This weblog is co-authored by Gary Steele, President & CEO of Splunk.

Rather a lot has occurred since we introduced our settlement to mix Cisco and Splunk. We’ve every been on the street assembly with clients to find out how collectively we may also help them keep forward of the evolving know-how panorama to drive outcomes crucial to their organizations.

A typical query throughout our respective conversations has been: How will the mixed firm higher serve clients?

We proceed to listen to from organizations around the globe that the resilience of their digital programs issues greater than ever. With the acceleration of AI, increasing menace surfaces, and hybrid, multi-cloud environments, retaining programs securely up and operating has turn into exponentially extra advanced – demanding that corporations entry, analyze and act on their information sooner than ever earlier than.

We each imagine that combining Cisco and Splunk will enable us to harness the ability of knowledge and AI to ship distinctive buyer outcomes now and sooner or later. And the great factor is, we now have a stable basis to construct upon.

Over the past 10 years, Cisco and Splunk have partnered to assist hundreds of organizations navigate the challenges of the hyperconnected world. Our complementary capabilities have helped defend our clients and discover and repair issues by powering complete visibility throughout extremely advanced know-how stacks. Becoming a member of forces would be the subsequent step in our journey to deliver transformative innovation to organizations worldwide.

Accelerating innovation throughout safety and observability

Splunk and Cisco have been independently innovating at an accelerated tempo to maintain up with the dynamic know-how panorama. Within the final 12 months, Cisco has launched the Cisco Networking Cloud, Cisco Prolonged Detection and Response (XDR), Cisco Safe Entry (SSE), and Cisco Multicloud Protection, Cisco Full-Stack Observability Platform, G200 and G202 networking chips for AI workloads, and AI Assistants and capabilities throughout Cisco’s collaboration, safety, and observability portfolios.

Splunk, too, continues to speed up innovation throughout its AI-powered Safety and Observability product portfolio. Take safety for example. At Splunk’s marquee buyer and companion occasion, .conf23, Splunk launched a number of new options for its award-winning Enterprise Safety and SOAR merchandise, and likewise introduced the final availability of Splunk Assault Analyzer, which integrates the capabilities acquired from TwinWave final 12 months into Splunk’s unified safety operations expertise.

We imagine the union of Splunk and Cisco’s applied sciences will speed up the modern safety options wanted within the trendy SOC. We’re excited by the potential worth that our complementary options, Splunk’s SIEM and Cisco’s highly effective XDR, will present safety groups on the frontlines of an evolving menace panorama. We’re additionally excited by the great alternatives that exist to drive larger reliability and efficiency for organizations by means of the complementary worth throughout Splunk’s observability portfolio, logging and IT infrastructure monitoring options and Cisco’s observability platform and AppDynamics APM portfolio.

Throughout this time of transition, clients can proceed to depend on each of our organizations to innovate on the speedy tempo they’ve come to anticipate. Once we come collectively, we’re excited for the chance to speed up our joint innovation even additional to deliver organizations unimaginable breadth and depth in our options to drive visibility, safety, and reliability throughout their whole tech stack. Becoming a member of forces represents a big funding to double down on the tempo of innovation throughout safety and observability to proceed driving unimaginable buyer worth.

Expanded world attain and the ability of partnership

Cisco has great world scale, and collectively, we’ll draw upon our collective assets and infrastructure to allow extra organizations globally to advance resilience by means of Cisco and Splunk’s expansive services.

One instance is the Cisco companion ecosystem that performs an instrumental function in getting highly effective applied sciences to extra clients globally. Each of our organizations proceed to see wonderful alternatives to forge partnerships and assist our future joint clients unlock incremental worth.

Cisco has been dedicated to its world companion ecosystem and partner-led mannequin for greater than 27 years. 1000’s of companions world-wide assist us go to market, streamline complexity, and ship measurable enterprise worth for our clients, by assembly them the place they’re with the know-how they want.

Add to that Splunk’s companion ecosystem, which consists of greater than 2,600 organizations all devoted to serving to clients understand the great worth of its AI-powered safety and observability. This community works hand-in-hand with clients around the globe to deliver the proper experience and strategic partnership on the proper time to assist drive resilience.

Subsequent steps in our journey collectively

Cisco and Splunk are excited to proceed to do what we love most: serving to our clients obtain their know-how outcomes with revolutionary merchandise and options. That stated, it’s essential to keep in mind that we’re solely initially of planning for our future collectively. Till the transaction closes, which we anticipate to happen by the top of the third quarter of calendar 12 months 2024, Cisco and Splunk stay separate and unbiased corporations.

Between now and shut, Cisco and Splunk anticipate to proceed working seamlessly with our respective clients. For every of our respective organizations, there might be no speedy modifications to the companies Cisco or Splunk present or modifications to how both firm helps its clients.

