SAN JOSE, Calif.—Cisco Systems Inc. went a little deeper into wireless, spending $31 million in cash to buy mobile device software developer Orative Corp.
The move will enable Cisco to add wireless connectivity to its unified communications technology for business communications systems. Cisco launched its unified communications system earlier this year, which the company said allows businesses to integrate their communications systems with their IT infrastructure, thereby creating a single communications platform.
“Cisco’s Unified Communications system enables businesses to leverage their Cisco networks as a platform to provide the quadruple play—voice, video, data and mobility services—through a superior user experience,” explained Don Proctor, senior vice president of Cisco’s Voice Technology Group. “The Orative acquisition will allow Cisco to further deliver on its promise of extending the unified communications experience from the network services to mobile devices.”
Founded in 2002, Orative has 33 employees and has partnered with Cisco on several technology projects. Cisco said it expects the acquisition to close in the second quarter of next year, at which time the Orative team and product portfolio will be integrated into Cisco’s Voice Technology Group.
Cisco has been on a technology-purchasing spending spree of sorts, having bought several other portfolios as the company looks to expand its reach beyond routers and switches.
