Cisco To Acquire Maker Of Messaging Software

Cisco Systems said yesterday that it plans to acquire AmtevaTechnologies Inc., a developer of IP-based unified messagingsoftware. The $170 million stock swap buys Cisco a companywhose middleware platform is able to provide a single in-boxfor E-mail, voice mail, and fax messages that are carriedacross the Internet.

The Amteva acquisition builds on Cisco's plan to expandbeyond its mainstay of data networking equipment. InNovember, Cisco purchased Selsius Systems, an IP-based PBXvendor, and earlier this month Cisco acquired GeoTelCommunications Corp., a developer of call-center softwarethat operates in a telecommunications network as well as onthe Internet.

By combining these companies' telephony products with itsown datacom equipment, Cisco hopes to provide business usersand Internet service providers with a variety of call-centerand unified communications products to compete withtelecommunications giants such as Lucent Technologies Inc.and Nortel Networks Corp.