Ocedo

Ocedo GmbH, established in Germany in 2013, specialized in software-defined networking (SDN) before its acquisition by Riverbed Technology in January 2016. The company was founded by Jan Hichert, Gert Hansen, and Markus Hennig, the same entrepreneurial team that previously founded the security vendor Astaro, which was later acquired by Sophos. This background in network security and management heavily influenced Ocedo's direction, aiming to simplify network management for mid-sized, distributed enterprises.

The firm operated in the burgeoning software-defined wide-area-network (SD-WAN) market, targeting IT departments and Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Its business model centered on providing a comprehensive suite of network hardware that was managed through a central, cloud-based platform. This allowed clients to remotely deploy and manage entire networks, a significant departure from traditional, manual, on-site network configuration. Revenue was generated through the sale of its SDN-enabled network equipment, including gateways, Wi-Fi access points, and switches, all provisioned and controlled via the Ocedo Connect cloud console.

Ocedo's core product was an integrated system for Software-Defined Networking. This included a portfolio of hardware—secure gateways, access points, and switches—and the Ocedo Connect cloud management console. The platform's main benefit was centralized control and zero-touch provisioning, enabling IT administrators to manage distributed office networks from a single interface. Features included the ability to dynamically connect to cloud services like Amazon Web Services, create user-based access policies, and automatically route WAN traffic across multiple internet links. The entire system was designed to be deployed remotely from the cloud, track network activity through a 'single pane of glass', and implement configuration changes in real-time. In 2016, Riverbed Technology acquired Ocedo to accelerate its own SD-WAN strategy, integrating Ocedo's technology to enhance its application performance and software-defined networking solutions for hybrid enterprises.

Keywords: Ocedo, SD-WAN, software-defined networking, network management, cloud-managed networking, Riverbed Technology, Jan Hichert, Gert Hansen, Markus Hennig, Astaro, distributed enterprise networks, network hardware, secure gateways, Wi-Fi access points, network switches, zero-touch provisioning, centralized network control, MSP networking solutions, WAN optimization, hybrid WAN, network virtualization, cloud-based network console, automated network provisioning, enterprise networking, IT infrastructure management