For most companies it's either very difficult or unattractive to acquire a controlling stake without negotiating a deal with the company's management. The alter

For most companies it's either very difficult or unattractive to acquire a controlling stake without negotiating a deal with the company's management. The alternative is a hostile takeover which requires enticing shareholders with above-market tender offers. Hostile takeovers become borderline impossible if a company like Datadog has implemented a poison pill as part of their shareholder rights plan. Yet another alternative is a creeping takeover wherein Cisco would try to gain a controlling interest by gradually buying shares on the open market, but this can take a very long time.