A few hours after news broke that traffic monitoring provider CyberFlow Analytics Inc. is being sold, the network protection industry is marking another major buyout. Infoblox Inc. announced that it has accepted a $1.6 million acquisition bid from Vista Equity Partners and will once again become a private company.

The deal marks the latest in a series of high-value transactions involving publicly traded tech firms seeking to escape the short-term performance pressures on Wall Street. Rackspace Hosting Inc. signed a $4.3 billion acquisition agreement with Apollo Global Management LLC late last month, while marketing automation specialist Marketo Inc.  was picked up by Vista Equity Partners for $1.79 billion in May. And the private equity firm also bought a meeting management provider called Cvnet Inc. along the way before sending in its offer for Infoblox, which was apparently a response to a bid from rival Thoma Bravo LLC.

Not long after the latter firm’s involvement came to light, activist investor Starboard Value LP disclosed that it bought a 7 percent stake in Infoblox and starting calling for a sale. The hedge fund said that the company’s shares were undervalued and “represented an attractive investment opportunity,” an argument validated by today’s deal.

The $1.6 billion offer from Vista represents a massive 73 percent premium over Infoblox’s stock price on May 11, when Bloomberg first reported Thoma Bravo’s bid, and 16 percent more than its Friday closing price. The deal gives Starboard Value and the company’s other investors a hefty return while freeing up its management team to pursue its growth plans outside the gaze of Wall Street.

The deal is expected to close in Infoblox’s second fiscal second quarter, during the three months ending Jan. 31, 2017. The company will keep the current executive team and continue to operate out of its Santa Clara headquarters.

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