Comcast Business To Acquire Nitel For Network-as-a-Service, Security Push

Terms of the acquisition for Nitel, which was included in CRN’s 2024 Partner Program Guide, weren’t disclosed.

Comcast Business announced Wednesday it plans to acquire Nitel, a provider of network-as-a-service technology, in a move to bolster its networking and cybersecurity capabilities.

Philadelphia, Pa.-based Comcast Business, a subsidiary of internet and cable giant Comcast, did not disclose the terms of the acquisition of Chicago-based Nitel, which the company has agreed to buy from private equity firm Cinven.

In a news release Wednesday, Comcast Business said its planned acquisition of Nitel will help to enable the company’s expansion in the areas of “high-performance” networking, security and cloud services.

Nitel has 6,600 customers and focuses on serving mid-size enterprises.

The release did not say when the acquisition of Nitel from Cinven, which has owned Nitel since 2021, is expected to close.

In an interview with CRN in January, Nitel CEO Margi Shaw (pictured) said the company had been doubling down on Network-as-a-Service (NaaS), SD-WAN and security with its evolution from a telecom service provider to a networking technology provider.

Nitel has moved into offering “privatized network functionality and application performance monitoring through global SD-WAN infrastructure, as well as global SASE infrastructure,” Shaw said at the time, referring to secure access service edge (SASE) capabilities that combine networking and security for enabling secure access to the workforce.

“We have invested a lot in expanding our product line around the SD-WAN and SASE space,” she told CRN, calling SASE a “great opportunity” for the company and its partners.

Notably, Nitel has been recognized in past years on CRN’s Partner Program Guide ranking, including in the 2024 guide.

Meanwhile, in March, Nitel announced its acquisition of WAN Dynamics to enhance its managed network capabilities.

For Comcast Business, the acquisition also comes a year after a shakeup in the company’s partner organization, which included the retirement of channel chief Craig Schlagbaum along with a major round of layoffs.