Logitech moves into videoconferencing

Peripheral specialist Logitech has signalled a move into the videoconferencing world with its latest acquisition.

The company said that it would be purchasing videoconferencing vendor LifeSize Communications in a $405 million (£244m) cash deal. LifeSize specialises in HD and videoconferencing systems.

Logitech said that it plans to keep the company intact and operating as a separate entity in its Austin, Texas headquarters. The company is said to have some 9,000 enterprise customers throughout 80 countries.

With the purchase, Logitech hopes that it will have the means to expand all of its videoconferencing offerings.

"We expect this acquisition to enable Logitech to extend our leadership in video communication beyond the desktop," said Logitech president and chief executive Gerald Quindlen.

"Together we can make life-like, HD-quality video communication as mainstream and seamless as a telephone, for meeting participants in the boardroom, at their office desk, in a remote-location meeting room, telecommuting from home or on the go with a laptop."

The deal puts Logitech into a growing field of firms offering enterprise conferencing systems, such as Cisco and Polycom.