On Wednesday, Cisco Systems (CSCO 2.94%) announced its intention to buy privately held Intucell, an Israel-based maker of "self-optimizing network software" (SON), in a deal valued at $475 million. This marks at least the fourth major cloud-related acquisition by Cisco in the past two months.
In previous deals, Cisco has announced plans to buy network planning, design, and traffic management solutions provider Cariden Technologies for $141 million, software designer Cloupia for $125 million, and Meraki for $1.2 billion. Cisco's proposed outlays in the field now approach $2 billion in total.
Cisco explained the purchase of Intucell as "adding a critical network intelligence layer to manage and optimize spectrum, coverage and capacity, and ultimately the quality of the mobile experience," and elaborated in a press release that "Intucell enhances Cisco's ability to deliver next-generation solutions with a SON software platform that supports multi-application, multi-vendor and multi-technology capabilities and enables service providers to manage operational costs and make better use of infrastructure investments."
By buying in Israel, the purchase also helps Cisco to make profitable use of the tens of billions of dollars it currently has locked up overseas to avoid U.S. taxation. The acquisition is expected to close in Cisco's Q3.
