Company patents

Nicira, Inc.

Nicira, Inc. exhibits a patent strategy heavily concentrated in communications technologies, with its largest category, Routing, Switching & QoS, accounting for 75.4% of its portfolio. However, a surprising and significant shift is evident across its entire portfolio, with patent filings in nearly all categories experiencing sharp declines, such as Network Management & Monitoring dropping by 92.6% in 2025 and Computer Hardware Architecture by 100.0% in 2025, indicating a dramatic change in its innovation focus or a cessation of new patenting activity.

Patent Trend by Technology Area

Yearly patent publications since 2023

Product themes

Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.

183 US filings (since 2023) · 10 categories · 18 themes

Automated Network Provisioning

Systems and methods for automatically deploying, configuring, and updating network devices and services, including software updates, client onboarding, and topology management across various network types.

Network Management & Monitoring
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85since 2023
-96.6%YoY
Virtualization & Secure Remote Access

Technologies enabling the creation and management of virtual computing environments, including virtual machines and virtual desktops, with an emphasis on secure and efficient remote access, updates, and performance.

Operating Systems & Program Control
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63since 2023
-76.5%YoY
Physical Layer & Interface Optimization

Enhancements to the physical and data link layers of network communication, focusing on hardware components, signal integrity, power efficiency, and efficient data transfer mechanisms for specific interfaces and buses.

Routing, Switching & QoS
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34since 2023
-81.8%YoY
Network Operations, Reliability & Traffic

Techniques and systems designed to monitor network health, diagnose issues, optimize traffic flow, and ensure continuous operation and reduced downtime in complex network environments, including cloud and storage area networks.

Network Management & MonitoringRouting, Switching & QoSWeb & Cloud Service Protocols
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32since 2023
n/a
Network Traffic Management & QoS

Techniques and systems for optimizing network traffic flow, distributing loads across multiple paths or resources, and ensuring quality of service based on various criteria like application type, latency, or resource availability. This includes dynamic path selection, congestion control, and resource allocation.

Routing, Switching & QoS
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31since 2023
n/a
Edge and Cloud Network Orchestration

Managing and optimizing network resources and services deployed at the edge of the network or within cloud environments, including distributed domain name resolution, resource exposure analysis, and traffic management specific to distributed architectures.

Routing, Switching & QoS
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30since 2023
n/a
Distributed Cloud/Edge Processingfiltered

Techniques for distributing computational tasks, data storage, and service logic across cloud data centers, edge devices, and user equipment to improve performance, resilience, or resource utilization. This includes architectures for split rendering, decentralized ledgers, and microservices.

Web & Cloud Service Protocols
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21since 2023
-75.0%YoY
Hardware Network Acceleration

Utilizing specialized hardware components such as network processing units (NPUs) or dedicated acceleration circuits to offload and speed up network packet processing, traffic generation, or time-sensitive network operations.

Network Management & Monitoring
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19since 2023
-25.0%YoY
Secure Communication Protocols

Technologies for establishing and maintaining secure communication channels between devices or networks, often employing encryption, secure protocols, or virtual private networks (VPNs).

Network Security & Access Control
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14since 2023
-33.3%YoY
Network Security & Access Control

Methods and systems for protecting network resources and data from unauthorized access, misuse, or attack, encompassing authentication, authorization, encryption, and traffic filtering mechanisms. This includes securing communication channels and validating network access.

Routing, Switching & QoS
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14since 2023
-75.0%YoY
Network Data Management

Systems and methods for collecting, processing, and ensuring the quality and consistency of data used for network monitoring, asset management, and operational decision-making, including conflict detection and reliability scoring.

Network Management & Monitoring
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10since 2023
n/a
Granular Data Encryption & Access Control

Systems and methods for encrypting data at a fine-grained level (e.g., per data unit or based on sensitivity) and controlling access to it, often involving delegated authorization, contextual policies, or secure data sharing.

Cryptographic Mechanisms
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9since 2023
-50.0%YoY
Network Intrusion Detection

Systems and methods for identifying and blocking unauthorized access, malicious activities, or abnormal behavior within a network by analyzing traffic, system logs, or behavioral patterns.

Network Security & Access Control
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6since 2023
n/a
Secure Key Management & Rotation

Methods and systems for generating, distributing, updating, rotating, and securely destroying cryptographic keys to maintain data confidentiality and integrity over time, including quantum key distribution.

Cryptographic Mechanisms
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3since 2023
n/a
Access Control & Identity Management

Systems and methods for authenticating users, devices, or applications, authorizing their access to resources based on policies, and managing digital identities across various platforms.

Network Security & Access ControlComputer Security
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2since 2023
n/a
Secure Data Storage & Provenance

Techniques for protecting data at rest or in backup, ensuring its integrity, confidentiality, and verifiable origin, often involving encryption, unique identifiers, or secure repositories.

Network Security & Access ControlComputer Security
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1since 2023
n/a
Cloud Security Posture Management

Tools and processes for assessing, monitoring, and improving the security configuration and external accessibility of resources deployed within cloud computing environments.

Network Security & Access Control
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1since 2023
n/a
System Resource & Power Optimization

Methods and systems for efficiently allocating computing resources, balancing workloads, and managing power states to improve performance, reduce energy consumption, or enhance reliability in computing platforms.

Operating Systems & Program Control
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1since 2023
n/a

Patents

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