Data. Ribbon does not expect that the acquisition will materially affect its financial results in 2019.