Networking
major Cisco announced its intent to acquire privately-held BNI Video. BNI Video
supplies service providers with two major video products that offer video
back-office and content delivery network (CDN) analytic capabilities.
“Service
providers globally are embracing our Videoscape vision, and today with the
acquisition of BNI Video, we are augmenting our Videoscape platform and giving
customers a clear migration path to Videoscape,” said Marthin De Beer,
senior vice president and general manager of Cisco’s Emerging Business Group.
The
acquisition will advance the capabilities of Cisco’s Videoscape TV platform,
which allows service providers to deliver compelling video experiences to any
device over any Internet Protocol (IP) network.
BNI
Video’s technology will also help Cisco’s service provider customers reduce
their operational costs and complexity, while expanding monetization
opportunities.
“As
a founding investor in BNI Video, Comcast Ventures recognized the potential for
this technology to play a critical role in advancing video experiences for
Comcast’s customers,” said Tony Werner, chief technology officer, Comcast.
“With
the combined expertise in IP video systems, Cisco and BNI Video offer service
providers a compelling software and infrastructure platform to efficiently
deliver video content to multiple devices,” Werner added.
Video,
one of Cisco’s five company priorities, is the biggest growth driver for IP
traffic and, as a result, the company’s core networking business. The BNI Video
acquisition follows the recent acquisitions of ExtendMedia and Inlet
Technologies, which also strengthen Cisco’s Videoscape portfolio.
Upon
the close of the acquisition, BNI Video employees will be integrated into
Cisco’s Service Provider Video Technology Group. Under the terms of the
agreement, Cisco will pay approximately $99 million in cash and retention-based incentives in
exchange for all shares of BNI Video.
Recently,
Cisco announced it is set to acquire service fulfillment software assets and associated employees from the UK
subsidiary (formerly Axiom Systems) of parent company Comptel Corporation.
The
acquisition will enable Cisco to extend network and service management technologies across its
next-generation Internet Protocol (IP) network platforms and enable service
providers to more quickly and efficiently launch new video, data, mobility and
cloud services to their customers.
By
Telecomlead.com Team
[email protected]