Lastly, we wish to emphasize that neither Splunk nor Cisco can be the place we’re in the present day with out the loyalty and belief of our respective clients. You drive us to be the most effective within the business, and we’re grateful in your ongoing belief and partnership. We imagine the longer term is shiny for Cisco and Splunk, and – extra importantly, for our clients. Collectively, we will unlock many extra alternatives to assist securely join all the pieces all whereas constructing a safer and extra resilient digital world.

Splunk Cautionary Assertion Relating to Ahead-Wanting Statements

This weblog incorporates “forward-looking statements” inside the which means of the federal securities legal guidelines, together with Part 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Part 21E of the Securities Alternate Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are primarily based on Splunk’s present expectations, estimates and projections in regards to the anticipated date of closing of the proposed transaction and the potential advantages thereof, its enterprise and business, administration’s beliefs and sure assumptions made by Splunk and Cisco, all of that are topic to alter. On this context, forward-looking statements typically deal with anticipated future enterprise and monetary efficiency and monetary situation, and sometimes include phrases similar to “anticipate,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “imagine,” “might,” “search,” “see,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “probably,” “estimate,” “proceed,” “anticipate,” “goal,” comparable expressions or the negatives of those phrases or different comparable terminology that convey uncertainty of future occasions or outcomes. All forward-looking statements by their nature deal with issues that contain dangers and uncertainties, lots of that are past our management, and usually are not ensures of future outcomes, similar to statements in regards to the consummation of the proposed transaction and the anticipated advantages thereof. These and different forward-looking statements, together with the failure to consummate the proposed transaction or to make or take any submitting or different motion required to consummate the transaction on a well timed matter or in any respect, usually are not ensures of future outcomes and are topic to dangers, uncertainties and assumptions that would trigger precise outcomes to vary materially from these expressed in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, there are or might be essential components that would trigger precise outcomes to vary materially from these indicated in such statements and, subsequently, you shouldn’t place undue reliance on any such statements and warning have to be exercised in counting on forward-looking statements. Vital threat components which will trigger such a distinction embody, however usually are not restricted to: (i) the completion of the proposed transaction on anticipated phrases and timing, together with acquiring shareholder and regulatory approvals, anticipated tax remedy, unexpected liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, bills, earnings, synergies, financial efficiency, indebtedness, monetary situation, losses, future prospects, enterprise and administration methods for the administration, enlargement and development of Splunk’s enterprise and different situations to the completion of the transaction; (ii) the impression of the COVID-19 pandemic on Splunk’s enterprise and common financial situations; (iii) Splunk’s skill to implement its enterprise technique; (iv) vital transaction prices related to the proposed transaction; (v) potential litigation regarding the proposed transaction; (vi) the chance that disruptions from the proposed transaction will hurt Splunk’s enterprise, together with present plans and operations; (vii) the flexibility of Splunk to retain and rent key personnel; (viii) potential hostile reactions or modifications to enterprise relationships ensuing from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; (ix) legislative, regulatory and financial developments affecting Splunk’s enterprise; (x) common financial and market developments and situations; (xi) the evolving authorized, regulatory and tax regimes underneath which Splunk operates; (xii) potential enterprise uncertainty, together with modifications to present enterprise relationships, throughout the pendency of the merger that would have an effect on Splunk’s monetary efficiency; (xiii) restrictions throughout the pendency of the proposed transaction which will impression Splunk’s skill to pursue sure enterprise alternatives or strategic transactions; and (xiv) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic occasions, together with, however not restricted to, acts of terrorism or outbreak of conflict or hostilities, in addition to Splunk’s response to any of the aforementioned components. These dangers, in addition to different dangers related to the proposed transaction, are extra totally mentioned within the definitive proxy assertion filed with the U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee on October 30, 2023 in reference to the proposed transaction. Whereas the record of things offered right here is, and the record of things offered within the proxy assertion is, thought-about consultant, no such record must be thought-about to be a whole assertion of all potential dangers and uncertainties. Unlisted components could current vital further obstacles to the belief of ahead wanting statements. Penalties of fabric variations in outcomes as in contrast with these anticipated within the forward-looking statements might embody, amongst different issues, enterprise disruption, operational issues, monetary loss, authorized legal responsibility to 3rd events and comparable dangers, any of which might have a fabric hostile impact on Splunk’s monetary situation, outcomes of operations, or liquidity. Splunk doesn’t assume any obligation to publicly present revisions or updates to any forward-looking statements, whether or not on account of new data, future developments or in any other case, ought to circumstances change, besides as in any other case required by securities and different relevant legal guidelines.

