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Nokia strengthens security portfolio with planned acquisition of Nakina Systems

  • The planned acquisition helps Nokia support customers facing increasing threats coming from 5G networks, Internet of Things , Big Data, Software Defined Networks and Cloud services
  • Nokia also intends to use the planned acquisition to help customers meet growing regulatory and legal requirements for network security
  • Nakina Systems is a Canadian software company specializing in security and orchestration software for virtual and hybrid networks
  • Planned acquisition is expected to close in Q1 2016

ESPOO, Finland, Feb. 21, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nokia plans to acquire Canadian software firm Nakina Systems ("Nakina"), to reinforce its  position in security at a time when customers are bolstering their defenses to cope with the increasing demands of hyper connectivity, new regulations and emerging technologies. The companies previously had a five-year partnership where Nokia used Nakina's software in several customer projects.

Security is an integral part of any network solution. Nakina would provide Nokia with unique vendor- and technology-agnostic capabilities that allow operators to administer, control and audit security while simplifying the way insiders access critical network assets. With the planned acquisition, Nokia also strengthens its ability to manage privileged identities and isolate network security vulnerabilities.

These capabilities are important for operators wanting to protect their networks and avert service interruptions that could damage or degrade customer experience, cause revenue loss and/or lead to service level agreement penalties. Nakina's main customers operate some of the world's most demanding networks and include some of the world's largest global service providers.

Bhaskar Gorti, President of Applications and Analytics at Nokia, said: "The planned acquisition of Nakina is another example of the steps we are taking to build security and privacy into our networks from the beginning. As seventy percent of all security breaches originate from privileged insiders, Nakina gives us the ability to address a rapidly increasing threat for our customers."

Mary O'Neil, CEO of Nakina Systems, said: "Nakina bridges the security and operational gaps between the promise of cloud networks and operational realities of running high performance heterogeneous networks. With this deal, our customers will benefit from  Nokia's scale, leading expertise and investment scope for software and applications."

About Nokia
Nokia is a global leader in the technologies that connect people and things. Powered by the innovation of Bell Labs and Nokia Technologies, the company is at the forefront of creating and licensing the technologies that are increasingly at the heart of our connected lives. 

With state-of-the-art software, hardware and services for any type of network, Nokia is uniquely positioned to help communication service providers, governments, and large enterprises deliver on the promise of 5G, the Cloud and the Internet of Things. http://nokia.com

About Nakina Systems
Nakina offers a suite of Network Integrity applications for securing and optimizing physical and virtual networks. Nakina's applications are built upon a Network Integrity Framework - an open and modular software platform that abstracts network complexity, normalizes multi-vendor management, and bridges the physical and virtual worlds for management and orchestration. Nakina software is proven, trusted and protects the world's largest and most important networks. https://nakinasystems.com

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Phone: +358 10 448 4900
Email: press.services@nokia.com

RISKS AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
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and 27) unexpected liabilities or issues with respect to the Acquisition, including pension and employee liabilities or higher than expected transaction costs, as well as the risk factors specified on pages 74 to 89 of Nokia's latest annual report on Form 20-F under "Operating and Financial Review and Prospects-Risk factors" as well as in Nokia's other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 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