Cisco chair and CEO John Chambers announced plans earlier this week to step down as CEO this summer, but that doesn’t mean the networking giant is slowing down on the business front.
On Thursday, Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) said it planned to acquire a company that develops software for real-time communications within cloud computing applications.
Cisco is buying Tropo, and the deal will put Cisco in direct competition with Twillo, says ZDNet.
According to Hilton Romanski, head of business development at Cisco, the deal is part of a Cisco plan to develop a “collaboration platform-as-a-service” in the cloud.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Cisco has been on a mission to make collaboration super-simple,” Romanski wrote in a blog.
“From our video devices that require no user’s manual, to our cameras that sense and automatically adjust when the speaker suddenly stands and walks to the white board, we’re paying attention to the details; we’re making collaborating less frustrating and providing a better user experience—so we can all get great work done.
“With our laser focus on simplicity, it should come as no surprise that we’ve given lots of thought to real-time embedded communications. Given the market transitions of mobility, cloud, and the Internet of Everything, companies are seeking simpler and faster ways to communicate—both internally and externally—from any device in real-time through the cloud. The need for next-generation communications and collaboration platforms with modern, easy-to-use APIs is more important than ever. To address this growing need, Cisco is pleased to announce its intent to acquire Tropo, a privately held company providing a cloud API platform that makes it simple for customers and developers to embed real-time communications within their applications.
“Helping people connect, engage and innovate on any device, Cisco and Tropo will provide a collaboration platform-as-a-service, which allows our customers and developers to create and sell new communications services with minimal development effort.”
The deal is expected to close this quarter.