Cisco Cautionary Assertion Relating to Ahead-Wanting Statements

This weblog could also be deemed to include forward-looking statements, that are topic to the protected harbor provisions of the Non-public Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Any statements that aren’t statements of historic truth (together with statements containing the phrases “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” “strives,” “purpose,” “intends,” “could,” “endeavors,” “continues,” “initiatives,” “seeks,” or “targets,” or the destructive of those phrases or different comparable terminology, in addition to comparable expressions) must be thought-about to be forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements include these figuring out phrases.  Readers mustn’t place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are the administration’s beliefs and assumptions, lots of which, by their nature, are inherently unsure, and outdoors of the administration’s management.  Ahead-looking statements could embody statements relating to the anticipated advantages to Cisco, Splunk and their respective clients from finishing the transaction, the combination of Splunk’s and Cisco’s complementary capabilities to create an end-to-end platform designed to unlock larger digital resilience for purchasers, plans for future funding and capital allocation, the anticipated monetary efficiency of Cisco following the anticipated completion of the transaction, and the anticipated completion of the transaction.  Statements relating to future occasions are primarily based on the events’ present expectations, estimates and projections and are essentially topic to related dangers associated to, amongst different issues, (i) the completion of the proposed transaction on anticipated phrases and timing, together with acquiring stockholder and regulatory approvals and different situations to the completion of the transaction, (ii) the impact of the announcement or pendency of the proposed transaction on Splunk’s enterprise, working outcomes, and relationships with clients, suppliers, rivals and others, (iii) dangers that the proposed transaction could disrupt Splunk’s present plans and enterprise operations, (iv) dangers associated to the diverting of administration’s consideration from Splunk’s ongoing enterprise operations, (v) the incidence of any occasion, change or different circumstances that would give rise to the termination of the definitive settlement, (vi) the result of any authorized proceedings associated to the transaction, (vii) the potential results on the accounting of the proposed transaction, (viii) legislative, regulatory and financial developments, (ix) common financial situations, (x) restrictions throughout the pendency of the proposed transaction which will impression Splunk’s skill to pursue sure enterprise alternatives or strategic transactions, (xi) the retention of key personnel, and (xii) the flexibility of Cisco to efficiently combine Splunk’s market alternatives, know-how, personnel and operations and to realize anticipated advantages. Due to this fact, precise outcomes could differ materially and adversely from the anticipated outcomes or outcomes indicated in any forward-looking statements. For data relating to different associated dangers, see the “Danger Elements” part of Cisco’s most up-to-date report on Type 10-Okay filed on September 7, 2023, the “Danger Elements” part of Splunk’s most up-to-date stories on Type 10-Q and Type 10-Okay filed with the SEC on August 24, 2023 and March 23, 2023, respectively, and dangers described within the definitive proxy assertion regarding the transaction filed with the SEC by Splunk on October 30, 2023. The events undertake no obligation to revise or replace any forward-looking statements for any cause, besides as required by legislation.

Further Data and The place to Discover It

In reference to the proposed transaction and required stockholder approval, Splunk filed with the SEC a definitive proxy assertion on October 30, 2023. The proxy assertion has been mailed to the stockholders of Splunk. This doc just isn’t an alternative to the proxy assertion or another doc which Splunk could file with the SEC. Splunk’s stockholders are urged to fastidiously learn the proxy assertion (together with all amendments, dietary supplements and any paperwork integrated by reference therein) and different related supplies filed or to be filed with the SEC and of their entirety as a result of they include essential details about the proposed transaction and the events to the transaction. Buyers could receive free copies of those paperwork and different paperwork filed with the SEC at its web site at www.sec.gov. As well as, traders could receive free copies of the paperwork filed with the SEC by Splunk by going to Splunk’s Investor Relations web page on its company web site at https://traders.splunk.com or by contacting Splunk Investor Relations at ir@splunk.com.

Members within the Solicitation

Splunk and its govt officers and administrators could also be deemed to be individuals within the solicitation of proxies from Splunk’s stockholders with respect to the transaction. Details about Splunk’s administrators and govt officers, together with their possession of Splunk securities, is ready forth within the definitive proxy assertion associated to the transaction, which was filed with the SEC on October 30, 2023, proxy assertion for Splunk’s 2023 Annual Assembly of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on Could 9, 2023, Type 8-Okay filed with the SEC on September 21, 2023, and Splunk’s different filings with the SEC. Buyers could receive extra detailed data relating to the direct and oblique pursuits of Splunk and its respective govt officers and administrators within the transaction, which can be totally different than these of Splunk stockholders typically, by studying the definitive proxy assertion relating to the transaction, which was filed with the SEC.

As well as, Cisco and its govt officers and administrators could also be deemed to have participated within the solicitation of proxies from Splunk’s stockholders in favor of the approval of the transaction. Data regarding Cisco’s administrators and govt officers is ready forth in Cisco’s proxy assertion for its 2023 Annual Assembly of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on October 17, 2023, the 2023 annual report furnished to safety holders on October 17, 2023, annual report on Type 10-Okay filed with the SEC on September 7, 2023, Type 8-Okay filed with the SEC on September 21, 2023 and Cisco’s different filings with the SEC. These paperwork can be found freed from cost on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov or by going to Cisco’s Investor Relations web site at https://investor.cisco.com.

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