Despite its young age, SocketPlane, the software-defined networking (SDN) startup focusing on Docker containers, has found a new home. Docker Inc., the company, announced its acquisition of SocketPlane this morning, saying it is looking to deliver Docker-native networking.

Last month, we speculated about a possible SocketPlane buyer, and it looks like one of our theories was correct. The Docker container needs strong networking, but Docker Inc. falls short in experience. With the addition of SocketPlane, the Docker company can welcome networking talent and start to grow within a networking niche.

Docker Inc.'s release says bringing SocketPlane into the family will directly impact partner community collaboration, as it looks to design a set of APIs that focus on application developer needs, as well as those of network and systems admins.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The SocketPlane team brings track records consisting of tenures at Cisco, Red Hat, HP, and Dell, as well as leadership and involvement in OpenStack, the OpenDaylight Project, Open vSwitch, and Open Virtual Network (OVN). The entire SocketPlane staff will continue on (the small team of six is already hard at work in the Docker Inc. HQ) as Docker aims for world domination, er, container-management market domination.

In its short run prior to today's announcement, SocketPlane's goal was to create the best networking products in the Docker environment. That vision hasn't changed, but the acquisition helps expand upon it, and opens the doors for more opportunities with other partners and capabilities, while building on Docker's open standards.

Not that anyone is counting (besides us...), but this is acquisition number three for Docker, following the purchase of DevOps company Koality last fall, and Orchard Laboratories last summer.