Many companies still tracked their network addresses in spreadsheets when Infoblox filed to go public in 2012. Infoblox sold them a better way. Every device on a network needs an address, and every name like a web address needs to be turned into a number. Infoblox's appliances and software handled those jobs, known as DNS, DHCP and IP address management. Networks were growing more complex each year, with more devices to track.

A Box for Network Basics

Stuart Bailey founded Infoblox in Chicago in 1999. He saw that these basic network services were usually built from free software and maintained by hand. His bet was that a dedicated appliance would make them easier to run and more reliable. The company later moved its headquarters to Silicon Valley. Its customers included large enterprises, service providers and government agencies.

DNS Turns to Security

Infoblox priced at $16 a share in April 2012 and rose on its first day. It added security products built on its knowledge of DNS, and those tools became a growing part of the business. Growth slowed in later years. In 2016 Vista Equity Partners bought the company for about $1.6 billion and took it private. Infoblox continues as a private company focused on networking and security.

Cover: Harbor Scene with a Lighthouse, Claude Lorrain. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for a harbor lighthouse (guiding traffic).