• by Ray Schultz , November 9, 2017

Data protection firm Barracuda Networks Inc. has acquired Sonian Inc., a provider of cloud archiving and business information, the firms announced. The terms were not disclosed. 

This follows Proofpoint’s acquisition of Cloudmark, another cloud acquisition by a security company, pointing toward increased consolidation in the security market.

The deal will provide Barracuda with new OEM partners while allowing it to deepen its cloud archiving and email security capabilities. Sonian brings 32,000 customers in 40 countries to the table. 

Barracuda believes “there is an opportunity to integrate Sonian’s analytics and AI with our data protection portfolio,” resulting in a more complete market solution, states Barracuda CEO BJ Jenkins.

Sonian CEO Tim McKinnon adds that “flexibility, ease of ownership, and reliability of cloud platforms continue to drive significant market demand.”

Sonian’s archiving and analytics capabilities will allow clients to identify potential threats while acting quickly on communications data, Barracuda says.

In addition, the combined entity will provide a “purpose-built” cloud platform, cloud archiving, business insights and extended channel reach, the company adds.

Barracuda serves 150,000 organizations worldwide. Jenkins will lead the combined entity, according to a spokesperson. McKinnon will stay on in a transitional role to help integrate the businesses.