Cisco makes its biggest-ever acquisition: Deal size and what makes it the big AI bet

Cisco Systems Inc has announced plans to acquire Splunk Inc in a deal worth $28 billion, marking its largest acquisition to date. The move represents a significant push into software and AI-powered data analysis. The acquisition will bring together two leaders in AI, security, and observability, providing substantial scale and visibility into data. The deal is also a bet on AI, as Splunk recently unveiled a new line of AI offerings. The merger will help Cisco find recurring, subscription-based software revenues and manage the complexity of the cloud.