F5 Acquires MantisNet to Boost Cloud-Native Observability and Security

F5 has acquired MantisNet, a specialist in cloud-native observability and real-time network intelligence, in a move designed to expand the capabilities of the F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP). Looking ahead, F5 says the integration will allow customers across industries to move to cloud-native architectures with greater confidence.

With observability deeply embedded in the application delivery and security stack, organizations can expect more reliable automation, enhanced security for encrypted traffic, and accelerated deployment of services in environments ranging from internal enterprise applications to public 5G infrastructure.

The deal would underscore a growing trend in enterprise IT: as organizations migrate to cloud-native architectures, visibility and security at scale have become mission-critical requirements that legacy monitoring tools cannot fully address.

MantisNet, recognized as a pioneer in leveraging extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) technology, brings a kernel-level approach to network telemetry. This enables enterprises, telecom operators, managed service providers, and government organizations to gain real-time visibility into encrypted and ephemeral containerized traffic – an area that has traditionally presented blind spots for conventional monitoring solutions. By embedding MantisNet’s technology into ADSP, F5 aims to bridge those visibility gaps while maintaining high performance and automation across dynamic workloads.

The acquisition comes as enterprises accelerate adoption of Kubernetes and other cloud-native technologies to achieve scalability and agility. Containerized Network Functions (CNFs) are becoming central to this shift, offering rapid deployment, resilience, and DevOps alignment. However, these benefits introduce challenges in monitoring and securing short-lived, encrypted communications within containers. F5’s integration of MantisNet’s Containerized Visibility Fabric (CVF) addresses this directly, delivering telemetry and analytics optimized for cloud-native and 5G environments.

MantisNet Powers Continuous Network Visibility

Industry observers note that MantisNet’s technology can be compared to shifting from static surveillance cameras to an intelligent, integrated monitoring grid. Rather than capturing fragments of traffic data, MantisNet continuously tracks, analyzes, and contextualizes flows across the entire network, providing actionable insights in real time. This depth of visibility becomes especially critical in sectors such as telecommunications, where operators are deploying advanced 5G services, or in enterprises managing multi-tenant environments with complex security requirements.

The integration is expected to bolster F5 products such as BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes, BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager, BIG-IP Policy Enforcement Manager, and BIG-IP Carrier-Grade NAT. By feeding low-latency telemetry from MantisNet into these solutions, F5 promises faster detection, automated policy enforcement, and the ability to secure east-west traffic inside containerized systems – traffic that traditional tools often overlook. For regulated industries, the platform will also support compliance needs through programmatic packet capture and historical flow preservation.

F5 positions the combined offering as more than a monitoring tool. By linking observability with policy engines and automation capabilities, it delivers an end-to-end pipeline from insight to action. Customers are expected to benefit from faster rollouts of next-generation services, improved detection times, and reduced operational complexity. The company sees the unified stack as an enabler for enterprises and telecom operators alike to deliver differentiated digital services while preserving security and control.

This acquisition also signals the increasing importance of eBPF-powered observability in the enterprise and telecom landscape. As networks evolve toward containerized, virtualized, and software-defined architectures, organizations are demanding solutions that can keep pace with both the scale and the encryption inherent in modern workloads. For F5, adding MantisNet enhances its strategic positioning as a provider of full-stack visibility combined with cloud-native agility.

At its core, the acquisition highlights a fundamental reality of today’s digital economy: visibility is no longer optional. As enterprises, governments, and service providers scale into cloud-native and 5G ecosystems, the combination of F5’s ADSP with MantisNet’s telemetry capabilities offers a pathway to manage complexity, enforce policy in real time, and secure traffic that has historically been invisible. For a global industry grappling with both opportunity and risk, the deal represents an effort to turn observability into a strategic asset rather than an operational afterthought.