en.Wedoany.com Reported - Druid Software, an enterprise based in Dublin, Ireland, has acquired Munich-based Node-H to gain expertise in the Radio Access Network (RAN) domain, completing its end-to-end private 5G product offering. Previously focused on the core network, this acquisition fills Druid's gap in RAN capabilities, as some customers seek a software package that combines both.

Druid founder Liam Kenny told Light Reading that the acquisition increased the company's headcount from approximately 100 to 120 employees. Kenny did not disclose the acquisition amount but stated that the company's annual revenue has grown sevenfold over the past few years and that it is already profitable. Last year, Druid secured $20 million in funding led by J2 Ventures and Hico Investment Group.

Despite its smaller size, Druid's growth rate surpasses that of larger players like Ericsson in this field. Ericsson reported annual sales of 15.4 billion Swedish kronor (approximately $1.6 billion) in the enterprise market in 2022. In 2023, following Ericsson's $6.2 billion acquisition of Vonage, this figure rose to 25.7 billion Swedish kronor ($2.7 billion), but fell back to 21.1 billion Swedish kronor ($2.2 billion) two years later. Kenny believes that the core products of large vendors are not well-suited for private networks, and even scaled-down versions fail to meet demand.

Druid does not sell base stations to customers, relying on partnerships, including with Nokia, for radios and other hardware. Products are integrated through open interfaces, such as those defined by the O-RAN Alliance. Kenny stated that the company's goal is to achieve a single management interface that ensures smooth operation of equipment from different vendors.

Kenny founded Druid in 2001, operating as a consulting firm for its first decade. Between 2011 and 2012, as guard band spectrum was released for private networks in the UK and Netherlands, the company began selling related software. Druid's business saw significant growth after the large-scale release of CBRS spectrum in the US. Currently, its contracts span North America, Europe, and Asia, and it is expanding into the Latin American market.

Druid's development indicates growing demand among enterprises for locally deployed core networks, as an alternative to relying on slicing solutions from public 5G networks operated by telecom carriers. Kenny noted that a distributed architecture allows critical business operations to run continuously at local sites, avoiding service interruptions caused by macro core transmission failures.

Druid collaborates with telecom operators on some projects, including KPN in the Netherlands and Proximus in Belgium. In countries where spectrum licenses are not granted to other organizations, operators' spectrum assets remain crucial. Kenny added that many operators also find it challenging to understand how to sell private networks.

Regarding discussions on whether Wi-Fi can meet organizational needs, Kenny argued that Wi-Fi falls short in security and coverage. He said that the worst-performing device on a network can drag the entire network down to the lowest standard, while critical communication customers have already deemed 5G superior.

Druid had previously collaborated with Node-H on deployments for some customers. This integration adds RAN software expertise to its existing core product.