Cisco Systems said it has agreed to purchase mobile WiMAX vendor Navini Networks for about $330 million in cash and assumed options.
Navini’s specialty involves the integration of “smart beamforming” technologies with multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antennas to improve performance and range for WiMAX services. Cisco said that the acquisition will complement its existing products and that the WiMAX products will extend its Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi-Mesh portfolios. The company also said that it expects adoption of WiMAX around the world to drive the transition to open IP-based broadband wireless architectures.
Navini’s product portfolio includes base stations, adaptive antenna arrays, management systems and subscriber modems, and its products have been sold to more than 75 customers. The business is expected to be integrated into Cisco’s wireless networking business unit, under its Ethernet and Wireless Technology group.
