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A10 Networks (News - Alert) hasn't exactly been around a long time—it went public in March 2014—but it's been busy ever since. Not only did the company raise around $187.5 million in fundraising efforts, but it's taken some of that money to pick up a complete application delivery control (ADC (News - Alert)) system by purchasing Appcito. There are unanswered questions around the deal yet, but what is known suggests some big changes ahead.

The purchase price of the deal wasn't disclosed, but A10 Networks did offer some insight into what moved it toward Appcito, as the company noted that it was part of a larger plan to “help customers become more secure and agile as they bridge traditional and cloud application environments.” Reports note that Appcito is likely to play a role in the Harmony Solution developed by A10 Networks, which is geared toward providing security in applications. Harmony is built around an architecture known as the Advanced Core Operating System (ACOS) Harmony, and was originally established to optimize key system components like memory and processors. This made for a better use of what was already in play—given the expense of such components, most anyone would want to get full value from their use—and allowed companies to better and more securely meet networking requirements.

With the acquisition in place, reports note, new systems will emerge for use, including a cloud services controller, traffic management systems that not only work with DevOps processes but also deliver management with a focus on needs on the ground, and even some new support for applications involving containers and microservices. If that's not ambitious enough, the current reports even note that it will all be available before the ball drops to welcome 2017.

A company that's only been around a little over two years can only have so much to say about the state of the market. A company that's been around a little over two years and is making acquisitions, however, can have quite a bit more to say. There's no faulting A10 Networks for lack of ambition here, but it's going to be walking into a fray with more than a few competitors going after that same market. A10 Networks could have a real edge, however, in the scope of its releasing and a great potential value proposition in allowing users to get more out of current network points like memory and processors; cost savings has long been a great way to entice users to a product line, and A10 Networks seems to have that point well in hand.

While it's not a foregone conclusion as yet that A10 Networks will be successful at this, its sheer ambition speaks well of it overall. It's got a lot to like going into this fight, and it may well come out the other side better than some might expect.