Is the US government still standing in the way of HPE’s plans to acquire Juniper Networks? The final hurdle could still be high.

The European Union and the United Kingdom have already given their consent, but the United States can still block a takeover of Juniper Networks by HPE. HPE representatives went to the US Department of Justice this week to convince them to continue the deal, writes Bloomberg.

HPE announced earlier this year that it would acquire Juniper Networks for $14 billion. An agreement between two companies is no guarantee that a takeover will actually happen, especially when billions are at stake. Regulators must first consider whether a takeover could lead to a concentration of power within a sector.

The Biden administration, now in its final weeks, has often been cautious about major acquisitions in the tech industry. A verdict in the Juniper takeover case is still pending.

Network giant

The takeover plans will scare many parties in the network industry. HPE already has a strong foothold with Aruba Networks. If Juniper is added to this list, a potential networking giant is on the way. CEO Antonio Neri recently said that HPE is “becoming a networking company at its core.”

HPE remains optimistic that it will be able to permanently acquire Juniper in early 2025. To make this clear to the outside world, CEO Rami Rahim is even allowed to come on stage during Neri’s keynote to express their mutual love. The outcome of the presidential election could still cause a delay, depending on whether the new government is more favorable to the takeover or not.