Cisco Systems still insists it's got an "open" strategy for software-defined networking (SDN) and that the Cariden Technologies acquisition will only strengthen it.

That statement might make competitors choke on their coffee, given that Cariden's sofware -- used for evaluating and planning IP/MPLS networks -- just fell into enemy hands. Cisco announced Thursday that it's buying Cariden for roughly $141 million. (See Cisco to Spend $141M for More SDN Help.)

Service providers use Cariden's network planning tool, called MATE, to see what's going on inside a variety of vendors' equipment -- Cisco, Juniper Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei Technologies and others.

Cisco claims it's going to keep it that way.

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